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Unsettled Ground
At fifty-one years old, twins Jeanie and Julius still live with their mother, Dot, in rural isolation in the English countryside. The cottage they have shared their entire lives is their only protection against the modernizing world around them. Inside its walls, they make music, and in its garden, they grow everything they need to survive. To an outsider, it looks like poverty; to them, it is home.
But when Dot dies unexpectedly, the world they’ve so carefully created begins to fall apart. The cottage they love, and the security it offered, is taken back by their landlord, exposing the twins to harsh truths and even harsher realities. Seeing a new future, Julius becomes torn between the loyalty he feels towards his sister and his desire for independence, while Jeanie struggles to find work and a home for them both. And just when it seems there might be a way forward, a series of startling secrets from their mother’s past come to the surface, forcing the twins to question who they are, and everything they know of their family’s history.
In Unsettled Ground, award-winning author Claire Fuller masterfully builds a tale of sacrifice and hope, of homelessness and hardship, of love and survival, in which two marginalized and remarkable people uncover long-held family secrets and, in their own way, repair, recover, and begin again.
But when Dot dies unexpectedly, the world they’ve so carefully created begins to fall apart. The cottage they love, and the security it offered, is taken back by their landlord, exposing the twins to harsh truths and even harsher realities. Seeing a new future, Julius becomes torn between the loyalty he feels towards his sister and his desire for independence, while Jeanie struggles to find work and a home for them both. And just when it seems there might be a way forward, a series of startling secrets from their mother’s past come to the surface, forcing the twins to question who they are, and everything they know of their family’s history.
In Unsettled Ground, award-winning author Claire Fuller masterfully builds a tale of sacrifice and hope, of homelessness and hardship, of love and survival, in which two marginalized and remarkable people uncover long-held family secrets and, in their own way, repair, recover, and begin again.
327 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2021
About the author
Claire Fuller
10 books2,381 followersClaire Fuller is the author of five novels: The Memory of Animals published in the UK
and forthcoming (June 23) in the US and Canada. Her previous, Unsettled Ground, which won the Costa Novel Award 2021, and was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction; Our Endless Numbered Days, which won the 2015 Desmond Elliott prize; Swimming Lessons, shortlisted for the Encore Prize; and Bitter Orange longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award.
and forthcoming (June 23) in the US and Canada. Her previous, Unsettled Ground, which won the Costa Novel Award 2021, and was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction; Our Endless Numbered Days, which won the 2015 Desmond Elliott prize; Swimming Lessons, shortlisted for the Encore Prize; and Bitter Orange longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,185 reviews
May 7, 2022
This is deliciously disturbing and extremely unputdownable reading!
You are just drawn into the pages! The incredibly well constructed characters, embellished, detailed descriptions of the nature, those lyrical folk songs brush your ears, soothe your soul and the poverty, harsh life conditions, demanding challenges the siblings endure make you enjoy your reading more at each chapter!
Julius and Jeanie are twins in their 51s, living a secluded life with their mother Dot in their own terms with less comfort, little money in their life, growing their own vegetables, selling them to an upscale deli.
Julius works at odd jobs for quick cash. Their mother saved their money in a tin box. Even though Jeanie cannot properly read and write, she’s happy to play her own music via her guitar as Julius plays the fiddle. They seem like outcasts, marginals but they’re pleased with their peaceful independence till one night their mother collapses on the floor, dying from a stroke.
They cannot imagine how their mother was the only bond hold them together and when she is gone, her entire secrets slowly reveal and turn their peaceful, estranged lives into hell!
They always think they are living rent free but they don’t. The cold and bitter Mrs. Rawson doesn’t waste any time to knock on their door and tell them their mother owes her debt for rent and if they want to continue living in the cottage they have to pay rent including the amount their mother forgot to pay because of her illness. And unfortunately the Rawsons are not only people she owed money!
The people around them act like jackals hunt their preys to take advantage of their weaknesses which makes you furious. You easily pity on twins and interestingly you easily understand their peculiar, weird natures, the different lifestyle they chose for themselves.
They don’t have enough money for turning on electricity, eating proper food, burying their mother!!! Jeannie should find a job but how ? She has no qualities: she doesn’t have proper educational skills! She cannot turn on the computer for searching for jobs! She cannot even type anything! And of course her brother has issues to find his handyman jobs.
Now twins test their boundaries and their closeness because as Jeannie wants to live her isolated and peaceful life in their cottage with their lovely dog Maude and her brother, Julius wants to socialize, connecting with outside world, dragging into his own romance story!
Such a fantastic novel about dysfunctional families, bonds, secrets, siblings, opportunist neighbors, poverty, grief, struggling life conditions.
One of the greatest reading experiences of mine which earned five big, bold, musical, lyrical, perfectly crafted stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Tin House for making my wish come true by providing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
You are just drawn into the pages! The incredibly well constructed characters, embellished, detailed descriptions of the nature, those lyrical folk songs brush your ears, soothe your soul and the poverty, harsh life conditions, demanding challenges the siblings endure make you enjoy your reading more at each chapter!
Julius and Jeanie are twins in their 51s, living a secluded life with their mother Dot in their own terms with less comfort, little money in their life, growing their own vegetables, selling them to an upscale deli.
Julius works at odd jobs for quick cash. Their mother saved their money in a tin box. Even though Jeanie cannot properly read and write, she’s happy to play her own music via her guitar as Julius plays the fiddle. They seem like outcasts, marginals but they’re pleased with their peaceful independence till one night their mother collapses on the floor, dying from a stroke.
They cannot imagine how their mother was the only bond hold them together and when she is gone, her entire secrets slowly reveal and turn their peaceful, estranged lives into hell!
They always think they are living rent free but they don’t. The cold and bitter Mrs. Rawson doesn’t waste any time to knock on their door and tell them their mother owes her debt for rent and if they want to continue living in the cottage they have to pay rent including the amount their mother forgot to pay because of her illness. And unfortunately the Rawsons are not only people she owed money!
The people around them act like jackals hunt their preys to take advantage of their weaknesses which makes you furious. You easily pity on twins and interestingly you easily understand their peculiar, weird natures, the different lifestyle they chose for themselves.
They don’t have enough money for turning on electricity, eating proper food, burying their mother!!! Jeannie should find a job but how ? She has no qualities: she doesn’t have proper educational skills! She cannot turn on the computer for searching for jobs! She cannot even type anything! And of course her brother has issues to find his handyman jobs.
Now twins test their boundaries and their closeness because as Jeannie wants to live her isolated and peaceful life in their cottage with their lovely dog Maude and her brother, Julius wants to socialize, connecting with outside world, dragging into his own romance story!
Such a fantastic novel about dysfunctional families, bonds, secrets, siblings, opportunist neighbors, poverty, grief, struggling life conditions.
One of the greatest reading experiences of mine which earned five big, bold, musical, lyrical, perfectly crafted stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Tin House for making my wish come true by providing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
April 18, 2021
This book left me unsettled. It’s a sad, depressing story and the attempt to provide a tinge of hope at the end didn’t quite lift me and I couldn’t help but think - if only. “The different lives they might have lived are too enormous to comprehend.” I thought the same as Jeanie who thinks this when all her mother’s secrets are divulged. But then we wouldn’t have this beautifully written, albeit somewhat dark story. It’s a difficult book to read, and even though at times I wanted to put it down for a bit, I was compelled to keep reading to see what happens to Jeanie and Julius. They are 51 year old twins who live a rather secluded life with their mother in rural England, in a sparse cottage in need of repair. There is an “arrangement “ with the owner and they never have to pay rent and they make ends meet by selling the vegetables they grow in the garden and by Julius’ odd jobs. There’s music, the garden, their love of each other, and a quiet sparse life. When Dot dies suddenly at the very beginning of the novel, things get very bleak as they have to fend for themselves, as things they didn’t know about their mother come to the surface and their lives change in unimaginable ways.
I’m finding it difficult to say more without giving things away, so I’ll just say that this is a thought provoking story and that I was deeply touched by these characters, in particular Jeanie, who somehow rose to the occasion to do what she needed to do to survive, a surprise given what has happened in her life. I highly recommend it, but if you’re looking for an uplifting story, this may not be it.
I read this with Diane and Esil as our monthly read together and we’re more than literally on the same page about this one.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Tin House through NetGalley.
March 11, 2021
I've got that bubbly, happy feeling that happens when I find a fantastic new-to-me author!
Claire Fuller is a genius with words and the character Jeanie from this book is one of the truest, realest POVs I've read.
𝘜𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 tells the story of 51 year old twins Jeanie and Julius, who live in an old cottage in the country with their mother.
They're dirt poor and removed from society but when their mom dies they must learn to adapt and fend for themselves.
It's very character driven and atmospheric.
The plot moves at a kinda slow pace but it's an amazing story. Sometimes inspiring and sometimes upsetting. 4.5⭐
𝙅𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩, 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 : 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚.
𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺.
𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘺 18
Claire Fuller is a genius with words and the character Jeanie from this book is one of the truest, realest POVs I've read.
𝘜𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 tells the story of 51 year old twins Jeanie and Julius, who live in an old cottage in the country with their mother.
They're dirt poor and removed from society but when their mom dies they must learn to adapt and fend for themselves.
It's very character driven and atmospheric.
The plot moves at a kinda slow pace but it's an amazing story. Sometimes inspiring and sometimes upsetting. 4.5⭐
𝙅𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩, 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 : 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚.
𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺.
𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘺 18
May 16, 2021
Outlier opinion: 2 very disappointed (and generous) stars
51 year old twins, Jeannie and Julius, uneducated and living their entire lives with their mother in nothing more than a shack, eke out a meager living with their vegetable garden, chickens, and the occasional odd job.
Their lives are turned upside down when their mother unexpectedly dies. Eventually secrets are revealed, and events happen which changes their lives forever.
I ask myself after I’ve read a book if the author’s purpose was achieved. In this case I honestly can’t discern a purpose.
The writing was nothing special, the characters, both good and evil, were comical caricatures, and pages and pages were written of the mundane minutiae of their daily lives. There was not enough of a plot to drive the story forward.
Every decision Jeannie and Julius make are bad ones. ( Like mine in continuing to read a book I’m not enjoying)
The relationships in the book were so unrealistic and laughable it made my eyes roll. The friendships and the love affair were so unlikely and laughable that they couldn’t be taken seriously. I guessed very early on what the big “secrets” were and I was correct.
I typically enjoy character-driven stories, even when they are bleak, but in this case the only character I enjoyed was Maude, the dog.
I requested this because it’s on the 2021 Women’s Prize shortlist. I’ve read and enjoyed several others, namely Transcendent Kingdom and The Vanishing Half, but this was a complete miss.
Very disappointing buddy read for Marialyce and me. Many readers loved it, so do read their reviews for a different perspective.
* I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own
51 year old twins, Jeannie and Julius, uneducated and living their entire lives with their mother in nothing more than a shack, eke out a meager living with their vegetable garden, chickens, and the occasional odd job.
Their lives are turned upside down when their mother unexpectedly dies. Eventually secrets are revealed, and events happen which changes their lives forever.
I ask myself after I’ve read a book if the author’s purpose was achieved. In this case I honestly can’t discern a purpose.
The writing was nothing special, the characters, both good and evil, were comical caricatures, and pages and pages were written of the mundane minutiae of their daily lives. There was not enough of a plot to drive the story forward.
Every decision Jeannie and Julius make are bad ones. ( Like mine in continuing to read a book I’m not enjoying)
The relationships in the book were so unrealistic and laughable it made my eyes roll. The friendships and the love affair were so unlikely and laughable that they couldn’t be taken seriously. I guessed very early on what the big “secrets” were and I was correct.
I typically enjoy character-driven stories, even when they are bleak, but in this case the only character I enjoyed was Maude, the dog.
I requested this because it’s on the 2021 Women’s Prize shortlist. I’ve read and enjoyed several others, namely Transcendent Kingdom and The Vanishing Half, but this was a complete miss.
Very disappointing buddy read for Marialyce and me. Many readers loved it, so do read their reviews for a different perspective.
* I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own
December 30, 2020
“The music flows out of the windows one wavering note at a time, achingly sweet, a pear drop caught in her throat”.
Claire Fuller....magnum opus ......from the UK....just can’t write a bad book.
I loved her past three books:
“Our Endless Days”
“Swimming Lessons”
“Bitter Orange”....
AND now.....
“Unsettled Ground”
In “Unsettled Ground”, .....with a landscape that speaks to readers ....
Claire Fuller unearths the soil on which an old cottage barely stands. We feel - visualize- smell - every ounce of nature’s beauty....
which transcends time and geographic location.
Effortlessly Claire strings us along with her gorgeous prose, describing vital details while infusing emotion into her words.
A terrific novel with two memorable characters: Twins - 51 year olds - Jeanie and Julius...who lived with their mother, Dot, until she dies early in this story.
Along with the supporting characters - some good - some bad - add much depth—
Claire has a great understanding of all her characters—- and through them, one of the great treasures is the wisdom we experience through them — throughout this novel.
It’s way too tempting to share the plot...but I went in completely blind...and cherished every word...every thought...every emotion....
So....
I’m holding back saying too much....
but....
I highly recommend this book to all readers who appreciate primordial power and simplicity....and engrossing literary storytelling.
This is what you need to know....
It’s filled with fine writing...[in the rural isolation in the English countryside...
It has flair, style, beauty, poverty, drama-to-small mystery, secrets, sibling closeness and strife, neighbors, friends, questionable friends, struggles, heartbreak, success.....
Unknown motives, deceit, loyalty, desires, exploitation, guilt, morals, ....and a little craziness.
The tension never stops moving forward....
Absolutely wonderful!
Claire Fuller....magnum opus ......from the UK....just can’t write a bad book.
I loved her past three books:
“Our Endless Days”
“Swimming Lessons”
“Bitter Orange”....
AND now.....
“Unsettled Ground”
In “Unsettled Ground”, .....with a landscape that speaks to readers ....
Claire Fuller unearths the soil on which an old cottage barely stands. We feel - visualize- smell - every ounce of nature’s beauty....
which transcends time and geographic location.
Effortlessly Claire strings us along with her gorgeous prose, describing vital details while infusing emotion into her words.
A terrific novel with two memorable characters: Twins - 51 year olds - Jeanie and Julius...who lived with their mother, Dot, until she dies early in this story.
Along with the supporting characters - some good - some bad - add much depth—
Claire has a great understanding of all her characters—- and through them, one of the great treasures is the wisdom we experience through them — throughout this novel.
It’s way too tempting to share the plot...but I went in completely blind...and cherished every word...every thought...every emotion....
So....
I’m holding back saying too much....
but....
I highly recommend this book to all readers who appreciate primordial power and simplicity....and engrossing literary storytelling.
This is what you need to know....
It’s filled with fine writing...[in the rural isolation in the English countryside...
It has flair, style, beauty, poverty, drama-to-small mystery, secrets, sibling closeness and strife, neighbors, friends, questionable friends, struggles, heartbreak, success.....
Unknown motives, deceit, loyalty, desires, exploitation, guilt, morals, ....and a little craziness.
The tension never stops moving forward....
Absolutely wonderful!
March 25, 2021
When fifty one year old twins Jeanie and Julius Seeder’s mother Dot collapses and dies of a stroke they could not have envisaged how their lives would change so dramatically and how many secrets her passing would unlock.
I absolutely love the way that Claire Fuller writes. She has a wonderful gift with words and her beautifully rich descriptions can make even the mundane spring to life before you. Her characters are so well developed and you watch in fascination as the twins relationship changes as do their interactions with others as their lives spiral downwards. I love Julius name - a little stroke of genius especially as his story unfolds. This is a tale that contains harshness especially surviving poverty, being further kicked when you are down with some characters encircling the pair like ravenous wolves which makes you feel anger on their behalf. Life sometimes just isn’t fair. Dot’s secrets emerge a piece at a time, the story slowly builds and builds and there are several obstacles along the journey to a more optimistic end. There are some touches of dark humour, on occasions it’s creepy and disturbing and at others it’s intriguing as you try to solve the puzzles Dot leaves behind. I love the musical elements especially the folk songs and Maude the dog is fantastic!
Overall, once again the author enthrals with the power of her storytelling and the excellent quality of her writing in this character driven tale. I loved it.
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Fig Tree for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.
I absolutely love the way that Claire Fuller writes. She has a wonderful gift with words and her beautifully rich descriptions can make even the mundane spring to life before you. Her characters are so well developed and you watch in fascination as the twins relationship changes as do their interactions with others as their lives spiral downwards. I love Julius name - a little stroke of genius especially as his story unfolds. This is a tale that contains harshness especially surviving poverty, being further kicked when you are down with some characters encircling the pair like ravenous wolves which makes you feel anger on their behalf. Life sometimes just isn’t fair. Dot’s secrets emerge a piece at a time, the story slowly builds and builds and there are several obstacles along the journey to a more optimistic end. There are some touches of dark humour, on occasions it’s creepy and disturbing and at others it’s intriguing as you try to solve the puzzles Dot leaves behind. I love the musical elements especially the folk songs and Maude the dog is fantastic!
Overall, once again the author enthrals with the power of her storytelling and the excellent quality of her writing in this character driven tale. I loved it.
With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/Fig Tree for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.
March 18, 2023
Why I chose to read this book:
1. my GR friend, Jodi, wrote a rave review about this story which piqued my interest; and,
2. March 2023 is my "Realistic Fiction" Month.
Praises:
1. fifty-one-year-old twins, Julius and Jeanie Seeder live with their mother who suddenly dies, leaving them with a whole lot of serious issues to contend with. Author Claire Fuller teased me with many questions regarding these people, for example:
Slowly but surely, Fuller answered them all satisfactorily;
2. an intriguing set of characters, most were unlikeable, especially regarding their selfish, secretive, and/or confusing behavior, but all were believable (which I prefer!);
3. I really empathized with the homelessness aspect portrayed in this story; and,
4. I learned a new word!
murmuration: huge groups of starlings that twist, turn, swoop and swirl across the sky in beautiful shape-shifting clouds (I highly recommend checking out the stunning "Images" on Google!)
Niggle:
Initially, I had difficulty with the cottage's setting, trying very hard to picture it as a contemporary setting rather than historical fiction. Thankfully, I got passed that image.
Overall Thoughts:
Interesting characters with a slow-moving plot! If you're looking for an action-packed story with all your questions answered within the first 20 pages, this isn't for you. I do recommend it for readers who enjoy character-driven novels.
1. my GR friend, Jodi, wrote a rave review about this story which piqued my interest; and,
2. March 2023 is my "Realistic Fiction" Month.
Praises:
1. fifty-one-year-old twins, Julius and Jeanie Seeder live with their mother who suddenly dies, leaving them with a whole lot of serious issues to contend with. Author Claire Fuller teased me with many questions regarding these people, for example:
Slowly but surely, Fuller answered them all satisfactorily;
2. an intriguing set of characters, most were unlikeable, especially regarding their selfish, secretive, and/or confusing behavior, but all were believable (which I prefer!);
3. I really empathized with the homelessness aspect portrayed in this story; and,
4. I learned a new word!
murmuration: huge groups of starlings that twist, turn, swoop and swirl across the sky in beautiful shape-shifting clouds (I highly recommend checking out the stunning "Images" on Google!)
Niggle:
Initially, I had difficulty with the cottage's setting, trying very hard to picture it as a contemporary setting rather than historical fiction. Thankfully, I got passed that image.
Overall Thoughts:
Interesting characters with a slow-moving plot! If you're looking for an action-packed story with all your questions answered within the first 20 pages, this isn't for you. I do recommend it for readers who enjoy character-driven novels.
April 21, 2021
I read an interview by this author and in it she says, she just can't write happy books. So...if you are looking for a happy little book, with a happy story, this is not that book. If, however, you want a book with two terrifically rendered characters with an unusual back story, coupled with some wonderful writing, then this is that book.
Jeanie and Julius are 51, kept my various means, at home with their mother. When their mother died, they are alone, with very few resources, few to come to their aid and extremely short of money. Fortunately for them they have a few people who did rise up and try to help. There are secrets in their lives which are slowly uncovered as the story progresses. A story about poverty but also about secrets and selfishness and how they harm, causing untold damage to lives that were put on hold. Also about unexpected strength, of finding oneself even in the most dire conditions.
I finished this book shaking my head, filled with regret for two lives that could have been so different.
As I said, not a happy story but one that I believe will stick. These characters, their lives, what they go through are hard to forget.
My monthly read with Angela and Esil and we all pretty much felt the same. I so enjoy our reads, bouncing thoughts off each other.
ARC from Edelweiss.
Jeanie and Julius are 51, kept my various means, at home with their mother. When their mother died, they are alone, with very few resources, few to come to their aid and extremely short of money. Fortunately for them they have a few people who did rise up and try to help. There are secrets in their lives which are slowly uncovered as the story progresses. A story about poverty but also about secrets and selfishness and how they harm, causing untold damage to lives that were put on hold. Also about unexpected strength, of finding oneself even in the most dire conditions.
I finished this book shaking my head, filled with regret for two lives that could have been so different.
As I said, not a happy story but one that I believe will stick. These characters, their lives, what they go through are hard to forget.
My monthly read with Angela and Esil and we all pretty much felt the same. I so enjoy our reads, bouncing thoughts off each other.
ARC from Edelweiss.
May 9, 2022
Wow, I loved this one!! It is definitely a more depressing, melancholy read but it is also very thought provoking and beautiful. I love how the characters are well detailed and portrayed throughout the book. Jeanie and Maude are my favorites! I love Jeanie's strength and determination and how she’s able to adapt through the book even when it’s so hard for her. This was a fantastic book! Highly recommend!!
Thank you Net Galley, Claire Fuller, and Tin House for the ARC in return for my honest review.
Thank you Net Galley, Claire Fuller, and Tin House for the ARC in return for my honest review.
April 30, 2021
Well, this was bleak.. but it was good!
Twins Julius and Jeanie are 51 yrs old and have never had any independence. They live with their mother, Dot in isolation and poverty in a falling apart cottage on a landowner’s land who their father used to work for.
Father had passed forty years ago, and Dot dies in the beginning of the story.
They have their garden, their music ..they play instruments and sing, but they had been totally sheltered by Dot and now on their own with limited devices and knowledge they fall into complete despair.
Not a happy story... mostly a story of secrets and survival.
Thank you to Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the ARC!
Twins Julius and Jeanie are 51 yrs old and have never had any independence. They live with their mother, Dot in isolation and poverty in a falling apart cottage on a landowner’s land who their father used to work for.
Father had passed forty years ago, and Dot dies in the beginning of the story.
They have their garden, their music ..they play instruments and sing, but they had been totally sheltered by Dot and now on their own with limited devices and knowledge they fall into complete despair.
Not a happy story... mostly a story of secrets and survival.
Thank you to Netgalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the ARC!
March 26, 2021
A poignant story of 51-year-old twins, Jeanie and Julis who have to come to terms with the reality after their mother's death. Both have lived in a relative isolation with Dot for over thirty years in a delapidating cottage not far from Oxford since their father's sudden death. Jeanie has difficulty relating to people, Julius make a living doing odd jobs. The twins depend on each other, living in poverty and sharing the love for music. The day when their mother dies is the moment when they begin to uncover the truth behind some events that changed their lives.
A novel that kept me invested in and feel for both main characters.
*Many thanks to Claire Fuller, Penguin Genral UK, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
A novel that kept me invested in and feel for both main characters.
*Many thanks to Claire Fuller, Penguin Genral UK, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
May 2, 2021
It was thrilling to see Claire Fuller's “Unsettled Ground” recently listed on this year's Women's Prize for Fiction. I've read and admired all of her novels ever since her debut “Our Endless Numbered Days”. Fuller's settings are typically in remote locations and this new novel primarily revolves around a cottage on a rural farm and country estate. Twins Jeanie and Julius are 51 years old and have lived here their whole lives with their mother Dot. But when Dot dies at the very beginning of the novel these sheltered adults struggle to manage the practical difficulties of keeping the cottage, paying the debt their mother has left behind and determining how their lives will continue going forward. Gradually family secrets are uncovered as their impoverished situation becomes increasingly dire. It's a heartrending story, but also a compassionate portrait of individuals not often represented in fiction.
Read my full review of Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller on LonesomeReader
You can also watch me interview Claire Fuller where we discuss this novel as well as how her writing career got started, what it's like being listed for the Women's Prize, a treasured book from her childhood and her beautiful new bookshelves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV4URc6FtBU
Read my full review of Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller on LonesomeReader
You can also watch me interview Claire Fuller where we discuss this novel as well as how her writing career got started, what it's like being listed for the Women's Prize, a treasured book from her childhood and her beautiful new bookshelves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV4URc6FtBU
May 16, 2021
Caution...snarky review ahead!
I have a new policy I am going to follow from now on when I question my choice as to whether to dnf a book or sally forth. I am going to look in the mirror and say "It's ok to dnf a book you dislike" three times and hope it works.
The book that engendered such a feeling was the latest read with Jan, entitled Unsettled Ground. It was such an appropriate title that made me think the ground I stood upon was "unsettled" so much so, that I thought the book was pretty bad, even though there were so many glowing reviews. I looked at the stunning reviews, and thought, yes, this will get better and then...it didn't.
There was so much that rubbed me the wrong way in this story as some of the details were so unrealistic, bringing brie to a funeral of dirt-poor people... say what? There was also a bevy of people who showed up at said funeral even though this was a family that preferred anonymity. The whole thing just didn't gel with me.
Granted the author tried to tell a story of the poor and of course there was the "big secret" that one probably guessed at the get go of the book. It just was unbelievable on so many fronts that I thought for a brief moment, it might be a satire. But no, it wasn't that at all. This was supposed to depict real life.
Then there was the twin brother, Julius, who seemed to be somewhat of a want to be Lothario even though he lived in a cottage where there was no bathroom and he had no way to woo the ladies. The twin sister was illiterate, well really both of them were, and yet the school system didn't follow up on the daughter's education with so many days missed and then not showing up at all! Unreal!!!
That's pretty much sums up why I feel this book was not for a minute enjoyable for me. The grit, sadness, and hovel in which they all dwelt was overshadowed by the unrealistic elements of the story. ....and the love story...pfft! ...and the mother another PFFT! But Maude, the dog, was great!
As I mentioned, others have loved it, so please take a look at their reviews.
I have a new policy I am going to follow from now on when I question my choice as to whether to dnf a book or sally forth. I am going to look in the mirror and say "It's ok to dnf a book you dislike" three times and hope it works.
The book that engendered such a feeling was the latest read with Jan, entitled Unsettled Ground. It was such an appropriate title that made me think the ground I stood upon was "unsettled" so much so, that I thought the book was pretty bad, even though there were so many glowing reviews. I looked at the stunning reviews, and thought, yes, this will get better and then...it didn't.
There was so much that rubbed me the wrong way in this story as some of the details were so unrealistic, bringing brie to a funeral of dirt-poor people... say what? There was also a bevy of people who showed up at said funeral even though this was a family that preferred anonymity. The whole thing just didn't gel with me.
Granted the author tried to tell a story of the poor and of course there was the "big secret" that one probably guessed at the get go of the book. It just was unbelievable on so many fronts that I thought for a brief moment, it might be a satire. But no, it wasn't that at all. This was supposed to depict real life.
Then there was the twin brother, Julius, who seemed to be somewhat of a want to be Lothario even though he lived in a cottage where there was no bathroom and he had no way to woo the ladies. The twin sister was illiterate, well really both of them were, and yet the school system didn't follow up on the daughter's education with so many days missed and then not showing up at all! Unreal!!!
That's pretty much sums up why I feel this book was not for a minute enjoyable for me. The grit, sadness, and hovel in which they all dwelt was overshadowed by the unrealistic elements of the story. ....and the love story...pfft! ...and the mother another PFFT! But Maude, the dog, was great!
As I mentioned, others have loved it, so please take a look at their reviews.
April 26, 2021
Unsettled Ground is such an apt title for this book. The book, as other reviewers have mentioned, is unsettling. There is a sense of melancholy throughout the book. There is a sadness in it. This is not a happy-go-lucky book but one that tells the story of fifty-one-year-old twins, Julius and Jeanie who lived with their mother, Dot until her sudden death one morning. They live in a cottage in a rural setting, isolated, and in poverty. Jeanie has a garden she tends and sells the vegetables to a local restaurant. Julius works odd jobs for income, and both believe they know their mother but find that she had secrets. After Dot's death in the beginning of the book (we are told this in the synopsis), they must find ways to survive.
Initially, I was not sure that I liked this book. It is depressing and I felt for Julius and Jeanie for various reasons. Both are lacking in life skills, and both learn that their mother's friends and even those living in the village, knew more about their mother than they both did. The shock of death, learning harsh realities and uncovering truths are difficult things. Having to deal with them all at once is even harder. Will they rise to the challenge? Will they be forced to grow? Will the truth set them free? What will the future hold? Could they have lived different lives? What would those different lives look like? How do you cope with the fallout of secrets? How indeed.
There is a lot to digest in this book. There is a lot of food for thought here which I believe will make this book a fantastic choice for book clubs.
This is a beautifully written book that looks at the impact of secrets on people's lives. It also looks at relationships, poverty, community, survival, and determination. It is a sad book which ends with hope at the end. It is depressing but also captivating. I silently cheered when they made strides and gasped when bad decisions were made. You cannot help but feel for the characters in this book. Even though the book is unsettling, it is quite beautiful at the same time. People do not live fairy tale lives. Not everyone's life is sunshine and roses. But sometimes, those who have been dealt a bad hand, find ways to overcome and survive.
Thought provoking, riveting, unsettling.
Thank you to Tin House and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Initially, I was not sure that I liked this book. It is depressing and I felt for Julius and Jeanie for various reasons. Both are lacking in life skills, and both learn that their mother's friends and even those living in the village, knew more about their mother than they both did. The shock of death, learning harsh realities and uncovering truths are difficult things. Having to deal with them all at once is even harder. Will they rise to the challenge? Will they be forced to grow? Will the truth set them free? What will the future hold? Could they have lived different lives? What would those different lives look like? How do you cope with the fallout of secrets? How indeed.
There is a lot to digest in this book. There is a lot of food for thought here which I believe will make this book a fantastic choice for book clubs.
This is a beautifully written book that looks at the impact of secrets on people's lives. It also looks at relationships, poverty, community, survival, and determination. It is a sad book which ends with hope at the end. It is depressing but also captivating. I silently cheered when they made strides and gasped when bad decisions were made. You cannot help but feel for the characters in this book. Even though the book is unsettling, it is quite beautiful at the same time. People do not live fairy tale lives. Not everyone's life is sunshine and roses. But sometimes, those who have been dealt a bad hand, find ways to overcome and survive.
Thought provoking, riveting, unsettling.
Thank you to Tin House and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
January 11, 2022
Winner of the 2021 Costa Novel Prize
I re-read this book after its deserved shortlisting for the 2021 Women's Prize.
A remarkable story of rural 21st century marginalisation; repercussions of life changing events; resilience to trauma; and recalibration of identity and relationships.
On my second read I found the book equally enjoyable - one thing that did strike me was how much of the book's underlying story is hinted at in the very brief first chapter.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (DECEMBER 2019)
This is the first book I have read by Claire Fuller, despite it being her fourth novel, but I was aware of her work given that her first book won the prestigious Desmond Elliott Prize for debut fiction in 2015, defeating the phenomenon that was “Elizabeth is Missing” (to give an example of the ability of the prize to identify brilliant talent – the other recent winners are Eimear McBride, Lisa McInerney, Francis Spufford, Preti Taneja, Claire Adam and Derek Owusu – if you are looking for a list of authors whose careers you should follow that I would suggest would make a very good start); her second novel shortlisted for the Encore prize for second novels (winners of that prize run by the Royal Society of Literature include Anne Enright, Ali Smith, Sally Rooney and a host of other Booker listed authors).
I am not sure I have read a book whose opening had such unsettling and unfortunate resonances for me - a story of two 51 year old twins whose mother suffers a stroke, and with much of the opening plot of the book about discovering the costs of funerals – which uncannily sums up the start and end of the difficult last twelve months of my own life.
The book is set in a rural part of present day Wiltshire - Jeanie and Julius Seeder (no one is sure if the name was an elaborate joke by their father) despite their age, live with their mother Dot in a small cottage which still has an outside toilet.
Dot and Jeanie grow vegetables which they sell both at the bottom of their garden in an honest box and more recently to an upmarket deli in the local village. Julius does a variety of casual labouring jobs for cash.
Their ability to survive is helped by a long arrangement with the local farmer and landowner Rawson that they can rent the cottage for free in perpetuity – something which dates back to their father’s death 40 year’s previously, decapitated while driving Rawson’s new tractor (after an accident the twins believe was due to faulty bolts fitted by Rawson).
The family’s life is circumscribed: Jeanie by a childhood heart condition and by a lac of desire for things other women seem to her to seek for – fashion, sex, money; Julius by the after effects of the accident which mean he suffers severe travel sickness and the unspoken requirement to care for his sister; the whole family by a fierce independence, self-sufficiency, and bond over folk music and their shared beliefs about who they are and their family story.
When at the book’s start the twins find their mother dead from what later turns out to be a stroke they are forced to: engage with the other people (including Rawson and Dot’s best friend Bridget); engage with the outside world (for example the need to register the death and incur the costs of a funeral); confront their lack of any money; deal with those who quickly move to exploit their vulnerability; come to terms with discrepancies between what they have always believed about themselves and their history and what seems to be the emerging reality of their situation; and to reset their own relationship.
To say much more would be to spoil the story – a relatively simple but powerful tale of rural poverty, of those marginalized from 21st Century English society (both exploited by the establishment and ignored by progressives) and at heart a tale of resilience when everything you know about yourself changes and of a recalibration of beliefs, lifestyle and relationships in the face of the repercussions of a life changing traumatic event.
My thanks to Penguin General UK for an ARC via NetGalley
I re-read this book after its deserved shortlisting for the 2021 Women's Prize.
A remarkable story of rural 21st century marginalisation; repercussions of life changing events; resilience to trauma; and recalibration of identity and relationships.
On my second read I found the book equally enjoyable - one thing that did strike me was how much of the book's underlying story is hinted at in the very brief first chapter.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (DECEMBER 2019)
This is the first book I have read by Claire Fuller, despite it being her fourth novel, but I was aware of her work given that her first book won the prestigious Desmond Elliott Prize for debut fiction in 2015, defeating the phenomenon that was “Elizabeth is Missing” (to give an example of the ability of the prize to identify brilliant talent – the other recent winners are Eimear McBride, Lisa McInerney, Francis Spufford, Preti Taneja, Claire Adam and Derek Owusu – if you are looking for a list of authors whose careers you should follow that I would suggest would make a very good start); her second novel shortlisted for the Encore prize for second novels (winners of that prize run by the Royal Society of Literature include Anne Enright, Ali Smith, Sally Rooney and a host of other Booker listed authors).
I am not sure I have read a book whose opening had such unsettling and unfortunate resonances for me - a story of two 51 year old twins whose mother suffers a stroke, and with much of the opening plot of the book about discovering the costs of funerals – which uncannily sums up the start and end of the difficult last twelve months of my own life.
The book is set in a rural part of present day Wiltshire - Jeanie and Julius Seeder (no one is sure if the name was an elaborate joke by their father) despite their age, live with their mother Dot in a small cottage which still has an outside toilet.
Dot and Jeanie grow vegetables which they sell both at the bottom of their garden in an honest box and more recently to an upmarket deli in the local village. Julius does a variety of casual labouring jobs for cash.
Their ability to survive is helped by a long arrangement with the local farmer and landowner Rawson that they can rent the cottage for free in perpetuity – something which dates back to their father’s death 40 year’s previously, decapitated while driving Rawson’s new tractor (after an accident the twins believe was due to faulty bolts fitted by Rawson).
The family’s life is circumscribed: Jeanie by a childhood heart condition and by a lac of desire for things other women seem to her to seek for – fashion, sex, money; Julius by the after effects of the accident which mean he suffers severe travel sickness and the unspoken requirement to care for his sister; the whole family by a fierce independence, self-sufficiency, and bond over folk music and their shared beliefs about who they are and their family story.
When at the book’s start the twins find their mother dead from what later turns out to be a stroke they are forced to: engage with the other people (including Rawson and Dot’s best friend Bridget); engage with the outside world (for example the need to register the death and incur the costs of a funeral); confront their lack of any money; deal with those who quickly move to exploit their vulnerability; come to terms with discrepancies between what they have always believed about themselves and their history and what seems to be the emerging reality of their situation; and to reset their own relationship.
To say much more would be to spoil the story – a relatively simple but powerful tale of rural poverty, of those marginalized from 21st Century English society (both exploited by the establishment and ignored by progressives) and at heart a tale of resilience when everything you know about yourself changes and of a recalibration of beliefs, lifestyle and relationships in the face of the repercussions of a life changing traumatic event.
My thanks to Penguin General UK for an ARC via NetGalley
January 17, 2023
Little kids have a tendency to believe what their mother tells them. It's an important part of learning, and affects so many things in their lives. The mother in this story was a good person, everyone says so. She lives with her two children in a "needs work" old-fashioned cottage in the English countryside. In this novel, the mother dies unexpectedly right off the bat, and her children are left to deal with the fallout. The thing is, those children are 51 years old, twins Julius and Jeanie. They have always lived at home with their mother, and have been sheltered in the extreme.
We all know how much the dynamics of a household change when a family member leaves, and this is no exception. The problem is, neither Julius nor Jeanie is really equipped to deal with the world at large. Jeanie has a serious heart condition, and has trouble reading and writing; Julius is a below par handyman. Although they have been brought up with a dearth of money, the mother forbids any charity available or anything offered for free, regardless of the source.
Bad decisions, virtually no money, and an utter lack of experience in the real world. Funeral expenses, a looming eviction, and hunger are only the beginning of their troubles.
We all know how much the dynamics of a household change when a family member leaves, and this is no exception. The problem is, neither Julius nor Jeanie is really equipped to deal with the world at large. Jeanie has a serious heart condition, and has trouble reading and writing; Julius is a below par handyman. Although they have been brought up with a dearth of money, the mother forbids any charity available or anything offered for free, regardless of the source.
Bad decisions, virtually no money, and an utter lack of experience in the real world. Funeral expenses, a looming eviction, and hunger are only the beginning of their troubles.
June 24, 2021
Set in modern day England, but the people in it, might as well be in the past. Twins, Jeanie and Julius Seeder are in their 50s, but still live with their mother in a tumbledown cottage. They barely survive on the crops from their garden and Julius's handyman jobs. Their mother's death forces them out of their complacency and makes them deal with the truth of their tenuous existence. Their mother has taken care of them all their lives, but she hasn't always been exactly honest with them. Some falsehoods she told them have a reason they discover, but other lies their mother told them don't seem to make any sense. Some stories never get resolved when someone passes and we have to make our peace with it.
This is a bit meandering, but I enjoyed it and the characters of the twins are very well drawn.
This is a bit meandering, but I enjoyed it and the characters of the twins are very well drawn.
May 5, 2021
4.5 Stars
’The morning sky lightens, and snow falls on the cottage. It falls on the thatch, concealing the moss and the mouse damage, smoothing out the undulations, filling in the hollows and slips melting where it touches the bricks of the chimney. It settles on the plants and bare soil in the front garden and forms a perfect mound on top of the rotten gatepost, as though shaped from the inside of a teacup.’
There’s a brief moment when Fuller seduces, lulls you into envisioning this lovely, bucolic setting. The family inside this little cottage includes Dot, a seventy year-old woman, her adult twins, Julius and Jeanie, and Jeanie’s beloved dog Maude. The serenity of the scene serves as a diversion, if only momentary, from the loss that will befall them soon. Dot sees, senses it coming, both a premonition and a physical acceptance of what will transpire, reaching out to comfort, she strokes Maude’s head.
This is a melancholy story, shared with lovely, if subdued, prose that flows effortlessly. A story in which way leads on to way, with each twist in their paths leading them further into darkness even as they seek for evidence of light, and a way back. But to what? The life they’d been living before is irreparably changed, and yet there is still life, and secrets which will be revealed.
Pub Date: 18 May 2021
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Tin House
#UnsettledGround #NetGalley
April 28, 2021
Shortlisted for the Women's Prize 2020
A book for anyone who has a too sentimental view of life in the British countryside - Fuller's vision is most realistic where it is furthest from rural idyll.
The story opens with a death. Dot has been scraping a living in a run-down cottage on the edge of a farm since the death of her husband, and her 51-year old twins Jeanie and Julius still live there too - Jeanie helps with running the house and growing vegetables, her ambition limited after being told in childhood that she has a weak heart, and Julius is a casual labourer and dreamer. When Dot dies suddenly after a stroke, the twins have to fend for themselves almost unprepared, as Dot has not told them enough about what underpins their living arrangements.
Most of the story is told in the third person from the perspective of Jeanie, as everything her life depends on is taken from her in a series of horrific episodes - first they find that Dot has left them no money, so they can't afford to have her decently buried, then their farmer landlord has them evicted for non-payment of rent they believed they did not owe, and they are forced to move to a dilapidated old caravan on a patch of common woodland, where they are defenceless against local troublemakers.
Fuller's command of her story is impressive, and for all of the dark subject matter there is plenty to enjoy in the book, particularly its musical elements. I did feel that the ending was a little hard to believe after the rest of the book, but without it the story might be too dark for many readers to stomach.
A book for anyone who has a too sentimental view of life in the British countryside - Fuller's vision is most realistic where it is furthest from rural idyll.
The story opens with a death. Dot has been scraping a living in a run-down cottage on the edge of a farm since the death of her husband, and her 51-year old twins Jeanie and Julius still live there too - Jeanie helps with running the house and growing vegetables, her ambition limited after being told in childhood that she has a weak heart, and Julius is a casual labourer and dreamer. When Dot dies suddenly after a stroke, the twins have to fend for themselves almost unprepared, as Dot has not told them enough about what underpins their living arrangements.
Most of the story is told in the third person from the perspective of Jeanie, as everything her life depends on is taken from her in a series of horrific episodes - first they find that Dot has left them no money, so they can't afford to have her decently buried, then their farmer landlord has them evicted for non-payment of rent they believed they did not owe, and they are forced to move to a dilapidated old caravan on a patch of common woodland, where they are defenceless against local troublemakers.
Fuller's command of her story is impressive, and for all of the dark subject matter there is plenty to enjoy in the book, particularly its musical elements. I did feel that the ending was a little hard to believe after the rest of the book, but without it the story might be too dark for many readers to stomach.
July 28, 2024
This is the 4th Fuller book I've read and she still cast a spell and then wrenched your heart. The twist always feels like a stab and twist... though this one she hinted at in the first few pages. Nevertheless my heart broke for Jeanie so many times...her ignorance, her sheltered life cost her when needing to survive without it...but her strength and resolution, that I admire completely. I could never picture either of them as 51...especially Julius who was like a wayward teen many times.
May 28, 2021
Review posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Wholly Unexpected.
When twins Jeanie and Julius are hit with the death of their mother, they are left to fend for themselves for the first time in their adult lives. The problem? At 51 years old, neither has ever had to as they have always lived with and relied on their mother.
A mother who left them wholly unprepared for life.
Afraid, alone, shocked and despondent, Jeanie and Julius must learn to take care of basic needs. Working, making money and finding a new place to live, all while discovering that their mother wasn’t exactly who they thought she was.
Time and again, these two are hit hard, devastated by life’s circumstances.
Digging deep, Jeanie works hard and is determined to save herself and her brother from the depths of despair.
A slow moving story that I enjoyed but that took quite a bit to get going. While I liked this novel, I didn’t quite love it. I admit to being confused by a mother who didn’t raise her children to care for themselves, and become independent forward thinking adults.
3.65 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the arc.
Published on Goodreads and Twitter.
Wholly Unexpected.
When twins Jeanie and Julius are hit with the death of their mother, they are left to fend for themselves for the first time in their adult lives. The problem? At 51 years old, neither has ever had to as they have always lived with and relied on their mother.
A mother who left them wholly unprepared for life.
Afraid, alone, shocked and despondent, Jeanie and Julius must learn to take care of basic needs. Working, making money and finding a new place to live, all while discovering that their mother wasn’t exactly who they thought she was.
Time and again, these two are hit hard, devastated by life’s circumstances.
Digging deep, Jeanie works hard and is determined to save herself and her brother from the depths of despair.
A slow moving story that I enjoyed but that took quite a bit to get going. While I liked this novel, I didn’t quite love it. I admit to being confused by a mother who didn’t raise her children to care for themselves, and become independent forward thinking adults.
3.65 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Tin House for the arc.
Published on Goodreads and Twitter.
June 15, 2021
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I actually put off writing my review for this because I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I ended up going for a hike and then I came back and fell asleep, and when I woke up, I saw this book sitting on the armrest of my chair and sighed, like, "Oh, YOU. I don't like you."
UNSETTLED GROUND is sort of a mystery but not in the way you might expect. Instead of a traditional whodunnit, it's more of a gradual untangling of relationships and lingering resentments. The book starts out with the mother of two fifty-something-year-old twins dying of a stroke. The twins, Jeanie and Julius, are basically just above the poverty line and after she dies, they have to scramble to make ends meet and hold onto their home.
This was a difficult read because the more I read, the more I disliked all of the characters. The hook for me was the idea of picking apart the structure of this small English town and kind of looking into this poor family living off their land, but I predicted the "mystery" element really early on and there wasn't really a single character in here that I particularly liked or rooted for at all-- and I really disliked the end.
The writing was good and I thought the pacing was nicely done and the story kept me engaged to the finish, but man, this really wasn't what I was hoping for. I'm actually more excited about her other book, which I bought recently: BITTER ORANGE. It sounds more in line with my tastes and I'm really looking forward to it.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
2.5 stars
October 18, 2022
A solemn journey through codependence, poverty, and loss. After the sudden death of their mother, we see reclusive twins struggle to adapt to the world around them, untangling dark secrets, building resentment and disappointment around every corner. Like the title, we see how unsteady the ground of relationships and quality of life is when it sits atop a foundation of lies, of buried things unwillingly unearthed. Beautiful prose filled with sorrow and revelation, will resonate strongly with anyone who has been lied to “for their own good.”
April 27, 2021
I didn't hate this book at all but it was just so, so unremarkable. I loved the premise: Jeanie and Julius are 51-year-old twins living with their mother in rural England who drops dead one day and suddenly Jeanie and Julius are forced to navigate a world they don't fully understand. It's different and interesting but it just really fell flat for me.
The problem with Unsettled Ground is that there's just no momentum. And I don't mean that in the sense that it would have worked better as a page-turner murder mystery or anything like that; I'm an advocate of the literary-thriller hybrid genre and I think Fuller nails that tone here--there is a bit of a central mystery but it's mostly a vehicle to explore the themes that she's interested in interrogating. That's all fine and well. But on a sentence-by-sentence level, this book dragged. There's no sense that it's moving forward toward anything, it just feels like it's spinning its wheels and I did not at any point find myself compelled to pick it up.
Like I said, I did enjoy some of the thematic threads that Fuller explored in this novel and I don't have an overwhelmingly negative feeling toward it; I just couldn't bring myself to get invested at any point and I think this would be an incredibly lackluster addition to the Women's Prize shortlist.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tin House for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
The problem with Unsettled Ground is that there's just no momentum. And I don't mean that in the sense that it would have worked better as a page-turner murder mystery or anything like that; I'm an advocate of the literary-thriller hybrid genre and I think Fuller nails that tone here--there is a bit of a central mystery but it's mostly a vehicle to explore the themes that she's interested in interrogating. That's all fine and well. But on a sentence-by-sentence level, this book dragged. There's no sense that it's moving forward toward anything, it just feels like it's spinning its wheels and I did not at any point find myself compelled to pick it up.
Like I said, I did enjoy some of the thematic threads that Fuller explored in this novel and I don't have an overwhelmingly negative feeling toward it; I just couldn't bring myself to get invested at any point and I think this would be an incredibly lackluster addition to the Women's Prize shortlist.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tin House for the advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2021
It's so frustrating when you feel like you *should* like a book and yet somewhere along the way you start to question why its worthiness is not equating to enjoyment.
This is a story with excellent bones: 51-year old twins living precipitously close to the margins after the passing of their mother. Plenty of scope for some observations about our throwaway society, and how we struggle to 'see' when people are really struggling.
I thought the running commentary on food wastage, convenience food and food costs in general, was well done, I noted the surprise cameo of the Chicken Tonight dance, a stable of my university years, (the meal not the dance ).
The situation for the twins, while certainly bad, remains hopeful, the story softened by a lovely sibling dynamic that encompasses folk music and market gardening. And yet .... missing is some ineffable quality that tips a book from a good read to a great read. It's laudable but fails to energize.
Interestingly, I realise this is not a too dissimilar state of mind to which the film Nomadland left me in. So perhaps stories like this just put me into a kind of fog of glum from which I can't judge their merits.
I need to go read some other reviews.
This is a story with excellent bones: 51-year old twins living precipitously close to the margins after the passing of their mother. Plenty of scope for some observations about our throwaway society, and how we struggle to 'see' when people are really struggling.
I thought the running commentary on food wastage, convenience food and food costs in general, was well done, I noted the surprise cameo of the Chicken Tonight dance, a stable of my university years, (the meal not the dance ).
The situation for the twins, while certainly bad, remains hopeful, the story softened by a lovely sibling dynamic that encompasses folk music and market gardening. And yet .... missing is some ineffable quality that tips a book from a good read to a great read. It's laudable but fails to energize.
Interestingly, I realise this is not a too dissimilar state of mind to which the film Nomadland left me in. So perhaps stories like this just put me into a kind of fog of glum from which I can't judge their merits.
I need to go read some other reviews.
June 23, 2022
“The different lives they could have lived are too big to comprehend.”
This was shortlisted for the women’s prize for fiction in 2021. It certainly resonated with me and I was pleasantly surprised by it. Set in rural England, it takes a clear look at the underside of society and the gaps that the vulnerable fall between. The novel revolves around Julius and Jeanie Seeder, fifty-one year old twins who have always lived with their mother Dot. Dot dies suddenly and their world and all they have begins to disintegrate, nothing that was certain now seems to be so. Julius does casual labour when he is able, they live rent free in a run-down cottage, a historical arrangement with the farmer who owns it, mysteriously linked to an incident in which their father died many years ago. Jeanie helps her mother and tends the vegetable patch. They are all musical and the family plays music together. Neither of the twins know much about money, Jeanie can neither read nor write. Her mother has told her she has a longstanding heart condition and must live a quiet life. The modern world and its complexities pass them by.
When Dot dies they discover debts they did not know existed and find it difficult to comprehend the complexities of managing a death and funeral. There is no money:
“They rarely discussed money in the past and it comes awkwardly now, and they never talked in any depth about the agreement, they know it simply as an arrangement that was negotiated between Dot and Rawson a year after their father’s death – an event that was only ever alluded to, all of them orbiting an incident so horrific they were unable to shift themselves closer.”
There is a cast of supporting characters, some friendly, many less so, all aspects of human personality are here. Jeanie and Julius don’t have a bank account, don’t receive any benefits and wouldn’t know how to claim them. They are part of an underclass who very much exist but who are mostly unseen.
Fuller writes well and the descriptive writing captures beauty as well as pathos:
“The morning sky lightens, and snow falls on the cottage. It falls on the thatch, concealing the moss and the mouse damage, smoothing out the undulations, filling in the hollows and slips, melting where it touches the bricks of the chimney. It settles on the plants and bare soil in the front garden and forms a perfect mound on top of the rotten gatepost, as though shaped from the inside of a teacup. It hides the roof of the chicken coop, and those of the privy and the old dairy, leaving a dusting across the workbench and floor where the window was broken long ago”
The journey Julius and Jeanie go through is a harrowing one involving living in a dilapidated and unsanitary caravan in the woods, a nasty eviction, issues with local thugs and real poverty. There are those who help along the way but the twins continue to resist help unless they absolutely have to. The ending has been much discussed and is often seen as bit of a let-down. I would disagree. Modern life does intrude at the end with some level of support with Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy and some modernisation. The tension here is do these modern intrusions relieve and help or destroy. The answer is, of course both. But, abject poverty is not noble or fun. The other question relates to what happens to Julius and I am avoiding spoilers but many have said that his fate is cruel. A careful reading indicates that what did happen did not change his fate that was already set.
There are many people in our society like Jeanie and Julius and I meet the like on a regular basis. They fall through the cracks and often find modern life baffling and this novel does manage to illustrate the problems pretty effectively.
This was shortlisted for the women’s prize for fiction in 2021. It certainly resonated with me and I was pleasantly surprised by it. Set in rural England, it takes a clear look at the underside of society and the gaps that the vulnerable fall between. The novel revolves around Julius and Jeanie Seeder, fifty-one year old twins who have always lived with their mother Dot. Dot dies suddenly and their world and all they have begins to disintegrate, nothing that was certain now seems to be so. Julius does casual labour when he is able, they live rent free in a run-down cottage, a historical arrangement with the farmer who owns it, mysteriously linked to an incident in which their father died many years ago. Jeanie helps her mother and tends the vegetable patch. They are all musical and the family plays music together. Neither of the twins know much about money, Jeanie can neither read nor write. Her mother has told her she has a longstanding heart condition and must live a quiet life. The modern world and its complexities pass them by.
When Dot dies they discover debts they did not know existed and find it difficult to comprehend the complexities of managing a death and funeral. There is no money:
“They rarely discussed money in the past and it comes awkwardly now, and they never talked in any depth about the agreement, they know it simply as an arrangement that was negotiated between Dot and Rawson a year after their father’s death – an event that was only ever alluded to, all of them orbiting an incident so horrific they were unable to shift themselves closer.”
There is a cast of supporting characters, some friendly, many less so, all aspects of human personality are here. Jeanie and Julius don’t have a bank account, don’t receive any benefits and wouldn’t know how to claim them. They are part of an underclass who very much exist but who are mostly unseen.
Fuller writes well and the descriptive writing captures beauty as well as pathos:
“The morning sky lightens, and snow falls on the cottage. It falls on the thatch, concealing the moss and the mouse damage, smoothing out the undulations, filling in the hollows and slips, melting where it touches the bricks of the chimney. It settles on the plants and bare soil in the front garden and forms a perfect mound on top of the rotten gatepost, as though shaped from the inside of a teacup. It hides the roof of the chicken coop, and those of the privy and the old dairy, leaving a dusting across the workbench and floor where the window was broken long ago”
The journey Julius and Jeanie go through is a harrowing one involving living in a dilapidated and unsanitary caravan in the woods, a nasty eviction, issues with local thugs and real poverty. There are those who help along the way but the twins continue to resist help unless they absolutely have to. The ending has been much discussed and is often seen as bit of a let-down. I would disagree. Modern life does intrude at the end with some level of support with Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy and some modernisation. The tension here is do these modern intrusions relieve and help or destroy. The answer is, of course both. But, abject poverty is not noble or fun. The other question relates to what happens to Julius and I am avoiding spoilers but many have said that his fate is cruel. A careful reading indicates that what did happen did not change his fate that was already set.
There are many people in our society like Jeanie and Julius and I meet the like on a regular basis. They fall through the cracks and often find modern life baffling and this novel does manage to illustrate the problems pretty effectively.
June 28, 2021
FINAL REVIEW // Firstly, I am a sucker for literary family sagas. I love ‘em, love ‘em, love ‘em. Any book that explores family dynamics and tackles it with a dysfunctional edge, I’m automatically going to be curious and interested. But this love affair also comes with a downside. I’ve devoured many family sagas over the years, the genre has become almost saturated for me. That means, I’m on the lookout for a family saga that takes a fresh approach to the genre. Do something new with the familiar territory. Embellish it with something fearless and intelligent.. Seduce me with language, setting, and bigger stakes.
.
In walks this book. I finished it two weeks ago and it still has me sighing. I feel content and satisfied. This is what I was looking for. A great character study that’s dark and dreary with an unapologetically claustrophobic tone. I couldn’t look away. But is that only because I was riveted and horrified by what was transpiring on the page? Yes and no. It’s also because the book forces you to envelop and embody every dire, depressing, and distressing thing the two main characters are going through or reacting against. This book is all about atmosphere and sense of place. It is relentless. And, oh, is it oppressive (that’s a great thing for this reader). Get ready to be swallowed up into the darkness.
.
We follow fifty-something year old twins Jeanie and Julius, who are in danger of losing their home after their mother, Dot, dies. Dot dies within the first few pages, and it’s one of the best death scenes I have ever read. Because of this, I was instantly aware that Fuller has a complete grasp on language and mood. That first chapter is electrifying in the way it is told. It was subtly frightening and further rankled my fears of dying. The twins are now faced with what to do with their mother’s body, which gives the book a suffocatingly Faulknerian vibe. From this point, we learn about the twins’ extremely sheltered life and deep plunge into poverty. They are naive, bitter, angry, totally lost, resilient, and frustratingly flawed. The story takes off from there, with the twins doing all they can to make ends meet, to rise above their overwhelmingly dire circumstances, and try to survive in an unforgiving world.
.
Here’s a book with a generous amount of themes to dissect, read this one!! Poverty, social class, familial loyalty, sibling rivalry, overprotection, dependency, neediness, resentment, guilt, grief, conflicting love, and family secrets. Takeaway: you can live with a person all of your life and yet know so little about them.
This book made me have a further appreciation of how relatively easy my life has been. Even though I’ve gone through my share of hardships, things could be a whole lot worse.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQowGrELw...
.
In walks this book. I finished it two weeks ago and it still has me sighing. I feel content and satisfied. This is what I was looking for. A great character study that’s dark and dreary with an unapologetically claustrophobic tone. I couldn’t look away. But is that only because I was riveted and horrified by what was transpiring on the page? Yes and no. It’s also because the book forces you to envelop and embody every dire, depressing, and distressing thing the two main characters are going through or reacting against. This book is all about atmosphere and sense of place. It is relentless. And, oh, is it oppressive (that’s a great thing for this reader). Get ready to be swallowed up into the darkness.
.
We follow fifty-something year old twins Jeanie and Julius, who are in danger of losing their home after their mother, Dot, dies. Dot dies within the first few pages, and it’s one of the best death scenes I have ever read. Because of this, I was instantly aware that Fuller has a complete grasp on language and mood. That first chapter is electrifying in the way it is told. It was subtly frightening and further rankled my fears of dying. The twins are now faced with what to do with their mother’s body, which gives the book a suffocatingly Faulknerian vibe. From this point, we learn about the twins’ extremely sheltered life and deep plunge into poverty. They are naive, bitter, angry, totally lost, resilient, and frustratingly flawed. The story takes off from there, with the twins doing all they can to make ends meet, to rise above their overwhelmingly dire circumstances, and try to survive in an unforgiving world.
.
Here’s a book with a generous amount of themes to dissect, read this one!! Poverty, social class, familial loyalty, sibling rivalry, overprotection, dependency, neediness, resentment, guilt, grief, conflicting love, and family secrets. Takeaway: you can live with a person all of your life and yet know so little about them.
This book made me have a further appreciation of how relatively easy my life has been. Even though I’ve gone through my share of hardships, things could be a whole lot worse.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQowGrELw...
May 4, 2021
Sad and disturbing, but the prose is luscious.
January 27, 2022
An intimate, emotional character study that follows the lives of two middle-aged siblings after their mother's death. Jeannie and Julius Seeder live in a cottage on a farm with their mother, Dot. When Dot dies unexpectedly (in the first chapter, not a spoiler), we see the repercussions for the Seeder siblings who have never had true independence.
Jeannie is illiterate and living with a weak heart, while Julius gets by on odd jobs and trying to make friends at the local pub. Their precarious situation is upended further when they are threatened with eviction from the cottage by their landlords to whom they have a tenuous relationship. Across the pages of this novel, events from their past are unearthed and re-examined, particularly through the eyes of meek Jeannie, as we see her struggle to maintain balance amidst tragedy and upheaval.
I found this to be a very strong character-driven novel. Jeannie feels very real and though she is not always the easiest character to relate to, I couldn't help but sympathize with her situation. She's incredibly naive due to her upbringing, and seeing a 51 year old struggle to navigate the world when the pillar of her life, her mother, has been removed was heartbreaking. Julius has his own side story that was interesting but not as fully formed as Jeannie's and I felt the story lacked a bit for that. It needed to either focus solely on Jeannie or give Julius a bit more room to grow on the page.
Plot-wise, this book is definitely more of a fallout after a tragic event, as we watch the results of their mother's death. We also get a few allusions to past incidents involving their farm and the landlord, Mr. Rawson, which made me think there may be more of a mystery or thriller aspect to the story early on. However, it's definitely more of a literary novel that has a few family secrets that eventually get revealed. Their reveals, though, were not particularly surprising; though I'm not sure if they were meant to be.
I enjoyed this book but it did not blow me away. Something felt missing for me. I think Jeannie as a character was the strongest part of this novel, and I could totally see it being adapted into a film which would give the lead actress a lot of great material to work with. I might even enjoy this more on screen. I've been meaning to read something by Claire Fuller for years and years now, so I'm glad to have this one checked off the list!
Jeannie is illiterate and living with a weak heart, while Julius gets by on odd jobs and trying to make friends at the local pub. Their precarious situation is upended further when they are threatened with eviction from the cottage by their landlords to whom they have a tenuous relationship. Across the pages of this novel, events from their past are unearthed and re-examined, particularly through the eyes of meek Jeannie, as we see her struggle to maintain balance amidst tragedy and upheaval.
I found this to be a very strong character-driven novel. Jeannie feels very real and though she is not always the easiest character to relate to, I couldn't help but sympathize with her situation. She's incredibly naive due to her upbringing, and seeing a 51 year old struggle to navigate the world when the pillar of her life, her mother, has been removed was heartbreaking. Julius has his own side story that was interesting but not as fully formed as Jeannie's and I felt the story lacked a bit for that. It needed to either focus solely on Jeannie or give Julius a bit more room to grow on the page.
Plot-wise, this book is definitely more of a fallout after a tragic event, as we watch the results of their mother's death. We also get a few allusions to past incidents involving their farm and the landlord, Mr. Rawson, which made me think there may be more of a mystery or thriller aspect to the story early on. However, it's definitely more of a literary novel that has a few family secrets that eventually get revealed. Their reveals, though, were not particularly surprising; though I'm not sure if they were meant to be.
I enjoyed this book but it did not blow me away. Something felt missing for me. I think Jeannie as a character was the strongest part of this novel, and I could totally see it being adapted into a film which would give the lead actress a lot of great material to work with. I might even enjoy this more on screen. I've been meaning to read something by Claire Fuller for years and years now, so I'm glad to have this one checked off the list!
January 5, 2022
UPDATE: 4 Jan 2022... Congratulations to Claire Fuller for winning the 2021 Costa Novel Award for this wonderful book!🙌
This book was S-O - G-O-O-D-!!! It moved at a pretty even pace, but by about 80% in, everything changed. I became so riveted I couldn't stop until I was done (and by then it was 2 a.m.)😴💤🛌
I have to begin by saying that Claire Fuller is one of my favourite authors ever. Her books Our Endless Numbered Days and Swimming Lessons are two of my very favourites. I absolutely loved them! Her third, Bitter Orange was good, but I wasn't as enamoured with it. And now, her most recent book Unsettled Ground is another big winner!!
I did find one thing a little unsettling (no pun intended😉). All the characters in the book were so very unlikeable! Not having anyone to "cheer for" was something new for me and I found it kind of disconcerting. I mean, I sort of need someone to root for... don't we all? I was still able to enjoy the book, but there was this vacuum that made me feel a little uncomfortable. And it certainly didn't help matters that the situation for the two main characters—51-year-old twins—got more and more dire as time went on. These two just could NOT catch a break! But as I neared the final 20% or so, the atmosphere changed and I was so glad to see the main character, Jeanie, become more self-confident. Until then, I didn't like her—she was churlish and simple-minded. She (and her brother) did such stupid things! I knew that, being the main character, she was the one I should be rooting for, but I just couldn't... she was downright cold, stubborn, and full of disdain for everyone and everything! I loved her dog, Maude, most of all, though. She was sweet and unconditionally loyal, demanding nothing in return. I shed many a tear for her, but that's typical for me—always on the side of animals.💖🐕🐾
I can't ever recall reading a novel where I so disliked everyone. I don't know if they were written that way on purpose, or if I viewed them all too harshly, but it made it kind of challenging to read, initially. By about 75% in, I think their situations made them soften toward each other. And by the time the story ended, I'd fallen in love with the book.🤗
Unsettled Ground is a terrific novel and deserving of 5 very bright stars. I highly recommend it!
This book was S-O - G-O-O-D-!!! It moved at a pretty even pace, but by about 80% in, everything changed. I became so riveted I couldn't stop until I was done (and by then it was 2 a.m.)😴💤🛌
I have to begin by saying that Claire Fuller is one of my favourite authors ever. Her books Our Endless Numbered Days and Swimming Lessons are two of my very favourites. I absolutely loved them! Her third, Bitter Orange was good, but I wasn't as enamoured with it. And now, her most recent book Unsettled Ground is another big winner!!
I did find one thing a little unsettling (no pun intended😉). All the characters in the book were so very unlikeable! Not having anyone to "cheer for" was something new for me and I found it kind of disconcerting. I mean, I sort of need someone to root for... don't we all? I was still able to enjoy the book, but there was this vacuum that made me feel a little uncomfortable. And it certainly didn't help matters that the situation for the two main characters—51-year-old twins—got more and more dire as time went on. These two just could NOT catch a break! But as I neared the final 20% or so, the atmosphere changed and I was so glad to see the main character, Jeanie, become more self-confident. Until then, I didn't like her—she was churlish and simple-minded. She (and her brother) did such stupid things! I knew that, being the main character, she was the one I should be rooting for, but I just couldn't... she was downright cold, stubborn, and full of disdain for everyone and everything! I loved her dog, Maude, most of all, though. She was sweet and unconditionally loyal, demanding nothing in return. I shed many a tear for her, but that's typical for me—always on the side of animals.💖🐕🐾
I can't ever recall reading a novel where I so disliked everyone. I don't know if they were written that way on purpose, or if I viewed them all too harshly, but it made it kind of challenging to read, initially. By about 75% in, I think their situations made them soften toward each other. And by the time the story ended, I'd fallen in love with the book.🤗
Unsettled Ground is a terrific novel and deserving of 5 very bright stars. I highly recommend it!
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