In a Good Light

by Clare Chambers

Fr om the highly-acclaimed author of SMALL PLEASURES - longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021

Without even noticing, Esther Fairchild has become locked into routine.

Living with her adored brother, Christian, she divides her time between illustrating children's books, nightly shifts as a waitress, weekly visits to her father and fortnightly meetings with her married lover.

Then one day she encounters a face in the crowd which jolts her out of her mundane existence and makes her question both her life and the past that has helped to shape it. Memories she had long chosen to forget begin to resurface. Memories of an eccentric childhood in a large and shabby house, where the children were left to fend for themselves within the loose boundaries of their parents' unorthodox values. A chaotic existence peopled by a rich collection of feckless 'guests'.

And into this shambolic world came Donovan - regularly deposited by his unreliable mother - and Penny, Christian's girlfriend and Esther's idol. Until tragedy struck and shattered their joint existence. But now, it seems, their lives are about to become intertwined once more . . .

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Ebooks, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Novels, Book Club

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Clare Chambers was born on 1966 in in Croydon, Surrey, England, UK, daughter of English teachers. She attended a school in Croydon. At 16, she met Peter, her future husband, a teacher 14 years old than her. She read English at Oxford. The marriage moved to New Zealand, where she wrote her first novel. She now lives in Kent with her husband and young family. In 1999, her novel Learning to Swim won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the Romantic Novelists' Association.

Reviews

[Emer Tannam · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I really, really enjoyed this book, especially the flashback to the narrator’s childhood, which constitutes the bulk of it, and which reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird, or The Little Friend.

I’ve docked half a star because of the unnecessarily “twisty” ending. This is the second book by Clare Chambers that I’ve read, and the other one had a similarly unsatisfying ending. My only other quibble is the cringey nature of the dialogue between two characters, when things start to get romantic between them.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?’ I whispered. ‘It makes you feel a bit . . . unhinged.’ ‘You’ve been having that effect on me all day,’ he replied.”

It felt very out of place compared to the wit and sensitivity of the rest of the book, especially when describing adolescent infatuation.

But overall, an excellent read; funny, warm, and absorbing.

[Alva · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heart and soul of each of Clare Chambers' books is in her character depth. Here we meet Esther and Christian, their parents, their 'Aunty Barbara' and her son Donovan. Each of these characters lends their own particular vibe to this story of how life can be cruel and unbending, how lives can be changed in an instant by either a tragic accident or by money, sometimes both.
This is essentially a story of family, of love, loyalty, commitment, betrayal and tenacity. The characters leap the story over each of the plot hurdles with ease and ability. I love how Clare Chambers draws us into her characters' lives as if it actually matters to us what happens to them. It matters!

[Bridget Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another wonderful book by Clare Chambers that's full of interesting characters and unusual situations. It is written with such style and humour that I spent most of the time smiling or laughing out loud despite a tragedy at one point. She is such a brilliant writer who lifts my mood every time. Highly recommended!

I tried the audible version too but I loathed the narration which was slow and exaggerated like a parody of acting. It may be to your taste but be warned that it wasn't to mine! This book has a colourful new cover now which is not shown on Goodreads at the moment.

[Sarah Obsesses over Books & Cookies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clare Chambers is a great storyteller with the know how to add just the detail to keep you turning the pages. I really liked this one just for the page turning characteristic. Esther is in her 30's. She's an artist and waitress and is happy to live with her older brother Christian who is paralyzed and in a wheel chair. But when she gives a talk to young children at a school about her illustrated children's book she recognizes one of the children as a daughter of an old friend whom she hasn't seen in some 18 years or so. Then in the meat of the story we go back to her childhood and learn all about the significance of said friend and how she grew up and all that. I love childhood stories and CHamber's has a gift for just that- plus she's humorous. At 500 pages it was a bit long as the last 100 pages or so just seemed to cram in some little twists that may or may not have been needed but it still felt forced. I still really liked it and am looking forward to The Editor's Wife. Learning to Swim was another good one of hers and is why I picked up this one.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book and the authors style of writing. It was laid back with a bit of humour thrown in. It's one of those books that initially you don't know whether you are gong to like but it grows on you.

[Helen Temple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this . Clare Chamber’s characters always feel like old friends . I feel reluctant to leave them behind.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely the best Chambers novel I have read. It is well plotted, superbly told and embroidered with gorgeous phrases and observations. For me this is a perfect example of the modern novel with a feel-good story line - and in Covid times there's not much else I want to read. Probably as a result of her own life experiences (in any biog of Chambers the fact that she married a teacher whom she met while just 16 is always front and centre, as if she feels she needs to get her explanation in before the nudging and winking starts) relationships often turn on, yet thrive despite, age differences. This is a factor in my life so I probably find it more interesting than many readers. However the way Chambers peels aside the surface of life to expose the mores and manners beneath is surely of universal appeal. Impeccable in its detailing of time and place, the book makes good use of the shorthand of brand names to fix a moment in time or skewer the essence of a personality as we move from the threadbare years of Tizer and Hillmans into the affluence of the Audi era. Oh..and I didn't guess the final plot twist. Find out for yourself - you won't regret it.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely - but a little too long!

[Orla · Rating 5 out of 5]

so crazy literally everyone dated everyone, so many affairs my mind is spinning

[Sophie Burdge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire Chambers never misses!! Her characters are just eccentric enough to be interesting but believable - I loved Esther's parents and their obsession with doing Good Works. All in all very charming.

[Ilse K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5⭐ Ik heb heel erg van dit boek genoten! Interessante personages, erg leuke humor en een soort warmte die heel fijn is:)

[Gail Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A total delight from start to finish . Endearing and often comical with deeply rich insightful descriptions of the various intriguing characters . Such a great story teller … I was sad to see it end . I will be reading more books by Clare Chambers .

[amina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 !

[Hannah Edgington · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book - as always with Clare Chambers, the characters were so well and realistically written - but I still somehow didn't get quite as invested in it as I expected to. Maybe my expectations were just too high - but I didn't find it to be as unputdownable as Learning to Swim, or as heartwarming and surprising as The Editor's Wife. There were plenty of unexpected twists along the way, but the majority of these were packed into the last 10% of the book - and at this point there were so many coincidences that it felt a bit contrived.

But it's still worth a read! For some reason it reminded me a little of I Capture the Castle - maybe the eccentric family setting, or the fact that Esther reminded me a bit of Cassandra.

There were plenty of moments that made me giggle outloud - I wouldn't say it's an obviously funny book but Chambers is so good at hitting you with subtle humour when you're least expecting it!

One thing that bothered me was that it did seem a bit ableist in places - I couldn't get on board with the whole "saintly sister gives up her independence to live with disabled brother" thing. I think that could have been dealt with a bit better perhaps.

However, that said, I think I would recommend reading this one - it's worth it for the characters. But if you're new to Clare Chambers I'd recommend the Editor's Wife first.

[Allie Cresswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy Clare Chamber’s witty prose and deftly-drawn characters.
This is a family story, the family in question being a slightly dysfunctional one. Dad is a prison chaplain, far too naive and good for such a cynical environment. Mum is a professional do-gooder, perpetually depriving her family of decent food and basic home comforts so that the Less Fortunate can benefit. Christian and Esther, their children, though lacking toys, new clothes, television, central heating or ANY heating, at least have each other, and it is this close sibling bond that forms the backbone of the story.
The Less Fortunate arrive at the dilapidated old house at frequent intervals; people on witness protection schemes, disgraced clergymen, an alcoholic aunt and her moody, disaffected son. All these are entwined into the family as securely as the brambles that choke the drive or the Ivy that inveigles the ill-fitting sash windows.
Told from the point of view of Esther, the story is a nostalgic but amusing trip down memory lane for those of us who were brought up in the seventies and eighties. Her curiosity, teenage angst, resilience and compassion make this book a delight.

[Emily ⋆˙⟡♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

genuinely, no one writes characters like clare chambers.

what i loved about this book is that i had no clue what it was about when i went into it and, whilst we knew what to expect and the foreshadowing was all there, the journey towards the christian incident was unpredictable. i felt so invested that i couldn't put it down for the last 100 or so pages and it paid off so well.

my only criticism reeeeeally is that there were a few times i didn't enjoy the characterisation of certain characters like dawn and her family. i really did not like christian at all but that's probably what made him more real.

[Derval Tannam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and thought all of the characters were sympathetic and engaging, although there were times I felt like shaking Christian and Esther's parents- their mother's charitable impulses led to neglect of her own children. The resolution of the plot was a bit similar to Learning to Swim, and I agree with my sister that the twist detracted from the book. There were also sections where teenage Esther spoke a bit too wisely. But overall a thoroughly absorbing, well-written book.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 2nd Chambers book and I’ll definitely be coming back for more.

She has a special way of writing that makes me feel like I’m watching it all play out clearly, the characters are simple and easy to follow and even easier to like.

It was long in parts and I was kind of waiting for something to happen but it did, it was just subtle which was certainly not a bad thing!

[Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of 3.5
The book definitely grew on me as time passed and then I could not put it down until the end ! 😅

A beautiful story of families. Esther's loyalty to her disabled brother is beautiful but can also show the limits to oneself.

I was rooting so much for Esther and Donovan.
Seeing their story develop between all the interruption of their own lives.

[PIL · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet book. Interested to start with, then lost a bit of enthusiasm with the detailed childhood stories, later hooked again with the present story and fully understand the need for the childhood background. Everything comes together in the end and I enjoyed that.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been searching for this ever since reading several of the author's later novels. I don't remember much of the plot, but I do remember losing myself in the characters and being sorry when the story ended. I will keep searching!

[Olivia Hopkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

a lovely classic clare chambers :) adored the middle section of the book about the main characters childhood! so wholesome and very funny. the last 10% of the book was a very different pace and almost felt a bit rushed? but had a satisfying ending! very much enjoyed

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real family saga, i thoroughly enjoyed the ups and downs, the fabulous characters and the storyline

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second book by Clare Chambers and another really entertaining read

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Clare Chambers book for me, and will be looking to read more.
Not often I like all of the characters in a book.

[Jo Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare 5 stars for this lovely book. It wasn't trying to be particularly clever or intricate but it was a really good story beautifully written. I have enjoyed two of Clare Chambers books before but this one was a cut above. Her characters are wonderful. I loved every word.

[Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have become quite a fan of Chambers’ writing and this one did not disappoint. It has all the aspects I have come to enjoy so much : a very British comedy of manners, witty and wry writing, eccentric and unconventional characters, great sense of time and place and a twist at the end.
The story of 30s something Esther is a heart warming one, much of it the backstory of her unusual upbringing. I am delighted that she moves from a life of routine to what promises to be a happy ending.

[Nicoletta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devo ancora trovare un libro di Clare Chambers che non mi piaccia. La sua scrittura è sempre affascinante, le ambientazioni semplici ma coinvolgenti. Una storia che non si vorrebbe smettere di leggere mai.

[Helen Kollin Fichtel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a well-written childhood story, and this had everything - interesting, believable and likeable characters, quirky family, unusual upbringing, touching and funny stories... Absolutely wonderful in every possible way, I didn't want this to end! The only slight criticism (and it's the one I always have of Clare Chambers) is that it's too neatly tied up at the end, with absolutely everything fitting in together and explained. A little mystery, something left to the imagination, is no bad thing. But the overall writing and story here was so good, I'm not going to dock a star for this.

[Elizabeth Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Clare Chambers, so enjoyable!