Book Reviews – The Garnett Girls

The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore

The Garnett girls are Rachel, Imogen and Sasha. Set on the Isle of Wight, this story is about three sisters who have learned to cope differently with their parents’ divorce. They were very young when Richard, their father, walked out on their mother Margo. Margo sank into a deep depression, leaving her young daughters to cope on their own, with some intermittent help from neighbours and friends. Now Margo is living in an old cottage near Rachel, who is living in the family homestead with her husband and young children. Imogen is engaged and has written a play that is getting lots of attention. Sasha is doing her damnedest to stay free and easy, but is keeping a secret about their father that could damage an already fragile family peace. This is an engaging look at family dynamics and secrets, and I particularly liked the Isle of Wight as a setting, as it imbued the story with a sense of community, closeness and claustrophobia.