Betty has lost her mind. I’m not sure that she was ever sane.
Of the opinion that everything and everyone in her life has always been against her, she resents those she calls the Beloveds, people that she feels have everything going their way and who are getting all the things that she deserves.
When things don’t go her way, everyone else is wrong for turning the world against her.
She resents her sister Gloria and her brother-in-law, her former boyfriend who was “stolen away” from her by Gloria. She resents the house they grew up in, Pipits, being left to Gloria and her husband. She resents her mom for leaving it to them instead of her.
I wonder though: did her mom realize just how off her rocker Betty was? Did she see mental instability rising up in one of her daughters?
Betty loves Pipits, and she believes the house talks to her and loves her back.
I loved the story, but I did not like the ending. There are things I desperately wanted to see happen, but they didn’t. It left me feeling that the story was incomplete. The author could be planning a sequel to this one though. If she is, I will be reading it.
I was sent a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. If you would like your own copy, I’ve provided an Amazon link below.
Amazon Link: The Beloveds
Favorite Sentences:
My deep dislike for my sister first struck me at the age of nine, when I shut her in the linen cupboard.
A rush of flirty schoolgirls plows through us, leaving the dewberry scent of cheap perfume and peppermint gum in their wake.
Their presence in what should be my home eats into my peace of mind, scratches around my insides until every organ throbs.
I have no idea if what looks like the most delicious pudding is in fact a deadly one.
I drive a sword through my spoiled little sister’s heart and twist and twist the blade.
New Words Learned:
aconite – a poisonous plant of the buttercup family, which bears hooded pink or purple flowers
Aga – a cooking range
agapanthus – a South African plant of the lily family, with funnel-shaped bluish flowers that grow in rounded clusters
beanfeast – The first thing that popped in my head when I ran across this word was Veronica Salt from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. A beanfeast is a celebration or festive occasion, especially when a meal is provided.
buddleia – a tree or shrub with lilac flowers that attract butterflies
bumptious – self-assertive or proud to an irritating degree
cassis – a syrupy liqueur flavored with black currants and produced mainly in Burgundy
ceanothus – any North American shrub or small tree of the largely western genus Ceanothus, having clusters of small white or blue flowers
enthuse – say something that expresses one’s eager enjoyment, interest, or approval
fatuous – silly and pointless
gravitas – dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner
Holly blue butterfly, wikimedia commons
Holly blue butterfly – This is the blue butterfly most likely to be found in gardens, as well as woodlands, parks and churchyards.
kaftan – a woman’s long loose dress
kilim – a flat-woven carpet or rug made in Turkey, Kurdistan, and neighboring areas
mephitic – noxious; pestilential; poisonous
musteline – belonging or pertaining to the family Mustelidae, including martens, skunks, minks, weasels, badgers, and otters.
neroli – an essential oil distilled from the flowers of the Seville orange, used in perfumery
nicotiana – any plant belonging to the genus Nicotiana, of the nightshade family, especially one grown for its ornamental value, as flowering tobacco
nisi – (of a court order) coming into effect on a specified date unless cause is shown within a certain period why it should not
pashmina, flickr
pashmina – fine-quality material made from goat’s wool
psychodynamic psychotherapy – a form of depth psychology, the primary focus of which is to reveal the unconscious content of a client’s psyche in an effort to alleviate psychic tension
sniggery – characterized by or liable to cause sniggering
snoods – a netlike hat or part of a hat or fabric that holds or covers the back of a woman’s hair.
About the Author:
Maureen Lindley, born in Berkshire and raised in Scotland and England, was trained as a psychotherapist. She is the author of two previous novels, The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel and A Girl Like You. She lives in the Wye Valley on the border between southern England and Wales. Visit her at MaureenLindley.com.
