Getting the
Picture, by Sarah Salway, was not what I expected.
“Do you remember that first time we met? It
was in the old studio in Brunson Road. How much did we miss, love, by not being
together?”
In the early 1960s, Maureen Griffiths,
married with children, accompanies a friend to a modeling shoot, never
intending to be in front of the camera herself. But after meeting photographer
Martin Morris, Maureen is transformed- and Martin quickly falls for this
simple, straightforward woman who calls herself Mo.
Forty years later, shortly after Maureen’s
death, Martin moves into Pilgrim House, a retirement community, in part because
Maureen’s husband, George, is also a resident there. Through letters he
continues to write to Mo, Martin reveals a lifetime of tireless devotion to his
one true love. He is also determined to figure out why Mo stayed with her
difficult, demanding husband. So with the aid of some of the colorful residents
of Pilgrim House, Martin delves into the secrets of Maureen’s family- and
becomes increasingly entwined in the complicated life that Maureen built to shield
herself.
This book was told almost
entirely through letters, emails, and voicemails.
I am giving
this book a four. It was, as I said before, not at all what I expected it to
be. The summary is a bit misleading, but I can see that it is definitely meant
to be. I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from Dean Street Press
in the UK, and I can definitely see, after reading it, why they have taken it
on to be published. There aren’t too many books out there written like this.
Where they slowly make you see the characters in a new light. With most books,
the characters, and your feelings towards those characters, are what you
expect them to be. The bad guys are usually the bad guys, and you kind of have
a feeling about it the whole time, until the big reveal when you’re like “I
knew it the whole time.” This book is not like that. It’s like slowly coming
out of a fog and seeing everything for the first time. These plans that you were
totally ready to watch unfurl, are suddenly super effed up and you’re wondering
how you thought you could agree with the characters actions in the first place.
The only thing I wish we could have had was more of an explanation on Martin.
There was just not enough to know what really happened with him and Mo, or what
happened to him later on. All in all though, the book was funny, and really
kept you thinking, it was definitely a good read.
P.S. Can I just tell you what a thrill it is to have the opportunity to read a book before it comes out? I'm thankful to everyone who reads this review, and hopefully reads this book as well.
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