Published 16th May 2021 by Louise Walters Books.
From the cover of the book:
“It was Woman’s Hour who suggested I keep a diary. They said it was good for mental health, and I must say I did feel much less frazzled after writing everything down yesterday. The frustrations were all still there, but somehow smoothed out – as if by a really good steam iron.”Mrs Narwhal is overwhelmed. Her husband, Hugh, is unkind and unhappy – working every hour at a job he hates to save the ancestral home he never wanted. Then there’s Hugh’s sister, Rose, who’s spurned her one true love, and ricochets from crisis to crisis; and not to mention two small boys to bring up safely in a house that could crumble around their ears at any moment…
When Hugh's pride receives a fatal blow, and he walks out, Mrs Narwhal is plunged into a crisis of both heart and home. With help from Rose she sets out to save the house her husband couldn't. But can she save her marriage? And does she really want Hugh back?
Funny, charming, and moving, Mrs Narwhal’s Diary is an irresistible story which will enchant and delight its readers.
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Welcome to Narwhal Manor, the faded and crumbling home of the Narwhal family, now in the reluctant custodianship of Hugh Narwhal, his wife and their two small boys.
The story of the Narwhal family is told in diary form through the eyes of the wonderful Mrs Narwhal, stalwart bastion of this eccentric, down-at-heel, once grand lineage, as she battles vainly to carry on the semblance of family life amid the dilapidated surroundings. Being a diary, it is a little tricky to get your head around who's who and quite what is going on here at first, but it soon becomes clear that all is not quite right in the Narwhal household.
Laid low by the weight of a responsibility he never wanted, Hugh Narwhal is struggling to deal with this money pit of a house and spends most of his time withdrawn from his wife and sons, trying to earn an income from an upholstery business that only serves to remind him of how his fortunes have fallen since his days as a London furniture designer.
Hugh's closed off behaviour does little to promote marital happiness. Mrs Narwhal is unsure what has gone wrong here and is at a loss for how to put things right between them - or even if she really wants to. However, she is not going to go down without a fight and she is the one holding things together for their boys and for Hugh's sister Rose, who has issues of her own as a result of their less than ideal upbringing.
When Hugh walks out, all pretence comes swiftly to an end, and it becomes time for Mrs Narwhal and the much maligned Rose to put their heads together and try to save the house that Hugh couldn't. Now is their time to shine!
Mrs Narwhal's Diary is a charming and mostly hilarious book, but is certainly has its share of poignant moments along the way. It's an intriguing portrait of a family in crisis, especially since this is the side of the upper-classes that we seldom read about - the picture of faded elegance that needs a fortune to maintain, even though the money is no longer there. There is something terribly sad about the burden of expectation and tradition laid at the feet of Hugh as the heir apparent to the Narwhal legacy, but I will admit I found him very hard to like, and I was never entirely sure whether I was supposed to feel sympathy for him, or be consumed with rage at the way he treats his wife and sister (rage it was!).
However, there are splendid characters galore in this book that more than make up for the shortcomings of Hugh. Mrs Narwhal herself, who rather interestingly seems to be without a first name in this book, as befits her assumed role as the dutiful wife of the head of the household, is wonderful. She is devoted to her adorable, but realistically exuberant, boys and the fragile Rose, and is just the gutsy kind of heroine that I love. Rose is also a cracking character, who absolutely shines out from these pages when she is given the chance to step out from the shadow of her chauvinistic brother and the unfair label as the emotionally unstable member of the family. I think my absolute favourite of the remaining gaggle of characters though is the formidable cleaning lady, Jo!
This is a delightful debut novel, which kept me entertained throughout and incorporates some interesting themes about mental health and the fate of the grand stately homes that once littered our landscape, and it has a lovely uplifting end that will put a smile on your face and a spark of warmth in your heart.
Mrs Narwhal's Diary is available to buy now from your favourite book retailer, or via the links below:
Thank you to Louise Walters Books for sending me an e-copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Emma Welton of Damp Pebbles Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour. I also purchased a paperback copy of this book.
About the author:
S J Norbury lives in Herefordshire with her family. Mrs Narwhal’s Diary is her first novel.
Thanks so much for being part of the blog tour x
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