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RandomHouse UK/Transworld Digital
Publication Date 22nd March 2018 336 pages |
Thirty-two-year-old Hetty Greengrass is the star around which the rest of her family orbits. Marriage, motherhood and helping Dan run Sunnybank Farm have certainlykept her hands full for the last twelve years. But when her daughter Poppy has to choose her inspiration for a school project and picks her aunt, not her mum, Hetty is left full of self-doubt.
Hetty’s always been generous with her time and until now, her biggest talent – baking deliciously moreish shortcrust pastry pies – has been limited to charity work and the village fete. But taking part in a competition run by Cumbria’s Finest to find the very best produce from the region might be just the thing to make her daughter proud . . . and reclaim something for herself.
Except that life isn’t as simple as producing the perfect pie. Changing the status quo isn’t easy – and with cracks appearing in her marriage and shocking secrets coming to light, Hetty must decide where her priorities really lie . . .
My thoughts:
I have to start by saying that I love Cathy Bramley's work. It is always a pleasure to read, with a feel good element without being too sickly sweet.
Hetty and Dan Greengrass are sheep farmers at Sunnybank Farm, having met at school and been a dedicated couple ever since. Hetty once had ambitions of university and a glowing career but Fate decided that this isn't the path for her when Dan's father died and he inherited the farm. Hetty stepped up and has fitted in to whatever role she is needed in, whether that is farmer's wife, stay at home mum or general support in the local community. Hetty is quite content with her lot until daughter Poppy announces at her school parents evening that the most inspirational woman in her life is her Aunt Naomi, Dan's sister who owns and runs the farmshop next door to them. This gets Hetty thinking that she wants to achieve something for herself and be more of a positive role model for Poppy, she just doesn't know how to make it happen.
Meanwhile Naomi's open day event for the farm shop looms large and Hetty is roped in to make pies as Naomi's "regular supplier" has let her down. This heralds the start of a new venture for Hetty as the pies are a huge success and Naomi asks if she would like to make a regular order for the farm shop. A whole world of new possibilities opens up for Hetty when her pies win a prize in Cumbria's finest competition but husband Dan isn't very supportive - she's always been on hand to help him whenever he needs help and he wonders whether the everyday running of the farm will suffer if Hetty isn't around as much.
We follow Hetty's adventure setting up her own small business with all the little triumphs and stumbling blocks along the way. We see her confidence grow and begin to see the start of the person she could have been had she followed a different path in life.
Anna was one of Hetty and Dan's group of school friends and has been in their lives as long as they can remember. Single mum to Bart, she's the school nurse at the local comprehensive having settled down in the village after returning from a gap year with Bart as a surprise souvenir of her travels. She's Hetty's best friend and when Bart shows an interest in working on the farm she admits she is struggling with the concept of him growing up and being independent. Suddenly though, events take a serious turn while Hetty is away from the farm and the situation makes her question everything she is doing. What is she prepared to sacrifice in order for her business to strive? Then, just as she thinks she has made her decision another bombshell is dropped with much more far reaching, personal consequences.
This is a great novel, an easy read but one which makes you assess what you would do in Hetty's shoes. Would you give up your dreams in order to be with your soul mate? What if then they wouldn't support you when you needed them? And just how much can you forgive someone you love?
I love most of the characters in this tale of country living and the setting sounds absolutely idyllic. Cumbria is a beautiful part of England and Cathy Bramley's description of Hetty sitting with her morning cuppa surveying the countryside around Sunnydale Farm sounds perfect to me.
Hetty and Dan Greengrass are sheep farmers at Sunnybank Farm, having met at school and been a dedicated couple ever since. Hetty once had ambitions of university and a glowing career but Fate decided that this isn't the path for her when Dan's father died and he inherited the farm. Hetty stepped up and has fitted in to whatever role she is needed in, whether that is farmer's wife, stay at home mum or general support in the local community. Hetty is quite content with her lot until daughter Poppy announces at her school parents evening that the most inspirational woman in her life is her Aunt Naomi, Dan's sister who owns and runs the farmshop next door to them. This gets Hetty thinking that she wants to achieve something for herself and be more of a positive role model for Poppy, she just doesn't know how to make it happen.
Meanwhile Naomi's open day event for the farm shop looms large and Hetty is roped in to make pies as Naomi's "regular supplier" has let her down. This heralds the start of a new venture for Hetty as the pies are a huge success and Naomi asks if she would like to make a regular order for the farm shop. A whole world of new possibilities opens up for Hetty when her pies win a prize in Cumbria's finest competition but husband Dan isn't very supportive - she's always been on hand to help him whenever he needs help and he wonders whether the everyday running of the farm will suffer if Hetty isn't around as much.
We follow Hetty's adventure setting up her own small business with all the little triumphs and stumbling blocks along the way. We see her confidence grow and begin to see the start of the person she could have been had she followed a different path in life.
Anna was one of Hetty and Dan's group of school friends and has been in their lives as long as they can remember. Single mum to Bart, she's the school nurse at the local comprehensive having settled down in the village after returning from a gap year with Bart as a surprise souvenir of her travels. She's Hetty's best friend and when Bart shows an interest in working on the farm she admits she is struggling with the concept of him growing up and being independent. Suddenly though, events take a serious turn while Hetty is away from the farm and the situation makes her question everything she is doing. What is she prepared to sacrifice in order for her business to strive? Then, just as she thinks she has made her decision another bombshell is dropped with much more far reaching, personal consequences.
This is a great novel, an easy read but one which makes you assess what you would do in Hetty's shoes. Would you give up your dreams in order to be with your soul mate? What if then they wouldn't support you when you needed them? And just how much can you forgive someone you love?
I love most of the characters in this tale of country living and the setting sounds absolutely idyllic. Cumbria is a beautiful part of England and Cathy Bramley's description of Hetty sitting with her morning cuppa surveying the countryside around Sunnydale Farm sounds perfect to me.
A great tale with an interesting little twist which I really hadn't expected. 5 stars from me.
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