Well it’s an emotional roller coaster which follows one family from the end of world war one to the beginning of the 60’s – a period of enormous social and political change in which traditional expectations were thrown out of the window as new hopes and aspirations took over. It was the start of the ‘me’ culture’ which reached its pinnacle in Britain during the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. She is reputed to have said ‘there is no such thing as society.’ Or as another commentator more adequately puts it.
‘When Thatcher famously stated that “there is no such thing as society”, she was merely reflecting the Consumer greed of the era, announcing a political selfishness; a virtual acknowledgement that community had been usurped by the “loadsamoney” self.
I think that puts it succinctly. So the book is about avarice and greed, but it’s also about seduction and power – so often the two go together – ‘hand in glove.’
Alice is seduced by the sophistication and wealth of her lodger. He fathers her child but within the constrained moral boundaries of the times, her husband Jed, agrees to accept paternity in return for a loan from the lodger to build his business.
And so a ‘devil’s contract’ is forged which binds both this generation and the next to an intractable outcome set amidst the chaos of the second world war.
Here’s what some people have said about ‘The Guest Who Stayed.’
‘This is a well-constructed and beautifully written book, cleverly drawing the characters together in a story of betrayal.’ - Amazon.co.uk review
‘This is a terrific and very compelling book. I did nothing for two days but read it.’ – Goodreads review.
‘Some of the best writing I've ever encountered - not just on Wattpad, anywhere. This was a complete treat.’ – Wattpad review.
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