The Butterfly Effect

Penelope Lively's new novel How it all began starts with an event that alters the lives of several characters just as the beating of a butterfly's wings eventually results in a hurricane (James Gleick, Chaos 1998). This is a novel of manners, an exploration of relationships and circumstances with a set of character studies that fit my requirements for a good read.

Penelope Lively was made a Dame in the British New Year's Hounours list; her contribution to modern literature is impressive. As a new children's librarian in the 70's I read, purchased and promoted her wonderful stories; 1972 The Driftway, 1973 The Ghost of Thomas Kempe, 1974 The house in Norham Gardens, that combined history, fantasy and reality with such readability.
Her first adult novel, The Road to Lichfield, was published in 1977. I devoured it and have read every one of her books since then.

All the novels trace relationships amongst an assortment of characters. They also comment on memory, history and circumstance. But all are contextual and different. How it all began references several current events: street crime, financial recession, migrants and also comments on personal preoccupations: aging, loss, memory. The random incident at the beginning of the novel obliquely affects seven lives and the narrative charts the consequences and choices made by the characters as they go about their normal day to day lives. Charlotte, the main character is sensitive, sympathetic, humourous and wise and her tone is gentle satire. I especially enjoyed Charlotte's comments on reading, story, worrying and endings that were part of her musings or conversations - all seamlessly included in the development of the novel. The review from the NY Times says this is "an elegant, witty work of fiction, deceptively simple, emotionally and intellectually penetrating, the kind of novel that brings a plot to satisfying closure but whose questions linger long afterward in the reader’s mind." Exactly!

I can recommend all the novels but my own favourite is The Photograph. The children's books may seem a little old-fashioned now but I would still recommend them for fluent readers. They also make good read-alouds. Her best read aloud title, because it is amusing for parent readers, has to be The voyage of QV66 about a boatload of animals in flooded Britain. Gentle satire again.

Click on the video clip to hear Carole Beu from the Women's Bookshop talk about How it all began.