Lead Review (And then There was You)
- Book: And Then There Was You
- Location: St Ives
- Author: Miranda Dickinson
Merryn owns a cafe in a secluded courtyard in St Ives called Sweet Reverie. One evening she is weaving her way home with her chum, Seth, and they come across an abandoned piano, which they shift to the courtyard. She paints it and soon, she envisions, people will be playing it. But the notion of a piano for her is a very tricky one, and despite her yearning to hear the tinkle of the keys, she is apprehensive because of the painful associations with childhood.
Meanwhile surf-pro Zach is on his uppers because he can no longer do what he loves because of a fairly recent knee injury, but he is desperate, he has to find some kind of income. Soon he is working as a part time delivery driver for the local bakery and then is invited to join the team of a restaurant.
Merryn catches Zach’s eye and he just cannot get her out of his mind. And, coincidentally, he knows how to play the piano! But even though there is a spark, there are some seemingly insurmountable obstacles and encounters and the whole situation is fuelled by the return of Merryn’s ex-husband, who seems intent on making life hard for her.
This is a novel full of Cornish optimism (or, as one of the character’s mother’s says which is “.. like pessimism with a smile at the end..”) and heart-warming people. The author does, of course (as most authors do who set their work in Cornwall) address the issue of the tourist boom and the effects on the local community. Whatever the benefits, Merryn muses, when the hoards have descended on the town, “…it still feels like we lose for them being here...”
“Working and living in St Ives means you have to make time to enjoy all the beauty around you…” So, there you have it. If you love romance with a second chance narrative, with a beautifully painted St Ives backdrop, then this is definitely for you.
Tina for the TripFiction Team
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