The Cherries by D B Carter

Today I am thrilled to open the blog tour for The Cherries by D B Carter.

Thank you to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours, the author, and Mirador Publishing for a copy of the book, which I have reviewed honestly.

When they have broken you, when you have been humiliated, bullied, deserted and destitute, can you find a place where you may dare to be happy?

Susan travels with her mother, escaping a life of heartbreak and poverty in the city, to live with their one remaining friend in a small rural village.

At twenty Susan is still bound by the trauma of her youth, but starts to blossom into womanhood, thanks to the tender encouragement of Luke, the eccentric occupant of ‘The Cherries’, who lives surrounded by books and art. It is a journey of tears and laughter, helping to heal mind and spirit.

But can the past ever be truly behind you?

Feeling safe and secure at last, mother and daughter nurture artistic talents that they had long since thought worthless, and their lives take directions they could never have imagined.

Yet, amongst the kindness and love in their new community, there lies hidden grief and a long-suppressed secret that must come to light. Something that might force Susan to another life beyond the confines of the village.

 

Amazon Purchase Link

My Thoughts

The Cherries is set in a small, rural village in the English countryside. However, in this book, it isn’t the location that stands out (although it is idyllic) but the wonderful characters who reside within it.

Susan and her mother move to live with lifelong friend Vivian with just a few belongings between them. They are escaping from a life of misery inflicted by others. Next door they meet Luke, an eccentric art collector and they quickly become friends.

Luke is such a deep, rounded character who seems too good to be true. Born decades too late, the artist and book collector shows kindness beyond words. It appears that his one aim in life is to help everyone he meets. The old fashioned intellectual, however, gives off a masculine, capable and dependable air that makes him hard to resist. What is even more interesting is that Luke’s whole demeanor is a coping mechanism developed to suppress the crippling anxiety he feels.

Susan transforms in her new environment. With love and encouragement, she achieves goals that she never thought possible. She thinks her life is perfect in every way until she discovers something that tears her whole world apart.

I was amazed that the book is a debut. The writing has a classical feel which you would normally only see from a very established author. The story and characters completely encaptured me in a way that few books ever have. Although the storyline is idealistic and charming,  by contrast, it tackles many serious issues throughout.  The overriding message I got from the book was that no matter what faith, sexuality or background a person is from, kindness has no boundaries.

This book has become one of my favourite reads from 2019. I had no idea what to expect but I totally fell in love with The Cherries. This is a book I know I will read again and I’m hoping there will be a sequel.

A beautiful, thought-provoking, touching and warm story. I hope to see D. B Carter in the bestsellers list very soon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

D B Carter writes contemporary drama and romance novels, dealing with difficult subjects as well has happier themes. A son of two painters, he grew up surrounded by art and through that world, he met many interesting characters. Later, he ran his own successful company for over 20 years, before taking up his life-long desire to be a writer.

He lives with his wife of 30 years in rural Devon, England. A lifelong bibliophile, he loves reading classical literature, including Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, Thomas Hardy and Anthony Trollope; a childhood of Saturday afternoon black-and-white movies added to his appreciation of sagas and drama.

His world view is, “If we look for the good, we will find it.”