Crooked Seeds by Karen Jennings
Warning: don’t read this book if you are feeling a bit low and in need of being cheered up. It is very grim. But the writing is superb and the story really well crafted. So although you may come away feeling like you have had your head flushed down the loo and you have lost all your friends, you will feel uplifted by the quality of a memorable book.
It is set in South Africa, a little in the future. Deirdre the main character has one leg. She lost the other in an explosion some thirty or more years ago. Her former home was confiscated by the state. And the country is in the middle of a lengthy drought. Deirdre is dependent on state aid and the occasional handout from her daughter. She feels very sorry for herself and believes that rest of the world owes her something for the pain and privation she has had to suffer. She lives in squalor largely because she has ceased to care about her surroundings and her personal hygiene. Reading the first few pages makes you want to put a peg on your nose and wash your hands with carbolic soap.
The plot is a mixture of flashback with the here and now. It tells us how and why Deirdre is what she has become, and details her further decline. Deirdre’s mother, Trudy, is another important character. She is sinking into senility. But she has played her part in Deirdre’s downfall. The father, brother and daughter have smaller roles in the book, though not in Deirdre’s life. Only the daughter, Monica, comes out of it with a reasonable reputation as a character. Integrated into the family’s story is the discovery of some human bones in the garden of their old home. That provides an unexpected dimension.
This is really good grown-up fiction. Deirdre is an interesting creation. And for some reason, like many of the other characters in the book, you can’t help liking her. Even so, you probably wouldn’t want to invite her around for dinner! It’s a short read, less than 200 pages. Give it a go, you won’t regret it.