Foster’s Mill | Val Wood
REVIEWED BY LINDA HILL
Elizabeth (Liz) Foster is a Tillington girl through and through and desperate to reclaim the mill that has been part of her family’s history. But in 1988 the sea is destroying more and more of the village each year. Can newly arrived teacher Chris help her return to her ancestral home or is it too late?
Foster’s Mill: book review & synopsis
Foster’s Mill is a really intriguing read. It has so many layers that it took me by surprise. I’ll admit that I was expecting a rags to riches narrative with a few bumps along the way. Instead I got a story filled with surprising aspects that are fascinating, entertaining and engaging.
Firstly, the coastal erosion that is impacting the community of Tillington feels completely relevant to today’s climate change events. What works so well here is the personal impact this has on the characters. Val Wood illustrates that this isn’t a passing news story, but is something that truly affects real lives as homes come under threat. There’s some beautifully depicted scene setting too, as the sea, sky and land form the backdrop to the story.
Other themes of entrenched rivalry, family, grief, romance, history, community, domestic abuse and the absolute need for people to pull together and support one another make this story utterly compelling. Each is woven in with a subtle hand so that they feel natural and engaging.
Carl’s aggression and the exploration of nature and nurture are cleverly included so that, whilst he’s a real villain, it’s impossible not to feel some sympathy for him too as his mental health is obviously affected.
Real or imaginary – you can decide…
The echoes of the past in the story are equally interesting. Indeed, there’s a slightly supernatural element that adds not just to the intrigue of the plot, but to Liz’s character. On occasion Liz sees people from the past, especially Sarah, whom she has been aware of since childhood. I really appreciated the way Val Wood left this aspect to readers to decide whether Liz’s visions are real or imaginary. Liz is a multi-layered and complex young woman. I’m not sure I always liked her as she can be petulant and moody, and yet I was on her side throughout because of her passion, her sense of what is right and her dogged determination.
Foster’s Mill is what might be termed proper storytelling. It entertains but it also gives readers much to ponder after the final page is turned. I rather hope to read more about the inhabitants of Tillington in the future.
Foster’s Mill by Val Wood is out now (Bantam, HB, £20) and available from Amazon.
Read more fiction reviews by Linda Hill including All I Want For Christmas by Karen Swan, City of Silk by Glennis Virgo, Things We Lose In Waves by Lucy Ayrton, Beautiful People by Amanda Jennings, A Merry Little Christmas by Cathy Bramley and Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency by Josie Lloyd.
