When I think of Fern Britton, I always remember her as a TV presenter. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to discover a book by her on NetGalley. Curiosity got the better of me and I requested a copy, which I was quickly approved for.
That book was The Postcard, and I am so happy to have been invited onto the blog tour for it.
Anyone who has ever been to Cornwall will identify with this book. I have had the pleasure of visiting the county off and on in the past, whether that be for an action-packed and very accessible adventure holiday at a specualist activity centre nesr Bodmin Moor when I was a teenager, to my last trips to Penryn to visit my sister when she was at Falmouth University. I have always felt that the counties of the West Country have a special magical charm you cannot find in other parts of the UK.
This is something that is ever-present in The Postcard in the descriptions of the villages of Pendruggan, which is where the protagonist Penny and her family live, to the snippet kentions of nearby Trevay. It is in Kit’s daydreaming about being in Cornwall just before he leaves London for good.
This is what I thought of the book:
A good read/ listen, although slightly predictable in parts, especially in the creation of the setting. Penny lives in a picture-perfect Cornish seaside town with her husband Simon and baby daughter Jenna. Fern Britton does a great job of creating realistic characters who all have their own clear personalities, I was really drawn in by the events of the prologue and by what Penny had to face in life. Her problems at work for Channel 7, the cracks which start to show in her seemingly perfect relationship with Simon or the internal struggle she faced when looking after Jenna. I warmed to Helen, her friend. Another strong point of Fern’s writing is the incredible detail in the book.
This was the first book I read by Fern Britton. Thanks to her and the publsher for an eARC of the paperback edition of the book via NetGalley.
The Postcard is a sweet and tender story, which has a lot of substance and strong, believable characters against the realistic backdrop of the Cornish village of Pendruggan. People’s struggles, triumphs secrets and moments of happiness seem very real and I could really identify with them. The representation of Cornwall is very welcoming, and I felt almost as if, through her writing, Fern was inviting me to experience this unique world she has created. What I loved about this book was that it was peppered with funny parts that bought a smile to my face and even made me laugh out loud, thanks to Queenie, the village’s shop owner who can’t resist a little gossip now and then.
The Postcard is a story about secrets, sisters overcoming fear, self doubt and difficult situations and of the importance of family and friends. It is the perfect holiday escape read and is so relaxing to read. I’m looking forward to reading more by Fern Britton.
If you want to take a look at other participating blogs for this tour and what they have to say about the book, then look no further than this list.
To buy the book, go here
Another great book which I had the pleasure of reviewing is The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse by Cressida McLaughlin. The book is by the same publisher as The Postcard. Find my review here
Both books are out NOW.
A full list of books and release dates for all my ARCs will be coming soon to Katherine’s Book Universe!
