Dead Ernest by Frances Garrood

DEAD ERNEST 

by Frances Garrood

No one had expected Ernest to die, least of all Ernest…

Ernest Bentley was a pillar of the community. But when he suddenly dies of a heart attack his wife Annie refuses to have the words ‘beloved husband’ added to his gravestone. Their son, Billy, is exasperated with his mother and worries about how she will cope on her own. Unwilling to take time out of his own busy schedule to take care of her, he enlists the services of the local vicar, Andrew, to keep an eye on her.

Before she knows what is happening, Annie finds herself telling the vicar things she has kept hidden for years. Dark secrets that had plagued her sixty-year marriage to Ernest.

When Annie’s estranged granddaughter, Ophelia, turns up for a visit, the two bond over their mutual contempt for Billy and his controlling behaviour. But when Ophelia meets Andrew, the unhappily married vicar, things start to get very complicated…

What is the truth about Ernest? Why is Annie behaving so strangely now that he is dead? And how can Andrew reconcile his growing feelings for Ophelia with his respect for his marriage and his religion?

Spanning from the Second World War to the present day, Dead Ernest is a poignant, moving and, at times, very funny look at what really goes on behind closed doors in the ordinary lives of ordinary people.

I really fancied this when I read this blurb. It sounded a little quirky, a little chaotic, full of lively characters and a bit like a mixture of Marian Keyes crossed with Dorothy Koomsom. And it was. This is a book that may lead you to raise a smile, then blink away a tear while Garrood captures the grey areas that linger like unsaid conversations in corridors as families realise that actually, they barely know each other. 

From the outset it's clear that Annie's reaction to her husband's death might not be the one that is expected from her. She says straight away that she can not use the word 'beloved' on his grave as he was not. This upfront, honest and frank attitude of Annie's is a little surprising compared with the kind of character she is perceived to be by others around her, but it captures the imagination of the reader and gives this book a more original feel. There is a lot of humour used in the novel - yet always gently so and never slapstick or without some level of poignancy behind it. There's an hilarious scene when she has to report to the police that she's left her husband 'naked on the Little Mindon bus' because she took him to bingo, which he would have hated had he been alive. The policeman dealing with Annie seems completely bemused as she continues to explain she left the him in a Tesco bag, in an urn; "Ernest in an urn. Uuurnest!" There's a definite feel of Julie Walters in some of Annie's narrative which helps the reader to relate to her and empathise with her situation. 

We flit backwards and forwards through Annie's life, revealing more about the past and why Annie feels the way she does. Annie is an appealing character, easy to engage with, sympathise with and although she has been unhappy, she attempts at times to also be fair in her discussion of why Ernest was perhaps the way he was. It's impossible not to like her. Her story reveals much about attitudes to marriage and motherhood within the historical period and the repercussions of this suppression of feelings, mismatched marriage and unresolved unhappiness. 

What helps keeps the story buoyant is the interaction Annie has with the vicar, Andrew, and how this unlikely friendship comes to lead to some decisions and outcomes which reawaken Annie and allow her to begin to discover who she may really be. His role becomes more complicated once granddaughter Ophelia arrives on the scene and once again, the theme of love, decisions, responsibility and these grey areas is explored which gives the storyline a little more depth and intrigue beyond just a recount of Annie and Ernest's time together.

The other thing which makes this book rather special is the relationship between Annie and her granddaughter Ophelia. Initially forced to spend time with her, Ophelia isn't pleased to be with Annie and begins by asking tricky questions or trying to find out more about Ernest and Annie's marriage. As time continues though, both of them find that they offer each other something important and valuable. A grandmother / granddaughter relationships can be similar to that of mother / daughter but without the same need for boundaries and authority. I was very moved by the relationship that develops between them and how once again, an unlikely pairing can in this instance, bring hope, happiness and a sense of fulfilment. I think the book is a real celebration of grandmothers and granddaughters. 

This is a quick read, a humorous read, a read that touches on a range of universal issues and themes, with characters that are relatable and likeable. It's all brought alive with great dialogue and pace. I would recommend!

Dead Ernest was published by Sapere Books on 1st March 2018. 

My thanks to Caoimhe at Sapere for the advance copy of this novel.