Cousins by Sally Vickers immediately felt different to other novels I had read by her, namely Miss Garnets Angel. This is not a bad thing! Cousins is the story of Will and his cousin Cele. They are kindred spirits with a relationship so deeply entwined in one another that they driven apart. One night Will true to his reckless nature embarks on something which so devastating in its consequences brings them together in a way that neither they or their family could have imagined.
I think it would be fair to call this a saga. It is a story which spans three generations, and true to this, is narrated by the three women from the same family but different generations. Betsy, Cele’s grandmother, Bell Betsy’s daughter and Celes Aunt, and Wills sister and cousin to Cele, Hetta. All are at the centre of this fascinating drama. Each has a distinct voice and offers a differing but complimentary version of events.
Relationships are key to this novel but I especially enjoyed the strong bonds of solidarity between these three women and also Cele. They show strong solidarity and care for each other fiercely. In particular the relationship between Betsy and Cele an the lengths they go to to protect each other was especially moving.
The characters are all well developed, from the edginess of Will who made me into an edgy reader when I was reading about him, to Cele’s calm serenity. There are clear similarities between Will and his Grandfather Theo, The thoughtless and sometimes cruel streak which makes up Theo’s character is clearly passed down through the generations to Will. The idea of repetition of events and similarity in characters passed through generations is one I found fascinating.
Much of this I read with nervous anticipation, dreading and welcoming what might come next in equal measure. Sally Vickers has a clever way of gradually revealing clues and preparing the reader for what might follow, whilst always saving something for later.
This is such an interesting and well told story involving complex emotions and strong family bonds. Cousins by Sally Vickers could just be one of my contenders for my book of the year
