This was a surprisingly difficult novel to review because while aspects of it captivated me I was in some ways left unsatisfied. I was initially sold on trying it due to the 'family saga' angle which is absolute catnip to me and I thought Jackson did a fantastic job of creating a family that was both recognisable and unique.

Hello strangers! I’ve been so caught up with planning for my theatre tour (not so subtle plug, sorry) that I’ve totally neglected book reviews despite having read some utter delights recently. Today though, that changes!

Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss is not a book that has arrived quietly. Although Mason herself says she wrote it pretty much in secret, it has been received with enthusiasm from reviewers and fellow authors to the extent that, despite a self-imposed book buying ban and a general dislike for heavier, more expensive hardbacks, I was desperate to read it.