The Newcomer by Fern Britton
I am a huge fan of Fern Britton’s books so was overjoyed to be asked to take part in the Blog Tour for The Newcomer which is published by Harper Collins on 7th March 2019.
Many thanks to Rebecca Bryant for inviting me on the tour and providing a copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly.
Here is a list of other book bloggers taking part in the tour, please check out their thoughts on this exciting publication.
She arrived in the village on the spring tide and hoped to be at the heart of it, knowing its secrets and weathering its storms.
It was to be a new beginning…
It’s springtime in the Cornish village of Pendruggan and as the community comes together to say a fond farewell to parish vicar, Simon, and his wife, Penny, a newcomer causes quite a stir…
Reverand Angela Whitehorn came to Cornwall to make a difference. With her husband, Robert, by her side, she sets about making changes – but it seems not everyone is happy for her to shake things up in the small parish, and soon Angela starts to receive anonymous poison pen letters.
Angela has always been one to fight back, and she has already brought a fresh wind into the village, supporting her female parishioners through good times and bad. But as the letters get increasingly more personal, Angela learns that the secrets are closer to home.
With faith and friends by your side, even the most unlikely of new beginnings is possible.
My Thoughts
We return to the Cornish village of Pendruggan just as a new vicar arrives on the scene. When I say new vicar I mean it in every sense of the word because Reverand Angela Whitehorn is newly ordained and starting a year-long placement in her first ever Parish.
Of course, Angela is nervous about her new placement. She has big shoes to fill, due to the much loved and recently departed vicar. Everyone adores Reverand Simon so Angela is bound to ruffle a few feathers in the close-knit community.
However, Angela has a great support team behind her in the form of husband Robert and daughter Faith. Then there is the wonderful Aunt Mamie and adorble Irish Wolfhound Mr. Worthington.
I read an interview where Fern was asked if Mamie was based on Joanna Lumley. She replied diplomatically that if her characters resembled real people it was never intentional. However, once this was in my head the character Mamie was Joanna Lumley. (Not the lovely actress of course but Patsy the character she played in Absolutely Fabulous). Whoever else would light up a cigarette in church, fall into the freezing sea fully clothed or go on a drug finding mission with a fellow pensioner? I need a Mamie in my life with her amazing anecdotes about meeting famous people, her glamour, her acid tongue, her refusal to grow old and her mahoosive heart!
I love Fern’s depiction of the more mature characters, I think this really makes her books stand out in an overcrowded field. Mamie and Queenie strike up an unlikely friendship and their zest for life and refusal to be invisible is so inspirational. They provide humour and pathos to the storyline and it just wouldn’t be the same without them.
The book is a breath of fresh air. The goings on in a tiny Cornish village will have you gripped from the very first page. The characters just come to life before your eyes, the description of the setting is realistic and beautifully portrayed and the plot is thoroughly entertaining.
Yet again Fern has written another outstanding page-turner.
(My review of Fern Britton’s previous novel The Postcard can be found here )
Author Bio
Fern Britton is the highly acclaimed author of seven Sunday Times bestselling novels. Her books are cherished for their warmth, wit and wisdom, and have won Fern legions of loyal readers.
Fern has been a judge for the Costa Book of the Year Award and is a supporter of the Reading Agency, promoting literacy and reading.
A hugely popular household name through iconic shows such as This Morning and Fern Britton Meets…, Fern is also a much sough-after presenter and radio host. She has now turned her hand to theatre and is currently touring with Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s Calendar Girls.
Fern lives with her husband, Phil Vickery, and her four children in Buckinghamshire and Cornwall.
To find out more, connect with her at http://www.fern-britton.com, @Fern Britton and facebook.com/officialfernbritton.
