What happened at the end?!

This book has some lovely moments, and I enjoyed reading about the three very different women, although I wasn't always sure that I liked them. Although I sensed they would meet up in some way, it still came about fairly naturally. The children didn't always quite ring true to me - sometimes sounding either a lot older, or a lot younger, than they were. But it's a gentle read, with some moments of humour and some that are quite emotional. I wasn't sure I liked how much these 3 women's lives had been defined by men - even when they'd escaped those men (or been rejected) they were still an ever-present factor in their lives, or had been replaced by other sons or relations or male acquaintances. I felt the female friendships would have played a greater role, but that wasn't the focus for the story.

What frustrated me most, however, was the ending, which seemed to bundle along in a rush and a jumble before I was quite ready, and no clear answer as to what, exactly, had happened. I think I felt cheated. I'd invested in the lives of these women, and I'd expected just a little more clarity at the end.

I have enjoyed some of Salley Vickers’ novels and I very much wanted to enjoy this one. A great idea to write about grandmothers in an age when the old are often seen as little more than a nuisance, not that the three women featured are particularly ancient.
Salley Vickers is always very good at portraying the thoughts and feelings of the marginalised. Three grandmother figures are at the centre of this story. Eccentric Nan looks after Billy; he is privy to her quest to find the perfect coffin but doesn’t know that she’s a much-admired poet. Minna is a quasi-grandmother; she often entertains Rose with make-believe games in her shepherd’s hut, and is sad that Rose’s parents are thinking of a move to Scotland. Blanche is a little more worldly. After drinking too much, she has been forbidden to see her beloved Kitty by her daughter in law. As the stories slowly weave together, eventually all three women and their charges meet up at Kew Gardens.
Whilst this is not a plot driven tale, that is not the issue. To my mind, despite their various troubles, the characters, young and old, appear just a little out of touch with real life. There’s an air of quaintness throughout that detracts from some of the serious issues explored. And the ending seems self-indulgent. Without introducing any spoilers, it feels more like the sort of conclusion that Kitty or Rose might write rather than an author of Vickers’ talent and experience.
As ever, Salley Vickers writes beautifully. Details of surroundings are crafted as carefully as those of her characters. However, ‘Grandmothers’ seems like a lost opportunity to look at intergenerational family relationships in more detail. Is the role of a son’s mother different from a daughter’s mother? Why do antipathies build? How best to build on love and respect?
My thanks to NetGalley and Viking, Penguin Books (UK) for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

This is a gentle book about three women and the children in their lives. Nan has a grandson Billy who is helping her find a comfy coffin for when the end finally comes. Blanche has a granddaughter Kitty but is estranged from her son so access to Kitty is difficult. Despite being wealthy she finds the thrill of shoplifting hard to resist. Minna lives in a shepherds hut and assumes the role of grandmother to the emotionally volatile Rose. All three women’s lives cross through various circumstances and the friendships made encourages each of them to live their lives for themselves and not for others. Not my favourite Salley Vickers book but charming all the same.

Grandmothers, the hidden babysitters, advisers, cleaners, cooks and so much more. The Grandmothers in this novel are all quirky, endearing and slightly mad. They all share the intentions of helping their Grandchildren ( in Minna's case her young friend) through life's traumas but come up against secrets, parental disapproval and their own pasts..
Trips to France and Kew Gardens were described in an intriguing way, enough to make one visit and share the experience.
Being a Grandmother myself I felt a great deal of sympathy for these women, the difficulties with their own offspring and partners led to resentment and regrets.
The ending seemed abrupt with many questions left unanswered
Some amusing moments, some frustrating ones but on the whole very readable.as I have found all of Salley Vickers books to be..

A delightful story featuring three women and their relationships with the children in their lives. The characters, both adults and children, are beautifully drawn. This isn't an action-packed story, rather its a gently paced story of every day life. The focus is on the feelings and relationships of the characters. It is light and easy read with many heart-warming episodes.

A gentle tale of three women in a grandmother role and how their lives intersect with each other as well as with their young charges.
The three grandmothers are very different: Strong-willed Nan who has had her wicker coffin made and uses it as an erstwhile sofa. Blanche, estranged from her son, with her predilection for shoplifting. And Bohemian Minna who lives in a Shepherds Hut and takes on the role of grandmother to Rose whose own life is in turmoil.
Vickers has an understated writing style which I enjoyed. The drama is made up of the domestic troubles that dog us day to day, rather than high drama, but is all the more poignant for it.
Some people may find this sweet novel a little pedestrian - but if you enjoy writing that encapsulates the minutiae of ordinary life, and covers some surprising truths along the way, I’d thoroughly recommend it.

Grandmothers is great. It is nice to read a book centering on the lives of this, often underappreciated, generation. The three women in this story, Nan, Blanche and Minna develop rich and interesting lives that aren't solely defined by what they are doing for someone else. For all three wome, their Achilles heel is their relationship with a beloved grandchild.
Nan is the linchpin of this story. She is fully in control of her life, and sanguine about her time left on earth. She has a fulfilling relationship with her grandson, Billy, and brings illumination to the lives of Blanche and Minna. In secret, Nan is a renowned poet.
Blanche is bored, and takes up shoplifting, which is how she meets Nan, who offers her thoughtful friendship. Blanche learns to live her own life. Nan and Minna meet on holiday. All of their lives are enriched by these meetings.