The residents of Delmont Close descend on No. 9, the home of the Gordon family, for a barbecue in celebration of Live Aid. For some, it's a chance to socialise (and see into the home of the self-proclaimed queen of the close), while others are trying to make life-altering decisions.
Author Jennie Godfrey had a runaway success with The List Of Suspicious Things, therefore the world was watching with bated breath to see what would follow, myself included. Over the last few months, I've watched on with envy as I saw authors and bloggers who were fortunate to get advanced copies of The Barbecue At No. 9 sing its praises.
I must admit to a little trepidation when I started reading, but that soon disappeared as I found myself immersed in the lives of the residents of Delmont Close on Saturday, July 13th, 1985. I felt as if I had been catapulted back in time forty years as I read; the descriptions were so vivid. There were even times when I was cringing as I thought about my fashion choices (I was in my early twenties).
Live Aid was one of the zeitgeist moments of the 1980s, a focus of change, and at its heart, The Barbecue At No. 9 is about change. The novel focuses on three characters all facing pivotal moments in their lives; sixteen year old Hanna, ex-soldier Steve, and Rita, who has returned from living in Australia. Each of them is hiding a secret, a secret that will change not only their own lives forever but the lives of the people close to them.
The secrets are teased out slowly throughout the day. At times, I thought I'd guessed the events leading up to some of the secrets, only to be completely blindsided. I felt empathy for each of the characters as they struggled over the momentous decisions they had to make, and the backstories that led them to this moment in time. Steve's story was the most heartbreaking one for me; what wasn't committed to paper was far more insightful than what was written.
As each secret was finally revealed, we learnt the true value of family and community, reflecting the values of Live Aid itself and reminding us that everyone is our neighbour and we can never truly know what goes on behind closed doors.
Author Details
Jennie Godfrey was raised in West Yorkshire in a
mill-working family and her debut novel, The List of Suspicious Things, was
inspired by her childhood there in the 1970s. In 2020, Jennie gave up her
corporate career to build a life around books. She is now a writer and
part-time bookseller who lives, and writes, in the Somerset countryside.
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