The Postcard

Product Information

We see the story through the eyes of Sennen, Ella and Henry and the grandparents. We travel from one generation to the other through the years, and learn a lot for each of the characters. It is so well-written, that I wasn’t confused at all. Usually I get confused when authors try to do this in other books, but this one was definitely not the case. When you’re working and writing it must be difficult to find time to relax, how does gardening or visiting gardens help you unwind? The Postcard by Fern Britton is a contemporary story surrounding two sets of siblings and secrets from the past. It was a wonderful entertaining read that had my pulse rising as I read towards the conclusion. Henry and Ella are left with their grandparents and grow up knowing nothing about their mother. Bill burns all traces of her and she is never mentioned again. Set in the beautiful Cornish village of Penduggan, the area and community are brought to life in this novel - warts and all! My main problem with this story was that I really didn’t like the main character for most of the story - she’s such a negative person! However, if you persevere like I did, you’ll discover just why she behaves as she does and my feelings towards her did change towards the end of the story. It is a story of estranged familial relations, facing up to past events and uncovering secrets.

I love programmes for gardeners on TV and radio. There are so many areas to be covered and tastes to suit. I’d like to do a programme about winter gardening. Not just the beauty of the things that survive and thrive through the winter but how to add light and sound and mirrors to turn it into a magical winterland. This was my first novel by Fern Britton and I enjoyed it immensely. I just could not put it down. I 'felt' very much included in the novel and was sorry to see it end. A family saga beginning at the end of the first and continuing through second world war, as it begins in 1918 with Clara Bolitho fighting for her family. Later in 1947 Hannah, Clara’s daughter, is falling in love for her very first time, but with the wake of World War Two underway, she must now protect her baby Caroline. Moving ahead to 2020, Caroline is living quietly on the Cornish coastline, but there’s devastating family secret that threatens to rear its head. Will she be able to get past it, can they all overcome this hurdle, and what will become of the daughters of Cornwall? But when her sister turns up to share the news that her mother has died at the same as her popular television programme is cancelled Penny struggles to cope. Her cry for help is noticed but not properly heard and it takes an outsider to realise what is going on as Penny's past is laid bare for all to see.

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Penny seems to be settled as the vicars' wife and mother to the gorgeous Jenna, she is also still very much involved in her job as a television producer. She has all she needs in the village, her family and her close friend Helen. Sennen abandoned her family as a 17 year old after her life became a little overwhelming. With two small children that she left for her parents to bring up, she carves out a nomadic life for herself. We learn more about her life and also the anguish her disappearance caused both her parents and her little boy.

The two time frames work very well without becoming confusing in any way. Information is fed to the reader steadily as we gradually build up a picture of the family dynamic over the years and we understand that there is a lot of resentment between the sisters. Tensions build to a head when Penny’s sister Suzie comes to stay in the village after the death of their mother, making waves not only between herself and Penny but also with other village residents. The two girls’ very different personalities are expertly written and I personally felt that I could understand why they each felt the way they did about each other. I really enjoyed the other characters introduced throughout, especially Ella who is a really sweet soul, and I do hope there are plans to follow on with her story as the search for her family after the death of her grandmother was really intriguing and the ending did seem to leave it open for more! Set in a small village in Cornwall, the novel was warm and welcoming. There were an eclectic mix of characters who endeared themselves to the reader. It was a pleasure to get to know them. Taken under Penny's broken wing for the summer, the safe haven of Pendruggan feels like the place for a fresh start. Soon, however, Ella starts to wonder if perhaps her real legacy doesn't lie in the past at all.The story is based around Sennen, the only child of Bill and Adela. Both parents are talented artists (dad make pottery and mum paints). Their rather bohemium take on life tends to make Sennen stand out, that is until she meets and falls in love with a magician who is topping the bill at the theatre. My new book The Postcard was inspired by the one thing that the vast majority of us have in common – family. The dynamics of families is endlessly fascinating. Loving, destructive, misunderstood, enriching, supportive and painful all at once. In my story, two sisters have grown up with an ambivalence towards each other which, unless aired, will destroy their connection. Jealousies, old slights and parental lies are discovered. Set in Cornwall, this is a beautifully woven tale of families, and love and community. The author's knowledge of Cornwall shines through and the village of Pendruggan is a character it its own right. Once again Fern Britton has captured the true essence, in my eyes, of the word 'home' and what it means. Even though I found parts of the storyline quite emotional to read, I was still able to appreciate what the author was trying to convey where Sennen was concerned. I may not have agreed with Sennen's decision, but I enjoyed being able to read the book from her point of view, whilst also being able to see both sides of such a heart-wrenching situation.

I loved getting to know Penny and all the other people in Pendruggan, including her new neighbours Adam and Kit. I also really enjoyed Ella's storyline and can't help but think this isn't the last that we have seen of her, at least I hope it isn't.

Ella was just a baby, and Henry two years old when their mother, Sennen who was 17 at the time, walked out on her children, leaving them to be brought up by her parents.

Coming Home is based in Cornwall, England - a beautiful seaside area with loads of fisherman around. The author describes the place so well, that it made me want to go there, just to see it and be close to the characters. It reminds me of South Shields very much as well. Penny Canter is in her mid 40's, married to Simon - the villages vicar - with a little girl called Jenna, and they live in Pendruggan, a charming village in Cornwall. Her best friend, Helen, also lives in the village with her partner Piran in Gull's Cry, a cosy cottage across the village green from the vicarage. Penny used to be a tv producer with her own production company and live a glamorous life in London; of men, eating out, pampering herself, power lunches and flying all over the world on business and pleasure. Penny didn't think she'd ever get married and wasn't in the least bit maternal. Sennen is a woman that leaves her hometown, her parents and her two little children (Ella and Henry) at 17-years-old because life gets too hard to handle. Before I began 'The Postcard', I had absolutely no idea what to expect as I hadn't read one of Fern Britton's novels before. I was rather excited as I have grown up with her on television, but I wasn't sure whether her cosy personality would shine through the novel or not. I needn't have worried though, the entire novel has the authors stamp on it; cosy and warm. Between the two ladies, Penny and Ella, I found myself more engrossed in Penny's as it seemed that the storyline was more focused on her life, as well as her past. Without giving anything away regarding Penny's past, let me just say that the unwelcome visitor annoyed me in many ways. So much so, I became rather emotional and defensive where Penny was concerned. How daft is that?I do love a book that spans the generations, and that enables the reader to see why and how characters develop and make the decisions that they do.