A Year of Marvellous Ways

I didn't know what to make of this book at first. I found it quite hard to get into and the chapters quite disjointed. However in persevering with the book it developed into a wonderful magical tale uniting Marvellous Ways and Francis Drake.

The two main characters are strong and the story focuses on their developing yet unlikely friendship.

I don't usually read this genre of book but I did thoroughly enjoy it.

There were lots of things I really liked about this book - the character of Marvellous, for a start, and all the beautiful, poetical descriptions of nature, of the sea, of grief. But there were things that frustrated me too, like Marvellous being called Marvellous (that's the sort of gimmick that would normally stop me from reading a book!) and the dreadful playing around with punctuation...yes, especially the punctuation. There was no need for it, seemingly no reason for it, and it just made the reading process unnecessarily complicated. I probably would have knocked off more stars because of it, only Marvellous is so marvellous that I can't bring myself to.
It's frustrating that something so silly gets in the way of what was otherwise a magical story. I felt I stumbled through the first part of the book, unsure of what on earth was going on, and it wasn't until Drake entered the story that I found my feet and managed to plough through the stylistic nonsense to uncover the loveliness of his story. Good, but could have been so much better.

Loved loved loved it!!

This is a lyrical, mystical story with a magical undertone. Marvellous is an old lady and she recounts her memories. It’s a very evocative book. She meets a man called Drake who needs nursing and they share their life histories. Their friendship forms a huge part of the story. It’s set in Cornwall which adds to the feel of the book previous book.
With many thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The year in question is 1947 and Marvellous Ways is a healer/wise woman living in the woods of the Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall.

(Frances) Drake is a broken and dispirited ex soldier, unable to come to terms with civilian life and mourning a personal loss. He sets off on a journey to fulfill a promise, to deliver the last letter of a dying soldier to his father in Cornwall, and literally washes up at Marvellous's door.

The two form a friendship that is nurturing to both, and in the course of Drakes stay he gains the strength to move forward, and Marvellous relives her past by telling him stories. Her life is colourful and as she tells it, we relive her loves and friendships with a host of magical characters such as Paper Jack and Peace. The imagery and poetry in the writing makes the stories read like myths rather than real life.

I enjoyed this book, but it does take a little time to settle into it and get used to the rhythms. The lack of punctuation means you really need to think about the words and the what you're reading, but it does become easier. The story is quite literally at times magical and you're never really quite sure what is real or possibly imagined, but it all adds to a wonderful story of love and friendship; loss and grief, and the healing power of nature.

I received a review copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

A fabulous 2nd novel by the brilliant writer who brought us When God was a Rabbit. Whimsical and lyrical, Winman's prose is a wonder to read and the title is truly beautiful!