Matilda Windsor is Coming Home by Anne Goodwin - #BookReveiw

 

When you find me, you will want to hear my story. Or the part of my story that tells of you. Until then, I turn it around in my mind to prevent it fading. When we meet, it will sing...

The cushion sighs, squashed by a body sinking into the seat beside her. Matty scrunches her already-closed eyes. She does not care for distractions when she has a recital to prepare.

In the dying days of the old asylums, three paths intersect.

Henry was only a boy when he waved goodbye to his glamorous grown-up sister; approaching sixty, his life is still on hold as he awaits her return.

As a high-society hostess renowned for her recitals, Matty’s burden weighs heavily upon her, but she bears it with fortitude and grace.

Janice, a young social worker, wants to set the world to rights, but she needs to tackle challenges closer to home.

A brother and sister separated by decades of deceit. Will truth prevail over bigotry, or will the buried secret keep family apart?

In this, her third novel, Anne Goodwin has drawn on the language and landscapes of her native Cumbria and on the culture of long-stay psychiatric hospitals where she began her clinical psychology career. 

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As I sit to write this review, my mind is awhirl as I attempt to find the right words to express how much I adored this very special book.

So, I have taken a deep breath, sipped my tea, stroked the dog and now I am ready to say that this is a completely fabulous book which I enjoyed from start to finish.

I fell totally in love with the three characters who feature in this novel. There is Matty, who has spent her adult life in a mental institution. Henry, her long lost brother who has spent his life searching for her, and Janice, a social worker, tasked with assessing the patients suitability for care in the community. All three of these characters have been expertly portrayed.

The book deals with some difficult themes, particularly through Matty's flashbacks. However, the main theme is the difficulties which arise within mental health institutions which are being run with a 'one size fits all' mentality. However, through Janice and her colleagues, it becomes a story of hope as we see them treat their patients as individuals. It is a poignant story told with both sensitivity and humour.

This is the second book which I have read from the talented Ms. Goodwin and you can read my review of Sugar and Snails by clicking here.. I enjoyed it very much but in Matilda Windsor is Coming Home, the author has written a much more accomplished and mature novel.

Matty is an endearing character, and I did not want the book to end. Consequently, I am delighted that the author is already working on a sequel as I am not ready to leave Matty behind just yet. She is a character who will remain with me.

I highly recommend this book and would love to hear your thoughts.

ISBN: 978 1913117054

Publisher: Inspired Quill

About the Author:

Anne Goodwin writes entertaining fiction about identity, mental health and social justice.

She is the author of three novels and a short story collection published by small independent press, Inspired Quill.

Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize. Her new novel, Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home, is inspired by her previous incarnation as a clinical psychologist in a long-stay psychiatric hospital.

Book, photo and biog information from the authors own website.