“Heligoland” by Shena Mackay (Jonathan Cape, 2003)

An uncorrected book proof – “Dedication – copy to be supplied”

The Nautilus, that opened in 1937, is a strangely built house near London that was an Artists Colony. Sand had been brought from Dungeness to add to the effect of it looking like a giant shell. Francis, an old poet who still enjoys reading bad reviews of old friends' books, has lived there a long while. He invited Rowena to stay. It's more her book than anybody else's. She was born in the Himalayas, raised in Scotland, orphaned early. She went to a strange boarding school, "Chestnuts". She was a carer until she was dismissed unfairly, blamed by Mr Apsley of stealing his things. She was invited as a housekeeper to the Nautilus but she also writes poetry. She lives a small life, not announcing/celebrating her birthdays.

Celeste is another old resident, a habitual protester. Her husband Arkaby died 20 years earlier. They'd brought up 2 kids there. Her daughter and grandchildren often visit. Gus has an antiques/junk shop. He was invited in by Celeste. He's separated from his wife Carol and 2 kids aged 5 and 7. He'd been unfaithful. He wants a reconsiliation.

Jackie and Nathan (ex artist) are called in to do repairs. Celeste's car is vandalised. Francis invites Rowena to a poetry AGM. Mad Izzie arrives, hoping to stay. Rowena fantacises about killing her. Gus gives her a lift home. Her husband was unfaithful.

Rowena might have had a brief affair with George, her friend's husband. Rowena and Gus work out that they briefly met when Gus was a boy.

Gus finds out who vandalised the car and gets then to do a chore (clearing out the old swimming pool).

Francis suddenly wants to see an old friend. Rowena tells him he could fly to see him. She very briefly visits Mr Apsley in hospital. He apologises. The son who admitted to stealing is there. Returning to Nautilus there's a party - a surprise birthday party. Most of the people she knows are there, including the poet she fancied at the AGM. She feels she has found her "family". She thinks about flying to India.

Entertaining, with many mini-plots on the go. Lots of interesting, quirky details that whizz by, e.g. -

His words evoke pyrotechnics but her mind is on the vegetable plot that once supplied their table, now disappeared under brambles, and the senescent fruit trees, and the little swimming pool, full of leaves, that everyone's forgotten about. Suddenly she remembers another incident, which almost ended in tragedy. 'Those stats got you into serious trouble once, if you recall,' she tells him. Gus is picturing his father, a competition angler, casting his line from a sea wall. 'We need some beer,' he says. Rowena's face falls. There is a glass jug of water on the table, with a nasturtium flower floating among the ice cubes. 'No problem.' They hear Gus running up the stairs, singing, 'Ah, yes, I rhemember it whell,'

Other reviews

• goodreads
• Peter Bradshaw (almost short stories ... This is a book in which drum and bass can be heard thudding from young people's cars, but these novelties do not impinge greatly on a world in which people unselfconsciously refer to "the wireless". … Bafflingly, one very important event, the husband of an old friend falling in love with Rowena, gets only a brief mention )