When Mike and Gally Martin move to a cottage in Somerset, it's to make a new start. But the relationship comes under strain when Gally forms an increasingly close attachment to an old countryman, Ferney, who seems to know everything about her.
What is it that draws them together? Reluctantly at first, then with more urgency as he feels time slipping away, Ferney compels Gally to understand their connection - and to face an inexplicable truth about their shared past.
The past and the present collide in this wonderful book.
Ferney was first published in 1998 and took off purely by word of mouth. And with good reason. This is a fascinating and unique book. A time-slip story with a twist.
Mike and Gally move to the Somerset village of Penselwood, intending to start a new life together. They take on a rundown cottage for renovation. Things should be idyllic, but then Ferney appears, an old countryman who starts to show and unusual interest in Gally, and Gally in turn is inexplicably drawn to him, even though, what he is telling her, surely can’t be true.
As Gally and Ferney’s friendship grows we are introduced to the history of Penselwood and the surrounding countryside, from the Iron Age, right through to modern times. History is in the landscape all around us, and most people hardly notice it, but in Ferney the history encroaches on the present and as Gally is drawn deeper into Ferney’s world so Mike’s concerns start to grow.
At its heart though, this is a love story, but one tinged with sadness and timelessness. You may think you can see where it is leading - I thought I could. But I was so wrong and Ferney resonated with me long after I had finished reading.
The blend of past and present was particularly well handled, but I can see how this might drag for someone with no interest in history. It is clear that the author has a great passion for this subject, and for me this aspect was one of the book’s main strengths. The historical aspects were well researched and I could feel the author’s passion for those past lives that have been lived out at the very places where we now stand. In Ferney that history becomes tangible.
So if you haven’t read Ferney I suggest you do – especially if a time-slip blend of history and romance appeals to you.
Kate Kelly is a marine scientist by day but by night she writes children’s books. Her debut novel Red Rock, a Cli-Fi thriller for teens, is published by Curious Fox. She lives in Dorset with her husband, two daughters and assorted pets and blogs at http://scribblingseaserpent.blogspot.co.uk/
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