Hope on Hope by Susan Gray

Romantic/Comprehensive/Comfortable

Historic Family Drama/Historic Romance/Mystery

It was hope that had seen Tom and Rachel through the awful events of so long ago. It was hope that had filled their months afterwards, and hope that pulled them through the grief that they had felt for a time. It was hope that had brought them back together. It was hope that had brought them to a place where they had thus far had twenty years of happy marriage and two beautiful children, and more recently, it was hope that had helped them through the war, with the added blessing of being able to help others. Hope was also present for their French relatives, whose lives had been shaken to their very core. Hope was in fact all Chantal had left and she was not letting go.

I hope (see what I did there?) I’m right in saying that I have read all of Susan Gray’s novels to date. I read the prequel to ‘Hope on Hope’, ‘Blossoming of Truth’, last year. Due to the nature of the story, the character of Rachel, was someone I just never warmed to. However in this book, much like Tom has forgiven the behaviour that I thought was unforgivable back then, I took her for the person she is now. I had thought about reading my review for ‘Blossoming of Truth’ to remind myself of events, but I thought it might have coloured my opinion of characters and their actions once again, and I didn’t want to bring that to this new chapter. I had forgotten how much I enjoy this author’s writing. Her dialogue is expressive and feels natural, whilst her descriptions easily conjure up the places and people she is attempting to convey. As soon as I started reading, I instantly recalled characters and happenings from the previous novel, including how I had imagined, Tom, Jonathan and Rachel and was taken back to when Tom and Rachel first met, sat by the fire in Meckelridge House Hotel on that snowy evening. It gave me a feeling of warmth and familiarity. However, much has changed since then, set in a post war world where the hotel had been repurposed for a time, and is now purely a family home for Tom, Rachel and their vivacious, and uninhibited offspring; teenagers, Josh and Darcey. We are also re-introduced to Peg, Tom’s sister and her husband Pierre who also have two additions of a similar age to their cousins, Jonty and Sylvie. Peg was my favourite character in ‘Blossoming of Truth’ so I was glad to see that she was still very much part of Tom and Rachel’s life. It was her kindness, forgiving and accepting nature that drew me to her in the last book. She is always prepared to make the best of a tricky situation which she demonstrates again in this enjoyable sequel.

Due to the difficult times that they have found themselves in, Tom and Rachel have not had any communication with either side of their extended French family, and are wondering what has become of them. Peg and Pierre’s annual visits to Meckelridge were forced to cease seven years ago, and it is all too apparent that the cousins who had grown up together, will now be virtual strangers due to their young ages. Rachel is keen to make contact with her younger sibling, however, she is unable to do so by telephone and she hasn’t had a response to a number of her letters. She hopes that communication can be re-established via Peg and Pierre.

It was nice to see that Tom’s life had undergone only positive changes, and that he was now the head of such a loving and close family who, through the events brought about by the recent conflict have discovered a new way of living, affording them more time to be together and as such, to bridge connections that had been lost for so long.

Of Tom and Rachel’s two children, Darcey Smallwood takes a self assured and active role in this female lead narrative. She is described as a difficult teenager and seems to be of a comparable age to Jonty, her French cousin who is eighteen. She is forthright and outspoken and knows how to handle herself, and now coming of age, experiences her first dalliance with the opposite sex, which she manages adeptly and confidently, taking no nonsense from Grady Forrester who is comparatively immature and cock sure of himself. Darcey is impetuous, knows how she feels, what she wants and seeks to make it happen, without much thought for things that might not go to plan or any consequences. She sees situations only to be dealt with, leaving no degree of uncertainty. If she formulates a plan, there is only ever one outcome, the one that works! She is not short of admirers attracting boys and young men alike and isn’t afraid to try and test each one, with the exception of Jonty, being inconveniently related to him. As ever though, the path to to true love, never does run smoothly. Darcey is a kind soul, and with age, she develops a maturity. When she is introduced to her cousin’s cousin, sparks fly instantly, but when Henri’s future seemingly disappears before his very eyes, will Darcey be able to convince Henri and her father that this is a mere stumbling block and that together they can weather whatever storms come their way?

Rachel’s younger half sister is Susan’s other main protagonist with a very interesting tale to tell. Having returned to France to nurse her ailing mother prior to the war, she finds herself unable to return to England and builds a life, picking up work with the local midwifery team. She also becomes embroiled in the activities of war, endangering her own life, but admirably safeguarding those of her patients. In keeping herself busy, she is endeavouring to chase away concerns about ‘another’ that she has been harbouring since not long after the start of the conflict. Chantal is a thoughtful, kind soul, who perhaps unlike her sister in her younger days, is much more mindful of how she treats others. Will her family be able to assist her in discovering the whereabouts of the person who’s absence she feels so keenly? When Darcey involves herself with only ‘Tant Tallie’s’ best interest at heart, a battle of wills and opposing points of view ensues. Is Chantal’s bond with her niece strong enough to withstand Darcey’s stubbornness?

I liked the relationships between the three women and how their age gaps represented different stages of a woman’s life, giving different perspectives and altering the perception of their bond. From being Aunt and Niece, Darcey and Chantelle would, at times seem more like girlfriends. Rachel, at times almost seemed to take on the role of parent with Chantelle, having had comparatively less life experience than her older sister, other times, they too were like friends. It was an interesting dynamic, particularly with Chantal not having always been in Rachel’s life.

Tom still remains as steadfastly dependable as he had originally been. He is much like Peg, and has a firm but fair parenting style with the odd throwback to years gone by when he feels that the old ways of doing things were better and that he is still entitled to all due respect as the head of the family. My favourite character was Henri, although I think how I imagined him probably differs greatly from the author’s vision. I liked to imagine his French accent, especially when he is being flirty with a certain young lady.

The couple of plot twists seemed fairly obvious to me, but that is because I read so many books of a similar genre. I realised what they were from quite early on, but that takes nothing away from the enjoyment of the plot as a whole.

I very much enjoyed this novel, particularly the banter between the younger characters and the way in which Darcey put Grady in his place. The only issues that I noticed repeatedly that bothered me were, some of the language used such as ‘awesome’ and ‘freak out’. Also when Rachel and Tom say they have news for Darcey and Josh, and Darcey suspects that her mother might be pregnant. I felt that in those days, children wouldn’t have been so forthcoming with the way she expressed her surprise or what seemed revulsion, at this possibility. Also, Rachel’s reaction of ‘no worries there’ seemed almost like she was being too open with her children about her sex life, too casual. It detracted from the authentic feel of the 1940’s for me.

I would love Susan Gray to continue writing about the Smallwood’s and their extended family, as I very much like her characters and would really like to see their progression. I will of course though continue to read anything she writes, as I very much enjoy her style of writing and her chosen genre.