This book is an outstanding piece of historical fiction. It tells the story of William Gale’s experiences in the Crimean War, the death of his brother and the changes to his character on his return home, marked by the war. It then follows the effects in his marriage and the resulting move of his wife and son to Australia. Then the story moves three generations to the return of his great grandson Sidney to spend time with his relatives in Britain. That doesn’t work well either. Later, there is dispute in the family over the whereabouts and ownership of the Victorian Cross awarded to the earlier Gale. Sidney’s sister from Australia turns out to be the owner but wants to donate to a military museum. The book is very well researched and written. The family details give a good context to the historical background. It is a very worthwhile read. My only reservation is the constant references to England when the Crimean War had soldiers from elsewhere in the United Kingdom and the military medal is eventually donated to the museum of a Welsh regiment. Otherwise I recommend the book..

‘Bad Relations’ introduces us to William and Alice Gale, only recently married when the former finds himself fighting for Queen and country in the Crimea. It is Spring 1855 and William is mourning his younger brother who has died on the battlefield. When he eventually returns home, one of the first recipients of the Victoria Cross no less, Alice notices a change in her husband. He is quick to anger and to mistrust his wife. Connolly is adept at representing the speech patterns and vocabulary of the well-to-do nineteenth century household and we are immersed in a world where protocol must be adhered to and the woman must be ‘the angel in the house’.
Just as Alice and their two-year-old son sail for Australia and the reader is keen to follow them, we are transported to Cornwall in the summer of 1977. Stephen Nolan, suffering from anxiety, has dropped out of university to travel and has come to stay with distant relations, Nick and Celia Clarke, and their daughters, Cass and Georgie. His Australian customs and vocabulary entertain the girls and gradually he is welcomed into their friendship group. The author creates a convincing picture of privileged young people living a rural bohemian and relatively carefree life before careers are embarked upon and responsibilities mount. However, before the summer is out Celia has banished him. His doctor reflects that, ‘That’s the thing though, isn’t it, with every paradise? It always ends with expulsion. With a fall from Grace.’
Years later, Stephen’s sister decides to visit the Clarkes; she’s embarked on a family history project and her brother’s Cornish memorabilia prompts her to make contact. It is at this point that Cressida Connolly pulls together the threads that she has been weaving and we learn much of what happened to the Gales, the Nolans and the Clarkes over the years. Whilst, understandably, a family saga calls for some sort of culmination, this part of the novel does not grasp the reader in the way that the earlier sections do. Perhaps it is because the central characters are less well delineated than their counterparts in the past.
Nevertheless, this is a very readable novel which not only explores family relationships sensitively and convincingly; it also reminds us that, ‘The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.’
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

The first part of this story tells of William Gale's experiences in the Crimea, and afterwards when he is reunited with his feisty wife, Anna. This was well told and interesting. Then just as I was invested in these characters, the timescale jumped to the 1970s and I had to start again. Stephen arrived from Australia to spend the summer with the descendants of William, who live a bohemian lifestyle. Stephen himself is descended from Alice. None of them seem to know or care much about the family history. Stephen's story ends tragically and the timescale shifts again abruptly when we meet the present day family in England, who are disagreeing about their inheritance. Then Stephen's family in Australia come into the story. I felt that to switch the reader's attention to these characters didn't work as they were introduced too late in the story to really engage with. The story was resolved satisfactorily, although I did not think it was a "terrible reckoning" as the blurb said. The title is also misleading - the relations may be selfish but they are not really bad. The writing is good, there is a lot of detail which brings the scenes to life. The main characters are well rounded and the supporting characters were also interesting. I did enjoy this story immensely, despite my small criticisms.