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Love and Fallout
When Tessa’s best friend organizes a surprise TV makeover, Tessa is horrified. It’s the last thing she needs—her business is on the brink of collapse, her marriage is under strain, and her daughter is more interested in beauty pageants than student politics. What’s more, the “Greenham Common angle” the TV producers have devised reopens some personal history Tessa tried to store away. Then Angela gets in touch, Tessa’s least favorite member of the Greenham gang, and she’s drawn back into her muddy past.
Moving between the present and 1982, and set against the mass protests which touched thousands of women’s lives, Love and Fallout is a book about friendship, motherhood, and the accidents that make us who we are.
Moving between the present and 1982, and set against the mass protests which touched thousands of women’s lives, Love and Fallout is a book about friendship, motherhood, and the accidents that make us who we are.
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
About the author
Kathryn Simmonds
19 books5 followersKathryn Simmonds’ poetry collection Sunday at the Skin Launderette won the Forward Prize for best first collection in 2008 and was shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Award and longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award.
Her short stories have been published in a number of magazines, including The London Magazine and The Barcelona Review, and broadcast on Radio 4. Her second poetry collection is The Visitations (2013) and she was the first poet-in-residence at The Charles Causley Trust in 2013/14. Seren published her first novel Love and Fallout in 2014.
Her short stories have been published in a number of magazines, including The London Magazine and The Barcelona Review, and broadcast on Radio 4. Her second poetry collection is The Visitations (2013) and she was the first poet-in-residence at The Charles Causley Trust in 2013/14. Seren published her first novel Love and Fallout in 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 12, 2014
I've mentioned before my nervousness about reviewing books at the request of their authors: my expectations always tend to be slightly lower, and I'm always a little worried in case it's a book I just can't talk about positively. But when Kathryn Simmonds contacted me about her book Love and Fallout - published by Seren Books on 9 June, and available in paperback and for kindle - I just couldn't resist. I've always been fascinated by the Greenham Common peace camps - I remember vividly the TV coverage of Embrace the Base back in 1981, and my admiration for all the ordinary women who took part - and can't remember reading another book that has tackled this period in our relatively recent history. "Not an earnest read" Kathryn promised - and the endorsement on the cover by Catherine O'Flynn really clinched it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it really does deserve a much wider audience. Today's Tessa is an adopter of every possible "good cause", battling for funding for the charity she runs, struggling with her marriage and her relationship with her daughter. The Tessa who moves into the peace camp in the 80s is very different - not so much driven by the cause, more by the fact that her relationship with her boyfriend has broken down and that she's bored with her office job and the routine of daily life.
In the present day, friend Maggie and husband Pete arrange a very unwelcome TV makeover - well intended, Tessa only agrees to it as a way of publicising her many causes. The makeover scenes are very funny - and you wonder how on earth two people that know her so well could have believed she'd enjoy the experience. I worried a little about the "fit" of the makeover story with the book as a whole - but it really does work. Tessa's relationships, past and present, are exceptionally well written - in the present day there are the sessions with Valeria the counsellor, the tip-toeing around her marriage, and the excruciating awkwardness and moments of real pain in her relationship with her daughter Pippa, whose life choices are perhaps as questionable as those of her mother at a similar age.
The Greenham scenes are vividly described, a really authentic recreation of their time, an insight into what life was like for the women involved, and a fascinating exploration of some very intense relationships. Young Tessa is quite wonderfully drawn - naive, awkward, almost always out of step - and you watch situations unfold with dread and fascination. And, as the story develops, you discover how and why the young girl who struggled with her understanding of what Greenham was all about turned into the woman of today, whose personal relationships are threatened by her relentless pursuit of every possible cause.
This is a book that really has a bit of everything - there are some wonderfully funny moments, scenes when you cringe, other times of heartbreaking sadness. The Tessa of today and of the 80s is rarely anything but thoroughly likeable, and she has you in her corner throughout - even when you're watching her in absolute frustration at her actions.
The book is always relatively easy reading, but beautifully observed. The descriptions and emotions sometimes cause you to catch your breath, and the light touch humour throughout is quite perfectly judged. This really is a thoroughly excellent first novel by a very talented writer - I enjoyed it immensely, and so will many other people.
My thanks to the author and Seren Books for my reading copy.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it really does deserve a much wider audience. Today's Tessa is an adopter of every possible "good cause", battling for funding for the charity she runs, struggling with her marriage and her relationship with her daughter. The Tessa who moves into the peace camp in the 80s is very different - not so much driven by the cause, more by the fact that her relationship with her boyfriend has broken down and that she's bored with her office job and the routine of daily life.
In the present day, friend Maggie and husband Pete arrange a very unwelcome TV makeover - well intended, Tessa only agrees to it as a way of publicising her many causes. The makeover scenes are very funny - and you wonder how on earth two people that know her so well could have believed she'd enjoy the experience. I worried a little about the "fit" of the makeover story with the book as a whole - but it really does work. Tessa's relationships, past and present, are exceptionally well written - in the present day there are the sessions with Valeria the counsellor, the tip-toeing around her marriage, and the excruciating awkwardness and moments of real pain in her relationship with her daughter Pippa, whose life choices are perhaps as questionable as those of her mother at a similar age.
The Greenham scenes are vividly described, a really authentic recreation of their time, an insight into what life was like for the women involved, and a fascinating exploration of some very intense relationships. Young Tessa is quite wonderfully drawn - naive, awkward, almost always out of step - and you watch situations unfold with dread and fascination. And, as the story develops, you discover how and why the young girl who struggled with her understanding of what Greenham was all about turned into the woman of today, whose personal relationships are threatened by her relentless pursuit of every possible cause.
This is a book that really has a bit of everything - there are some wonderfully funny moments, scenes when you cringe, other times of heartbreaking sadness. The Tessa of today and of the 80s is rarely anything but thoroughly likeable, and she has you in her corner throughout - even when you're watching her in absolute frustration at her actions.
The book is always relatively easy reading, but beautifully observed. The descriptions and emotions sometimes cause you to catch your breath, and the light touch humour throughout is quite perfectly judged. This really is a thoroughly excellent first novel by a very talented writer - I enjoyed it immensely, and so will many other people.
My thanks to the author and Seren Books for my reading copy.
January 2, 2015
This story is divided into two parts, narrated by two different versions of our protagonist; Present-day Tessa – the 50-something under-appreciated wife and mother who spends her days working on charitable causes or sitting on her marriage counsellor's couch; and Tessa of the past – a lovelorn young woman who decides to join the women's peace camp at Greenham Common in order to find herself and contribute to the righting of the world.
Unfortunately, I just couldn't find much to like about this one.
The switch between the two time periods was very easy to follow, as each 'Tessa' was given alternate chapters in the main. However, neither version of Tessa was particularly likeable. Young Tessa was a bit weak and pathetic, and older Tessa was self-pitying and indignant.
The whole reality makeover slant is overplayed in the synopsis, as this occurs more as a kick start for the main story – in which very little happened.
There are some moments within the story which I believe were intended to be main events (and apologies for the spoilers here) – Tessa discovering her husband's infidelity, her arrest at Greenham Common, a fiasco at a beauty pageant in which Tessa's daughter is a contestant, the untimely death of a Greenham Common friend...however, none were given enough drama for me. It seemed almost as if the author had a lot of good ideas, but didn't quite know how to develop them and give them the attention they required. If something deeper was intended to be taken from this – like a 'sisterhood rocks' message or 'the universal plight of the mother'... well I'm afraid it didn't hit me.
Many of the characters seemed under-developed and thus lacked any authenticity. I neither loved nor detested anybody, I was merely left feeling indifferent about a lot of people who could have potentially been very interesting. Unfortunately, I feel far too much page space was given to Tessa's self-indulgent babbling and not enough to either the characters or the plot.
Having said that, if you are the type that likes a nice, easy read where you can escape into someone else's eventful yet still somehow boring life; then this might be a nice 'tea-break' read for you.
My thanks to Seren Books for providing this book for review.
Unfortunately, I just couldn't find much to like about this one.
The switch between the two time periods was very easy to follow, as each 'Tessa' was given alternate chapters in the main. However, neither version of Tessa was particularly likeable. Young Tessa was a bit weak and pathetic, and older Tessa was self-pitying and indignant.
The whole reality makeover slant is overplayed in the synopsis, as this occurs more as a kick start for the main story – in which very little happened.
There are some moments within the story which I believe were intended to be main events (and apologies for the spoilers here) – Tessa discovering her husband's infidelity, her arrest at Greenham Common, a fiasco at a beauty pageant in which Tessa's daughter is a contestant, the untimely death of a Greenham Common friend...however, none were given enough drama for me. It seemed almost as if the author had a lot of good ideas, but didn't quite know how to develop them and give them the attention they required. If something deeper was intended to be taken from this – like a 'sisterhood rocks' message or 'the universal plight of the mother'... well I'm afraid it didn't hit me.
Many of the characters seemed under-developed and thus lacked any authenticity. I neither loved nor detested anybody, I was merely left feeling indifferent about a lot of people who could have potentially been very interesting. Unfortunately, I feel far too much page space was given to Tessa's self-indulgent babbling and not enough to either the characters or the plot.
Having said that, if you are the type that likes a nice, easy read where you can escape into someone else's eventful yet still somehow boring life; then this might be a nice 'tea-break' read for you.
My thanks to Seren Books for providing this book for review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2015
This immersive tale full of poetic descriptions and interesting tangents will take you on a meandering story of Tessa's life flitting from the present to her past.
When Tessa is offered a TV makeover by a well-meaning friend, she is reluctant to take it; her collapsing marriage and busy life of campaigning give her little time for luxuries. And besides, Tessa is perfectly happy how she is, this is one indulgence that is less treat, and more pain.
As the makeover team try to capture her 'hippie side', uncovering secrets about Tessa's time at Greenham Common, follow Tessa on a painful journey unravelling memories of her darkest past; whilst she struggles to hold up a business failing as fast as her marriage and deal with a difficult teen. Tessa's story is full of ups and downs and unveils a side to Greenham Common that we never saw in the media. Learn about the hidden lives of the women who fought hard for what they believed in and sit in with them at the campfire as you meet the individuals behind the protest in all their chaotic glory.
You will see vegan hippies, you will see counsellors, you will see twisted journalists, bitter enemies and strong friends. But in a moment of panicked turmoil and desperate chaos, will it be the friend who sticks by Tessa, or the enemy?
When Angela, Tessa's least favourite member of the Greenham crowd, gets in touch, find out how Greenham touched the whole lives of the women involved. But has it changed Angela? And what does she want with Tessa after all these years?
In this stunning debut novel by Kathryn Simmonds, enjoy an easy read that will take you on a journey you will enjoy every minute of. You will be so engaged in this tale of such convincing reality that you will barely realise it's a work of fiction. There will be tears and there will be laughs but Kathryn guides you through it with such fluid ease and beauty that the book has a wholely musical quality.
When Tessa is offered a TV makeover by a well-meaning friend, she is reluctant to take it; her collapsing marriage and busy life of campaigning give her little time for luxuries. And besides, Tessa is perfectly happy how she is, this is one indulgence that is less treat, and more pain.
As the makeover team try to capture her 'hippie side', uncovering secrets about Tessa's time at Greenham Common, follow Tessa on a painful journey unravelling memories of her darkest past; whilst she struggles to hold up a business failing as fast as her marriage and deal with a difficult teen. Tessa's story is full of ups and downs and unveils a side to Greenham Common that we never saw in the media. Learn about the hidden lives of the women who fought hard for what they believed in and sit in with them at the campfire as you meet the individuals behind the protest in all their chaotic glory.
You will see vegan hippies, you will see counsellors, you will see twisted journalists, bitter enemies and strong friends. But in a moment of panicked turmoil and desperate chaos, will it be the friend who sticks by Tessa, or the enemy?
When Angela, Tessa's least favourite member of the Greenham crowd, gets in touch, find out how Greenham touched the whole lives of the women involved. But has it changed Angela? And what does she want with Tessa after all these years?
In this stunning debut novel by Kathryn Simmonds, enjoy an easy read that will take you on a journey you will enjoy every minute of. You will be so engaged in this tale of such convincing reality that you will barely realise it's a work of fiction. There will be tears and there will be laughs but Kathryn guides you through it with such fluid ease and beauty that the book has a wholely musical quality.
September 3, 2014
I received this book from the publishers, Seren, after being contacted by the author Kathryn Simmonds herself, who having seen the sort of themes in books I like (politics, feminism, history) on this blog thought I might find Love and Fallout interesting.
The novel begins with middle-aged Tessa being, much to her horror, surprised by her best friend and husband with an appearance on a makeover TV show. Tessa runs an environmental charity and spends most of her time campaigning leaving Pete, her teacher husband, feeling neglected. Tessa's activist life started when she joined the women's camp at Greenham Common in the 1980s and the TV producers' interest in this brings this period of her life back to her in vivid detail. Tessa, then a naive young woman, joins the protest on a whim- smarting from a break up and bored with her secretarial job, but her time there and the people she meets are an important formative experience.
I would describe Love and Fallout as a gentle book. There are not too many 'dramatic' moments and the writing style is relaxed and easy to read. I think the characters are all well drawn and three-dimensional and the whole story seems very believable. I perhaps would have liked a bit more politics and did slightly share Angela, one of the more earnest camp members, criticism of Tessa that she wasn't there for the right reasons and didn't really know what she was doing. However Tessa, especially 'adult Tessa', is a sympathetic character who you do root for throughout. I think the book portrays different types of female relationships very well; the mother-daughter relationships between Tessa and Pippa and between Tessa and her own Mum, the lifelong best friend Maggie and then the women at Greenham Common who represent all shades of the activist rainbow (very recognisable if you've been involved in any protests or lefty causes!).
The novel begins with middle-aged Tessa being, much to her horror, surprised by her best friend and husband with an appearance on a makeover TV show. Tessa runs an environmental charity and spends most of her time campaigning leaving Pete, her teacher husband, feeling neglected. Tessa's activist life started when she joined the women's camp at Greenham Common in the 1980s and the TV producers' interest in this brings this period of her life back to her in vivid detail. Tessa, then a naive young woman, joins the protest on a whim- smarting from a break up and bored with her secretarial job, but her time there and the people she meets are an important formative experience.
I would describe Love and Fallout as a gentle book. There are not too many 'dramatic' moments and the writing style is relaxed and easy to read. I think the characters are all well drawn and three-dimensional and the whole story seems very believable. I perhaps would have liked a bit more politics and did slightly share Angela, one of the more earnest camp members, criticism of Tessa that she wasn't there for the right reasons and didn't really know what she was doing. However Tessa, especially 'adult Tessa', is a sympathetic character who you do root for throughout. I think the book portrays different types of female relationships very well; the mother-daughter relationships between Tessa and Pippa and between Tessa and her own Mum, the lifelong best friend Maggie and then the women at Greenham Common who represent all shades of the activist rainbow (very recognisable if you've been involved in any protests or lefty causes!).
November 3, 2014
Through most of the 1980s and 1990s a women’s peace camp was held outside the RAF base at Greenham Common to protest against the siting of nuclear missiles there. Thousands of women joined the camp for anything between a single day and several years, making it an important part of recent British sociopolitical history yet, apart from one as-yet-unpublished novel on the theme, Kathryn Simmonds’ debut is the first fictional account of the movement I’ve read.
Review continues on my blog:
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Review continues on my blog:
http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/annecdo...
March 6, 2015
A lovely book full of humour and humanity about a young girl who joins the protest movement on a whim, and the impact it has on the rest of her life. Packed full of great characters, smart and moving.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews