Shy Creatures

What a lovely lovely book.
Two incredible characters in Helen and William, that I adored.

The writing was beautiful, and I struggled to put the book down (but had to) and rushed back to it as soon as I could.
I was intrigued by William and his history, and enjoyed the slow reveal.
Just an uplifting book, that cements Chambers in my list of incredible writers.

Clare Chambers is one of my favourite authors and her writing just gets better and better. This story starts slowly and it takes a while to warm to the characters. Set mainly in the 1960s, but with flashes back to pre-war London, the author uses the language and social niceties of the time to build tension and leave tantalising clues about the mystery at the heart of the tale. The second half of the novel picks up pace and I found myself reading ‘just another chapter’ to get to the crux of the story.. Absorbing, empathetic and satisfying. Another winner from Clare Chambers.

I have been a fan of Clare Chambers’ writing ever since I was entranced by ‘Learning to Swim’ many years ago so was overjoyed to receive a copy of her latest. Nothing here to disappoint. I loved the characters - Helen for sure but especially Marion, who is just a delight - and the relationships between the cast of characters are subtly observed, realistic and poignant. I am of a slightly later generation than those in this book but can recognise my parents and grandparents and their attitudes of ‘not something we want to talk about’. It all rings true and I can well believe how the sad events described here could happen.

Some passages I highlighted while reading that still resonate with me now I’ve finished:

‘I think a lot of men are suspicious of any female enjoyment if they aren’t the source of it.’

‘…the girls heading to the bus stop, with all the swaggering assurance that big hair and new outfits and too-high hemlines and the certain disapproval of their elders can confer.’

A heart-warming read with the sort of ending I most enjoy - the strands not tied up too tightly and an understated sense of hope that all will be well. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Orion via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

A remarkable story full of hope and inspiration. I loved this from the get go, it was written and plotted so beautifully and with so much care. Helen was a wonderfully flawed character to lead the book, although I didn’t agree with some of her choices, I had no problem empathising with her. William was another excellent character, one whom I couldn’t help but feel pity but also hope for.

The setting and background characters added much needed plot depth. I really enjoyed the premise and the way William’s story was told in reverse order, giving us a little bit more information chapter after chapter. If I took anything away from this novel, it’s the important of kindness despite everything. Chambers did a brilliant job of delivering a beautiful book, and I’m so grateful to have read it.

This is a truly wonderful read, which I was completely immersed in from the opening page. The introduction of a 37 year old man who has just been discovered living the life of a recluse, alongside an elderly aunt, creates a mystery just waiting to be unravelled.

I love the way Clare Chambers slowly builds up her characters. This book is totally character driven and the several plot lines are skilfully woven around them. Her characters are so well-crafted that you are completed invested in what happens to them. I highly recommended Shy Creatures. It’s another winner from Clare Chambers.

I really enjoyed the author’s previous novel Small Pleasures, so was thrilled to have the opportunity to review this one.
Beautifully written, fabulous characters with a plot line that is intricate and unravels perfectly. Loved it! 100% recommended.

What a wonderful read. This is the absolutely perfect book for summer holidays, purely because you’re going to want the time to finish it as quickly as possible once you’ve started.

All the characters and the sense of time and place are beautifully written and it’s so interesting to see life for young women in each period (the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 60s), with changes in society allowing just a little more freedom over the years.

The main character, Helen, is capable, intelligent and independent but caught up in an affair with a married man at the psychiatric hospital she works in. It is there she comes across William, recently brought in after living for years hidden away and never going out in public. Over the course of the novel, his story unravels backwards as Helen tries to find out more about him and he’s a wonderful character, with his past making sense of his present perfectly. Helen herself is also an excellent character, very believable and sympathetic, and everyone’s behaviour throughout makes sense and is never treated simplistically.

I could happily have spent much longer with these characters. The writing is effortless and the pacing perfect, making it completely engrossing. A truly fabulous book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

A very special book - its scope in depth and breath is quite wonderful, I had huge expectations picking it up, I'm thrilled to say, I wasn't disappointed, another compelling read from an author with a special spot on my bookshelves!

Shy creatures by Clare Chambers is a fascinating look at the way in which a childhood trauma can affect someone’s whole life and the changing treatment of mental health conditions in the 1960’s. I found the book to be engaging and thought provoking. Why did someone with as much going for her as Helen settle for so little? How could William’s family isolate him so completely from wider society while telling themselves it was for his own protection? I thought the impact that a school friend’s mother had on William’s whole life, while being completely unaware of this, was very moving. Having previously read ‘small pleasures’ and ‘learning to swim’ by the same author I was anticipating an enjoyable and immersive read and that was exactly what was delivered. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A beautiful book. I have loved previous books by Clare Chambers so I was looking forward to this one and it didn't disappoint.
Set in the 1960s mainly in a Mental Health Hospital we follow Helen, an Art Therapist and William, a patient, as their lives come together and each helps and changes the other. Don't want to give away the plot but it is beautifully written and a beautiful story.

A beautifully written book with a lot of heart set in early 1960s Croydon. Its clever structure takes us gradually into the early life of William, who we first meet as his secretive life is disrupted and he enters a psychiatric hospital where Helen works as an art therapist. Helen’s world revolves around her married lover’s availability and, though not as small as William’s, is definitely constrained and lonely. Clare Chambers tells William’s and Helen’s stories with great subtlety and a gentle optimism. Very enjoyable.

A delightful, heart-rending novel - Clare Chambers' work always mixes warmth and cosiness with an underlying darkness so well and this is no difference.

The book follows Helen, an art teacher in a psychiatric hospital, and one of her patients, William, who has been hidden away in his aunts' house for decades and comes to the hospital unable - or unwilling - to speak. As William's past unravels, Helen's life starts to expand beyond the confines of the small flat and rather unsatisfying affair with a colleague that she has become used to. And for both Helen and William, there is something magical in the moments of kindness that change the course of their lives.

This is my first Clare Chambers. It has definitely given me a push to read more.

The story centres on William Tapping who is discovered in the home of his sickly elderly aunt. He is mute and unkempt with a long beard and hair. Neighbours were unaware of his existence. Both the aunt and William are admitted to Westbury Park for psychiatric evaluations but the aunt dies shortly afterwards leaving the staff to piece together William's history.

William is encouraged to express himself through art by Helen Hansford, an art therapist who becomes determined to find out more about the talented but mysterious man.

Helen meanwhile has her own issues - an unwise affair, a rocky relationship with her parents and few friends. She is also determined to help her niece who also has a difficult relationship with her own parents.

The book is divided into two parts - the "present" (1964) when William is taken to Westbury Park and a clever unravelling of William's past in a series of scenes working backwards to 1938 that explain how he has come to be a hidden man.

As I say, my first Clare Chambers and what an utterly delightful story (inspired by real life) to start with. Chambers prose is beautiful I'm it's simplicity. Her characters are wonderfully real from the inquisitive Helen to the shy and often silent William, to Gil the psychiatrist who steps over every line you can possibly imagine.

I really loved this story. Clare Chambers really made me care about what happened to William and why without sensation or drama. I think my favourite characters were William whose struggle to understand situations felt so real and Mrs Kenley, the mother of a schoolfriend who is the sort of woman every child should have in their lives.

Beautiful and heartwarming whilst not saying from very difficult issues. Highly recommended.

Thankyou very much to Netgalley and Orion Publishing for the advance review copy. Most appreciated.

Oh wow what a treat! I had read Small Pleasures not so long ago and loved it so when I saw this book was available on NetGalley I requested it before I read the synopsis! There was no worries though as it was just perfect. The writing style is beautiful and quite like Small Pleasures in style. There is another strong female lead character who, in the post war setting, is not abiding by the gender roles and is enjoying a career and single life; although having an ill advised affair with her colleague. I love reading about this time period, which is before I was born yet still not too much in the distant past. I love how Chambers weaves the stories of Helen with that of William and the flashbacks to the past help us to see the full picture of what has happened previously.

This book is a 5 star from me and I am planning on going back through Clare Chambers back catalogue to see what gems I have missed.

I'm new to Clare Chambers books and "Shy Creatures" is a perfect introduction. Set in 1964 both Helen and Gil work at a psychiatric hospital in Croydon. Parallels are drawn between William who hasn't been seen for 20 years - "The Hidden Man" - and Helen's niece who recently prefers to stay at home. They both bloom in the psychiatric hospital during their art therapy classes. Perhaps these institutions were a blessing? The story and characters are just lovely. Happily read another Clare Chambers book.

No review I write could give this book justice. I will admit that at the beginning I wasn't totally invested in the story, Helen and Gil came across as self centred and selfish but once William was introduced then the words just flew off the page.
It's a beautiful read, a tale of hope and friendship. I loved reading about the positive aspects of Westbury Park, very often books that are centred on psychiatric hospitals are dark and morose but Clare Chambers has given us an enlightened look at the many therapies that assist the residents.
Marian was a lovely character that you could really warm to.
A book that will stay with me
I'm immensely grateful to Netgalley and Orion Publishing group for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. My opinions are my own and not expected

I absolutely loved this latest book from one of my favourite authors. It is as wonderful as the much-loved Small Pleasures. I felt a huge sense of happiness to sink back into her beautiful, clever, compassionate writing and become absorbed in the life of Helen, an art teacher, and William, whose life in a house with his elderly aunts suddenly changes, exposing him to the modern world and his difficult past. I was intrigued by the characters and swept away by the beauty and quirkiness of the world Clare Chambers has created. I loved Shy Creatures and am sad to have finished it. A resounding five stars for an excellent read!

I loved Small Pleasures, so I was really excited to receive an e-ARC of Clare Chambers' upcoming novel! A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

If you liked Small Pleasures, then you'll love this. Shy Creatures is about love, loss, and overcoming trauma, and is a book you'll definitely need the tissues handy for!

What led to William that led him to shut indoors with his aunts for so many years? How does meeting Helen, an art therapist who works at the psychiatric hospital, change his life forever? Will Helen find her happily ever after with her lover, Gil?

I really enjoyed Shy Creatures. As usual, Chambers' writing is captivating, beautiful, and heartbreaking. This was a great read, and I personally can't wait for more books by this author in the future!

This book is a true gem.

I loved Small Pleasures and was excited to read the author’s latest book.

Clare Chambers weaves a captivating spell in her writing. Her ability to bring kindness and compassion to the lost and vulnerable is truly remarkable. Shy Creatures is a beautiful story that is utterly absorbing. The main characters are well-developed, and I found myself fully immersed in their lives, wishing them well as their stories unfolded.

The setting is nostalgic, the 1960s. Yet, the focus is on mental health and psychiatry of the time—institutional care—an area of medicine taboo and scary and yet progressive thinking is starting to have an impact difficult. Chambers writes about this in a gentle, well-researched, compassionate way that feels safe.

The story has a dual timeline. We follow Helen in the 1960s, an art therapist who works in a psychiatric hospital and is having an affair with a doctor. The second character is William, who is discovered in his aunt’s home unkempt and mute and transferred to the hospital. His backstory and the circumstances of his apparent seclusion are gradually revealed. These two characters are so well formed I felt I could lean forward and shake their hands (with William’s permission). Other supporting characters were equally well developed, with special mention for Marion, who steps up to help William, and their relationship is quite lovely.

I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters.

Thank you, Netgalley and Orion publisher, for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Once again this author brings us deep into the internal life of the main character with her little hopes and fears, small gains, huge losses and it feels so ver immediate and intimate. The reader cannot fail to see every nuance the protagonist sees, hear every snide remark, feel every slight and thereby be rooting for our heroine. Its a skill few authors master and it can make for uncomfortable reading but you cannot fail to be drawn in and really care about her story.
Also it sets the reader effortlessly in time and place, without the need for lengthy explanations, her ability to mention a tea set, a window wound down , allows the reader to immediately grasp the era. MARVELLOUS

A stunning novel from the very talented Clare Chambers. Equally heart-breaking and hopeful, this thought-provoking read is beautifully plotted and the character development is deeply absorbing. Lots of themes around love are explored with tenderness but an unflinching eye: family, romantic and parental. utterly wonderful.

This book is a really lovely read - pretty unputdownable and perfect for a holiday read. Clare Chambers' writing is wonderful as usual, and you're quickly invested in the story of Helen. The plot is clever, the pace perfect, and the ending satisfying. Five stars!

What a gem of a book - Clare Chambers has a gentle, observational style of writing on which I can float along quite happily, bathing in her comic asides and heart breaking back stories. Quite a bit happens in this story but I never felt overwhelmed, and it all makes total sense - even some of most peculiar ways that some of the characters behave. I am very much a fan of this book!

Chambers at her very best! Shy Creatures is a thoroughly captivating read. Beautifully crafted, the plot threads are drawn cleverly and seamlessly together to create a wholly satisfying ending. I loved it!

Helen, an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital in the 1960s, has been having an unsatisfactory affair with one of the doctors, a charismatic and forward thinking man who is unfortunately married with children. When she accompanies him to a call-out at a local house, they find a neglected house where an apparently mute man with waist-length hair and beard has been living for decades, unobserved by the neighbours, with his elderly aunt, who has dementia. The man, William, is admitted, and although apparently mute, Helen discovers his talent for drawing and through this, begins to uncover the truth about his past. This is a heartbreaking story of almost unbearable misfortune and suffering, made worse by the well-meaning but terribly misjudged responses of the three aunts who have raised William but also compounded his troubles by trying to hide him away from the world for what they believe to be his protection. Helen’s involvement will change her own life and helps William to find a kind of redemption and the chance to heal. It is a bittersweet, poignant story, powerful and ultimately hopeful, told with charm and empathy. There is also a strong sense of period and the glimpse into the changing attitudes towards mental health is intriguing.

Another completely absorbing novel from Clare Chambers. Set in 1960s Croyden, Chambers has based some of the narrative round a true event, reported in the Birmingham Gazette in 1953, featuring a man who had not been seen by his neighbours for over 25 years. Chambers’ version of this story has William Tapping living with his aunts who unwisely decide to hide him from society after an incident at his preparatory boarding school. Her portrayal of this man-child decades later is moving yet unsentimental. Because the reader is provided with flashbacks from previous decades, it is easy to appreciate why he thinks and feels as he does.
When he is taken to Westbury Park psychiatric hospital for assessment, through assiduous detective work by the art therapy teacher, Helen Hansford, we meet other characters once important in William’s life – his one-time schoolfriend, Francis, and the latter’s mother. They shed further light on William’s past.
This novel is not solely about the hidden life of William Tapping. The author also shows us how ‘ordinary’ people are adept at hiding important aspects of their lives in the broad light of day if these don’t fit societal expectations. For example, Helen’s affair is a closely guarded secret and her niece, Lorraine, rarely shows her true hopes and desires, knowing that her parents will deem them unacceptable.
Above all, this is a story which validates the importance of kindness and mutual respect in a world where most are more concerned about projecting the right image. I loved seeing how Helen and William grew within the narrative. Without wishing to give away the conclusion, I will say that it is deeply satisfying!
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Another five star read from Clare Chambers. This is a sad, yet uplifting novel that will make you laugh and cry. The time that the main part of the story is set, 1964, is a very interesting era in the field of psychiatry and one that I enjoy reading about. Chambers handling of William’s story is very gentle and poignant.