Six Degrees of Separation: Nine Lessons to The Farmer’s Wife

On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book.

Kate: Books are my Favourite and Best

This month, I have to begin where I left off last time, with Nicola Upton‘s Nine Lessons. I described it here, so now I’ll confine myself to saying it’s a detective story set in Cambridge.

So. To another detective story set in Cambridge, and one I read a long time ago. I’m always up for reading Kate Atkinson, but it took me a while to try the Jackson Brodie series. Then I read Case Histories. In many ways I enjoyed this unusual approach, in which several different lives and families from Cambridge are introduced, long before a crime becomes apparent. Yet inexorably and inevitably they come to the attention of private detective Jackson Brodie. I found some of the characters stereotypical: mad-as-a-hatter cat-lady; eccentric middle aged sisters and so on – there are more. Jackson solves everything, inevitably, but more by luck than judgment. There were so many characters I got somewhat muddled. I seem to be damning this book, yet at the time I turned the pages easily.

Let’s try Kate Atkinson in different form in Shrines Of Gaiety. She takes us to 1920s London, to a place of hedonistic gaiety where Nellie Coker is queen of a whole series of nightclubs, each appealing to a different kind of pleasure-seeker. Her family is essential to her enterprise and the story, with two Cambridge educated daughters (a Cambridge link again!) and a twit of a son in the mix of six. Add in a Yorkshire librarian on furlough, two young Yorkshire runaways, police officers who are variously dutiful and bent and you have a complicated and atmospheric Dickensian yarn. I enjoyed it: This is Kate Atkinson after all, but I also found it a little wearisome and forced, with not all the characters well-developed. I read through it quickly and with some enjoyment, but also feeling somewhat cheated of Kate Atkinson at her best.

From one form of public entertainment to another. Kenneth Wilson’s Highway Cello.  It’s an account of Kenneth Wilson’s decision to load a cello onto the back of a trusty old bike and cycle from his home in Cumbria, via England, France and Italy to Rome, playing to impromptu audiences in town squares, and lightly-planned concerts in homes, halls and cafes. In among this part of the tale, he discusses the whys and wherefores of his trip, and always with a light touch. It’s an uplifting, amusing and undemanding book, the perfect accompaniment to a holiday: that’s why I’ve only just read it. Though it’s a couple of months since he came to our local Little Ripon Bookshop, played his cello and read from his book with verve and good humour.

Wilson ends up in Rome.  Another British writer, Matthew Kneale lives in Rome.  And he wrote a pandemic diary, The Rome Plague Diaries.  I loved it. Having many years ago lived in Italy, though not in Rome, this put me back in touch with many aspects of Italian daily life and culture. It also revived memories of Lockdown – not unwelcome ones: I was one of those who actually relished many aspects of it, because of where and how I’m able to live. If you’ve enjoyed Kneale’s writing; if you love Italy, I recommend your reading this vivid account of a resilient city going through yet another test of its mettle.

The only other story I’ve read set during the pandemic is  Sarah Moss’ The Fell.  I read it when I was self-isolating with Covid, probably in early 2021. Kate and her teenage son, living in Cumbrian fell country were quarantined at home. Kate, frustrated, eventually goes out, to get up there on the moors, at a moment when there won’t be a soul about, and be back in time for tea. Except she isn’t. She gets disorientated, and falls … This story is told in stream of consciousness through the voices of Kate herself, her son Matt, her neighbour Alice, and mountain rescuer Rob. And frankly it got as tedious as Lockdown itself. The ending was suitably shocking, inconclusive and cliff-hanging, which redeemed it somewhat, but I doubt if this book will wear well. 

So I’ll finish with another book set in the Cumbrian countryside: Helen Rebanks’ The Farmer’s Wife: My Life in Days.  I met Helen Rebanks (wife of the more famous James, of The Shepherd’s Life fame) at another author-event at the Little Ripon Bookshop and found her sparky and interesting. I didn’t feel the same about her book. She details the hard slog of being a farmer’s wife and a mother in an unforgiving, if beautiful part of England. The book is interspersed with recipes, all of which can easily be found anywhere, and at the end are store cupboard hints which I doubt are of much help to her probable readership. An interesting enough but slightly disappointing read.

I’ve just read through this post, and see it has a slightly grumpy tone. It was slightly hastily thrown together today after our long journey back from Spain and dicing with farmers’ blockades in France, so I can’t claim to have given it too much thought. Next month, when the starter book is Ann Patchett‘s Tom Lake, Must Try Harder.

All images except the one of Kenneth Wilson cycling off with his cello in tow, which comes from the press pack on his own website, are from Unsplash, and are, in order, by Vlah Dumitru; Cajeo Zhang; Spencer Davis; Jonny Gios and George Hiles.

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Author: margaret21

I'm retired and live in North Yorkshire, where I walk , write, volunteer and travel as often as I can.

42 thoughts on “Six Degrees of Separation: Nine Lessons to The Farmer’s Wife”

  2. I am also a fan of Kate Atkinson’s writing. Cello Highway seems like a book I would enjoy. Thanks for the recommendation. I didn’t notice the grumpy undertone, being honest stood out more.

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  3. A book is a book is a book. Some excite or move. Some don’t. Friends arrived here from the UK for a farewell meal and they look worn out. Everyone has a story 🤗🩵

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  6. I enjoyed your honesty! I used to like continue reading authors works but found often there would be lapses. Perhaps the famous ones have to produce too much. Am sure I have tried Atkinson’s Brodie but have a hazy memory on that but very clear about Rowling’s Galbraith and the books being too long but the hook strong.

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  9. This is a pleasant surprise! I though you might give it a miss this month. I’ve been eyeing up The Farmer’s Wife in bookshops but will probably give it a miss. You have got me adding both the Kneale and the Wilson to my list, though.

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    1. The Rebanks is worth flicking through and parts are interesting – as when she and James live in Oxford while he does his degree, and she begins to find her own path. Borrow, not buy is my advice. The other two are light and enjoyable reads.

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  10. Haha… yes you do come over as being a bit unsettled by most of this months reads, but honesty is the best policy. I’ve given up on a couple of books recently after plodding through a chapter or two deciding life is too short. Good to see you have arrived home at last. Bet you are missing those granddaughters already.

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    1. Not ‘alf! But Emily is coming to England with them for ten days in March while she is still on maternity leave: but has to get to London and Bolton too if she wants to see both her siblings – which she does. I’m coming down to earth now – but reluctantly.

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  11. I’ve read a couple of books set in lockdown now and I’m sure there will be an outpouring of them before too long. (Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout and The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. Like all of Strout’s, the Erdrich I eventually enjoyed but it took a bit of getting into).

    I’m afraid I haven’t been inspired by any of your titles today! Can’t win ‘em all. My current recommendation: I’ve just finished Mother’s Boy by Patrick Gale for our next book group meeting and I’m really missing it! He’s an author we all like though nothing has lived up to the first one we read which was a Town Called Winter.

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    1. I loved Mother’s Boy! Though I have yet to read anything by Gale that hasn’t thoroughly absorbed me from page one. Not a huge Elizabeth Strout fan. Erdrich I don’t know. Should I add this author to the many I haven’t encountered but ought to?

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      1. The Sentence was on the women’s prize for fiction shortlist last year, or maybe the year before, which first attracted me, then the fact that it was set in a bookshop clinched it. However, although as I said I did enjoy it eventually I won’t be going to great lengths to seek out any more. So probably no, is my answer!

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  12. I enjoyed all of Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie books but still haven’t read Shrines of Gaiety. Sorry to hear it’s not one of her best. Well done for putting such an interesting chain together so quickly!

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  13. I’ve had Case histories on my TBR since it came out – though now I think I may have moved it on in my downsizing last year. Hmm. I’ve read one book by Matthew Kneale, which I greatly enjoyed. I’d love to read this one – a writer in Italy during the pandemic sounds spot on in terms of interest level for me.

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  15. Case Histories sounds like one I might enjoy even if it had its flaws as does The Farmer’s Wife. Great chain this month. Wonderful that you were able to put one together when just back from a trip–I wouldn’t have been able!

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    1. Oh Marianne, I’d already read your post and – as I thought – responded with quite a long comment. I’ve just looked and see it’s not there. Grrrrr.

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      1. Oh, what a shame! Unfortunately, that happens a lot. I often have the problem with the blogs where they don’t publish my comment right away and then I often don’t notice. On my blog, unless it’s older than two weeks, your comment should appear right away. Maybe you remember what you wanted to say. In any case, have a good day!

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    2. I’ve looked back at your post and can’t remember what constituted my long comment, other than to say that the Simon Winchester is the only one I’ve read – but that his books are generally good value as introductions to a topic, Yours is quite a tempting chain!

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      1. I’m glad you liked it, even though I only used the words as a combination. And good to know that Simon Winchester does good introductions. I’ll certainly look into other books by him. Or are there any you’d recommend?

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  17. My reaction to Case Histories was similar to yours. I enjoyed it, but due to the many characters (and me not connecting to any of them), I haven’t continued with the series. It seems like ages, since I did a Six Degrees post. Maybe, I’ll join in next month.

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