Small Pleasures

that last chapter...

I picked this up because it was on the Women's Prize longlist and the premise sounded interesting - an investigation of a claim of a virgin birth. Unfortunately, I found it really boring. The writing felt forced and heavy-handed, and the ending was the most ridiculous thing I've read in a long time. Thumbs down.

I enjoyed this novel up to a point. It's definitely 4 stars for the writing and the way it brings the protagonist's inner world to life so beautifully. It felt a little like reading a novelised version of a BBC period drama set in the 50s - a cross between British dramas The Hour, Mrs Wilson and Call the Midwife.
I did find it a little predictable, and I wanted the explanation for the mystery to be a little more revolutionary to be honest.
Below is why it's overall a 3 star for me, though:

WARNING SPOILER

I felt like the protagonist Jean's attitudes to queerness were generally likely in keeping with 1950s attitudes - befitting to the time the story is set, but I felt like this book preferenced the heterosexual relationship whilst not caring if the queer relationship was doomed or not. In the end, it didn't really care about or describe the outcomes for one of the most interesting main characters whom the story revolved around (Gretchen). It felt like the protagonist Jean, and the writer just did not care about Gretchen once it was revealed she was queer.
Once Gretchen was lost, she was lost. It was unnerving to see how quickly Jean turned and didn't care about her. The ending made clear that Jean's interest in Gretchen was as an object of curiosity rather than a friend.
And Gretchen's queerness was somewhat described as a deficit (she can't like men) and a source of weakness (she can't look after her child effectively). Martha's queerness was painted as a deficit too - her queerness implicitly associated with negative character traits - manipulative and brash, narcissistic, uncouth and dirty.
In terms of resolution to the story, all that was described was what was interesting and important to Jean (not Gretchen!): an intellectual explanation for the mystery and what would happen to the child.
I wanted to know what Gretchen was feeling and thinking in the end and whether she was going to get a happy ever after!
It also felt weird to end the novel in the uncertainty of whether anyone died in the accident. That uncertainty didn't add anything to the story.