This is a charming novel despite the darkness of much of the subject matter; adultery, depression, domestic violence, and even murder. Yet these events do not become sensationalised, there is no move towards the voyeuristic here, these become the ordinary backdrop to the life of a young girl moving across that line between childhood and adolescence.
What Gwenni refuses to do is give up the child's view of the world, despite the fury of her mother, she allows the world to remain enhanced despite pressure to "grow up" and the darkness that surrounds her. This is what made it such a delightful read, I believe, or try to believe, in that enhanced world and so it is joyful to share for a while the life of another believer. As the novel moves on it is clear that there doesn't need to be an either/or choice between "reality" and "enhancement" - and I hope that we misunderstand St Paul's putting away of childish things when we interpret it as a rejection to the childlike wonder this novel is so richly populated with.
I for one will now be trying to learn to fly while I am awake again...
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