Small Pleasures, by Clare Chambers

Living in London and working for a newspaper in the 50’s, Jean could have been the typically written assertive go-getter woman journalist. But instead the reader meets a gentle soul in Jean. Jean cares for her mother and has to fit in with her way of living, leaving her little freedom. Both the reader and Jean can quite easily see her life stretching into that dull horizon of servitude.

However, Jean grasps at the most intriguing story to investigate: a real-life immaculate conception. Through Jean we learn Gretchen’s story and meet her family. Gretchen seems to have it all: the nice home, a devoted and loving husband, and a wonderful - possibly Godsent - daughter. But things don’t seem to quite add up. 

This story captures the reader from the beginning, with a clip of a newspaper article, which, by the middle of this intriguing tale, I had all but forgotten. As I read, I grew more intrigued by Gretchen’s behaviour than the origins of her conception, although that thread of the story is interesting, and comes into play further down the line.

It’s Chambers's characters and their interactions that really clinch it for me. You become Jean's unseen best friend, and you root for her, and you feel divided over which outcome you want to see: her finding the truth or publishing a mind-blowing article.

- Anara

Paperback, £8.99. Find this in our Fiction section!

[This story does bring up some issues that people with particular triggers may wish to avoid however these instances I felt were dealt with very gently and not in great detail.]