Review: The Past by Tessa Hadley

Four siblings (three sisters and a brother) return to their idyllic family home for one last time.  The upkeep has become too expensive.  They have fond memories of the home, yet returning to the home unleashes years of built up insecurities and devastating secrets.

It was slightly challenging to get into this read. First, there is a huge cast of characters. Four siblings, plus their families? So many names and relationships to keep track of.  And then there is the formatting of novel: no quotations when characters are speaking, so that the conversation flows right into the body of the novel itself. Sure, within time, it easy to pick up on the differences in tone of each character. But it took time. And creating a lot of hand-written family trees!

Yet, I found this to be a completely compelling and captivating read. I’m a sucker for family dramas, and this one had my attention from page one. What attracted me the most was the incredibly well developed and exposed characters. Many are in complete denial of their issues and insecurities, their actions polar opposites of what we, as readers, pick up in their conversation and point of view.  Additionally, there are so many facets to this novel that it would be easier for readers of all varieties to embrace and enjoy it.  I loved it for touch of mystery, the alternating between past and present to follow why and how this family came to be in this home, how decades of secrets can’t remain buried for long, secrets building upon and feeding older secrets, threatening to be revealed.

While captivating and compelling, this is not a novel that should be rushed through, instead savored.  Hadley doesn’t add all the descriptive text for filler, it is completely intentional and should be savored. In doing so, it becomes quite easy to surround yourself in the setting, become immersed in the characters, to embrace this motley family as your own, despite all their many faults.  Highly recommended.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this title. Be sure to check out the other stops!