Sometimes a novel comes along that is not particularly ground-breaking in terms of plot or writing, but neverthless leaves you feeling extremely satisfied. Such was the case with The Unwilding by Marina Kemp. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Unwilding, opens with a sultry summer in Sicily, where revered novelist and patriarch Don Travers holds court at a rambling villa. Travers entertains various guests, one of whom is a young writer, Zoe Goodison, whose debut novel received high praise. Zoe feels out of her depth with the other guests (all artists, writers and publishers), and observes from the periphery. Also in the villa is Travers’s wife, the silent and withdrawn Lydia, and his four rambunctious children.

When the story begins, the youngest daughter, ten-year-old Nemony, finds herself also on the periphery, left out of her siblings’ conversations and activities. Like Zoe, Nemony becomes a keen observer. Continue reading →