Unsettled Ground
- Downloads：8873
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-05 13:51:27
- Update Date：2025-09-24
- Status：finish
- Author：Claire Fuller
- ISBN：0241457459
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
'So sharply， so utterly brilliant that I found myself holding my breath while reading it， dazzled by Fuller's mastery and precision' LAUREN GROFF， author of Fates and Furies
__________________________________________________________________________
What if the life you have always known is taken from you in an instant？
What would you do to get it back？
Twins Jeanie and Julius have always been different from other people。 At 51 years old， they still live with their mother， Dot， in rural isolation and poverty。 Inside the walls of their old cottage they make music， and in the garden they grow （and sometimes kill） everything they need for sustenance。
But when Dot dies suddenly， threats to their livelihood start raining down。 Jeanie and Julius would do anything to preserve their small sanctuary against the perils of the outside world， even as their mother's secrets begin to unravel， putting everything they thought they knew about their lives at stake。
Unsettled Ground is a heart-stopping novel of betrayal and resilience， love and survival。 It is a portrait of life on the fringes of society that explores with dazzling emotional power how we can build our lives on broken foundations， and spin light from darkness。
____________________________________________________________________
'A gorgeously written celebration of the natural world as well as a moving portrait of a family struggling against time' LUCY TAN
__________________________________________________________________________
What if the life you have always known is taken from you in an instant？
What would you do to get it back？
Twins Jeanie and Julius have always been different from other people。 At 51 years old， they still live with their mother， Dot， in rural isolation and poverty。 Inside the walls of their old cottage they make music， and in the garden they grow （and sometimes kill） everything they need for sustenance。
But when Dot dies suddenly， threats to their livelihood start raining down。 Jeanie and Julius would do anything to preserve their small sanctuary against the perils of the outside world， even as their mother's secrets begin to unravel， putting everything they thought they knew about their lives at stake。
Unsettled Ground is a heart-stopping novel of betrayal and resilience， love and survival。 It is a portrait of life on the fringes of society that explores with dazzling emotional power how we can build our lives on broken foundations， and spin light from darkness。
____________________________________________________________________
'A gorgeously written celebration of the natural world as well as a moving portrait of a family struggling against time' LUCY TAN
Reviews
Helen
，
I have read and enjoyed all of Claire Fuller's previous novels and if you have yet to discover her， you are in for a real treat。 Unsettled Ground， is her newest novel， and， I think， her best yet， fully deserving of its place on the longlist for the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction Award。 It tells the story of 51 year old twins Jeanie and Julius Seeder who have always been "different" to their peers， and to the rest of the village of Inkbourn。 They have lived their entire lives with their mother， D I have read and enjoyed all of Claire Fuller's previous novels and if you have yet to discover her， you are in for a real treat。 Unsettled Ground， is her newest novel， and， I think， her best yet， fully deserving of its place on the longlist for the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction Award。 It tells the story of 51 year old twins Jeanie and Julius Seeder who have always been "different" to their peers， and to the rest of the village of Inkbourn。 They have lived their entire lives with their mother， Dot， in relative poverty， in a secluded and rundown cottage。 Dot dies suddenly and unexpectedly， at the start of the novel， and the twins find that their upbringing， and the somewhat unconventional， shielded an，d almost "off-grid" lifestyle that they shared with their mother， has ill prepared them for modern life。 Without their mother they are simply not equipped to deal with the challenges which now rain down on them in their dramatically changed circumstances， and problems soon escalate。 They suffer hugely because of their sheltered upbringing， their naivety， their lack of awareness， and their innocence and ignorance。 For Jeanie all of this is compounded by her illiteracy， which arose from so much missed schooling due to to rheumatic fever as a child。As the plot unfolds， family secrets are slowly revealed and their situation becomes more and more desperate。 Jeanie and Julius come to realise that nothing， or nobody in their life was as they thought， and before too long everything that was central to their existence has disappeared。Your heart goes out to Julius and Jeanie as they try so hard to cope with all that is thrown at them - at how they try to survive when everything that can go wrong does go wrong， and how they attempt to carve out a new independence against odds that are overwhelmingly stacked against them。 After their mother's death Julius says “Sometimes， I reckon， we need something to come along and trip us up when we're not expecting it。 Otherwise， one day we're kids playing with the hose pipe， and the next we're laid out on an old door in the parlour。” Little was he to know how ironic this would prove to be， as events spiral and conspire and their fate deepens。 As the problems stack up for Jeanie and Julius it is truly affecting， and your compassion and empathy for them is matched by the author's own。 Her characterisation is masterful and beautifully observed。The prose is evocative and rich， especially the descriptions of the natural world， and whilst the novel is deeply rooted in the countryside and rurality， it totally debunks the myth about the nurturing and supportive rural community。 Inkbourn is definitely no Ambridge， and unlike the Archers， there is a very different vibe here。 There is no coming together of villagers rallying round to support Jeanie and Julius in their ever increasing difficulties， and there is only a very small handful of stalwart friends in their corner。In common with Claire Fuller's earlier novels， Unsettled Ground has both a secluded setting， and parental lies and untruths at its heart， which prove to have far reaching and life changing repercussions for the central characters。The novel explores the themes of betrayal and resilience， love and survival， rural poverty and isolation， but， even though life reaches its lowest possible point for Jeanie and Julius， it ends on hopeful note， and shows how even the most "unsettled ground" can offer the basis for a more positive future。A thoughtful， thought-provoking and brilliant read， with characters you truly care about who will live on in your mind long after the novel is finished。 Highly recommended 。。。more
Natalie "Curling up with a Coffee and a Kindle" Rampling
，
This was a good read， but a rather depressing one。 A family fractured by secrets， trying to get by in extreme poverty， while dealing with great loss。 This moved me throughout， and I felt the characters' desperation and helplessness with their situation。 Guilt seemed to be a huge theme of the book， and regret for decisions made。It was a quick read， and while it's hard to say I 'enjoyed' the book， this was my bedtime read， and I would look forward to the next installment every evening， and thinkin This was a good read， but a rather depressing one。 A family fractured by secrets， trying to get by in extreme poverty， while dealing with great loss。 This moved me throughout， and I felt the characters' desperation and helplessness with their situation。 Guilt seemed to be a huge theme of the book， and regret for decisions made。It was a quick read， and while it's hard to say I 'enjoyed' the book， this was my bedtime read， and I would look forward to the next installment every evening， and thinking about the characters throughout the day。Family loyalty was shouting to me like a neon sign， and I definitely felt strength and determination oozing from the pages。The revelations at the end of the book made the book even sadder and although I didn't cry， I was shocked and moved by Dot's actions。 So heartbreaking。 This novel showed me the strength of character of Jeanie and Julius， and Dot。 Whilst I didn't agree with the situation they found themselves in， it was a hard-hitting and poignant story。 。。。more
Liz Owen
，
Excellent。 It's really well written， with strongly drawn characters。 This book deals with family secrets， half truths and lies， rural poverty ， rural crime and the difficulties faced when lives are suddenly changed by homelessness and tragedy。 In some ways， parts of it reminded me of the sudden poverty and rootlessness described in The Salt Path by Raynor Winn， a really good non fiction account of some similar issues。 I love Claire Fuller's writing， it's atmospheric and gripping。 Highly recommen Excellent。 It's really well written， with strongly drawn characters。 This book deals with family secrets， half truths and lies， rural poverty ， rural crime and the difficulties faced when lives are suddenly changed by homelessness and tragedy。 In some ways， parts of it reminded me of the sudden poverty and rootlessness described in The Salt Path by Raynor Winn， a really good non fiction account of some similar issues。 I love Claire Fuller's writing， it's atmospheric and gripping。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Sue
，
So pleased that my GoodReads networks have introduced me to a new （to me） author。 Loved this novel for the way it beautifully and sympathetically draws you into the lives of 51 year old twins， and misfits， Jeanie and Julius。 They have lived their whole lives with their mother， just about surviving financially from week to week。 The storyline is about the impact of their mother’s sudden death and how their world begins to fall apart。 Parts were tough to read - I literally had a sinking feeling in So pleased that my GoodReads networks have introduced me to a new （to me） author。 Loved this novel for the way it beautifully and sympathetically draws you into the lives of 51 year old twins， and misfits， Jeanie and Julius。 They have lived their whole lives with their mother， just about surviving financially from week to week。 The storyline is about the impact of their mother’s sudden death and how their world begins to fall apart。 Parts were tough to read - I literally had a sinking feeling in my stomach - while other parts left me full of cautious warmth and optimism。 I’d say that Claire Fuller is a realist about life and relationships - this isn’t a feel-good novel but it leaves space for hope。 She also writes brilliant characters - Jeanie in particular is complex， flawed， frustrating and totally believable。 She will stay with me for sure。 It’s probably fair to say that this book is more character than plot driven but for me it was a moving and memorable page-turner。 。。。more
Louise Mullins
，
This book is written well， as always by this author， and the story did hold my interest， but it's not a thriller！Why do publishers continually feel the need to mis-market books？ Just because a crime occurs somewhere in a novel it does not make it a thriller。 You need a lot more than that。 This book is written well， as always by this author， and the story did hold my interest， but it's not a thriller！Why do publishers continually feel the need to mis-market books？ Just because a crime occurs somewhere in a novel it does not make it a thriller。 You need a lot more than that。 。。。more
Becca
，
This is a tale of grownup twins julius and jeanie and what happens when they have to strike out on their own。 Stuck in rural isolation and poverty， this book is suffocating and moments it left me on edge， about 100 pages towards the end in particular but no spoilers。Its about survival and how we only notice things if we properly look for them。 The characters are very real and reading it sometimes felt like when you press on a bruise。 Such a beautiful and poignant book that feels like the charact This is a tale of grownup twins julius and jeanie and what happens when they have to strike out on their own。 Stuck in rural isolation and poverty， this book is suffocating and moments it left me on edge， about 100 pages towards the end in particular but no spoilers。Its about survival and how we only notice things if we properly look for them。 The characters are very real and reading it sometimes felt like when you press on a bruise。 Such a beautiful and poignant book that feels like the characters are still in your hair days later。 Can't stop thinking about this book。 。。。more
Nina
，
Fans of Anne Tyler will love this book for its fragile， quirky characters and insightful writing。 It includes lots of discussion points for book clubs。
Margaret
，
51 year old twins， Jennie and Julius Seeder， have always lived with their mother， largely self-sufficient and in some seclusion at the edge of a village。 Then their mother dies， and their lives slowly fall apart。 Their poverty， their unworldliness and inability to lead an ordinary 21st century life leaves them exposed to the fragility of their lifestyle。 Only their talent for， and love of music links them to moments of being carefree， and to a wider world。Here is a book about family secrets， abo 51 year old twins， Jennie and Julius Seeder， have always lived with their mother， largely self-sufficient and in some seclusion at the edge of a village。 Then their mother dies， and their lives slowly fall apart。 Their poverty， their unworldliness and inability to lead an ordinary 21st century life leaves them exposed to the fragility of their lifestyle。 Only their talent for， and love of music links them to moments of being carefree， and to a wider world。Here is a book about family secrets， about threats which seem overwhelming to such an unworldly pair; about poverty so constricting that impossible choices have to be made at the village shop; about friendship and about the limitations imposed by lack of education and unworldliness。 An involving and satisfying narrative。 。。。more
Emily
，
I have previously enjoyed Claire Fuller’s writing and this one didn’t disappoint me。 Unsettled Ground is a quiet novel but one rich with interesting characters。 Fuller explores hidden rural poverty， community and the cracks between ‘house’ and ‘home’。
Michelle Martiniello
，
Claire Fuller is an amazing storyteller。 From start to finish Unsettled Ground is both intriguing， and like the title， a little unsettling as the story starts to unravel。 We follow twins， Jeanie and Julius as they navigate their way through grief after losing their mother。 The twins， aged 51， have never lived an independent life outside of the family home and now after their loss they have to rediscover who they truly are。 As harsh truths and family secrets reveal themselves， the twins begin to Claire Fuller is an amazing storyteller。 From start to finish Unsettled Ground is both intriguing， and like the title， a little unsettling as the story starts to unravel。 We follow twins， Jeanie and Julius as they navigate their way through grief after losing their mother。 The twins， aged 51， have never lived an independent life outside of the family home and now after their loss they have to rediscover who they truly are。 As harsh truths and family secrets reveal themselves， the twins begin to discover their own resilience， independence and strength。 This was the first novel I have read by Claire Fuller and she did not disappoint。 。。。more
Helen
，
Characterisation， plotting， beautiful prose， pace， an ability to draw the reader in， emotional depth - and moments of humour in the darkness - Claire Fuller has it all。 Best of all， a satisfying ending。
Stefanie
，
It feels a little subversive to call a novel that tackles the topics of poverty， disconnection， illiteracy， and trauma beautiful。 However， this novel is beautiful in the grace in which it treats its characters。 Often disadvantaged characters in novels are written in terms of what they lack: intelligence， common sense， literacy。 These characters are realized with full humanity， compassion， and tenacity。 A truly special novel that I won't be forgetting any time soon。 It feels a little subversive to call a novel that tackles the topics of poverty， disconnection， illiteracy， and trauma beautiful。 However， this novel is beautiful in the grace in which it treats its characters。 Often disadvantaged characters in novels are written in terms of what they lack: intelligence， common sense， literacy。 These characters are realized with full humanity， compassion， and tenacity。 A truly special novel that I won't be forgetting any time soon。 。。。more
Sophy Layzell
，
After loving ‘Bitter Orange’ by the same author I was lucky to receive an advance reading copy of ‘Unsettled Ground’ thanks to netgalley。After the fast pace of ‘Tell Me Why’ by Ruth O’Neill， that I finished the day before， this initially felt cripplingly slow。 However the sense of place and the characters are so strongly drawn that it wasn’t long before I was fully immersed into Jeanie and Julius’ world。 It couldn’t be more different to ‘Bitter Orange’！ The twin’s home is simple and basic and th After loving ‘Bitter Orange’ by the same author I was lucky to receive an advance reading copy of ‘Unsettled Ground’ thanks to netgalley。After the fast pace of ‘Tell Me Why’ by Ruth O’Neill， that I finished the day before， this initially felt cripplingly slow。 However the sense of place and the characters are so strongly drawn that it wasn’t long before I was fully immersed into Jeanie and Julius’ world。 It couldn’t be more different to ‘Bitter Orange’！ The twin’s home is simple and basic and their lives far from glamorous。 After their mother’s death the choices the twins make will have you pulling your hair out but it is an important reminder that we are not all born into the same circumstances and that the nature of our birth and upbringing has different consequences。 This is a story that has made me think about my place and privilege and how lucky I am to be able to enjoy stories like these from a place of warmth and safety。 。。。more
Jeana
，
Twins Jeanie and Julius have lived with their mother in an old cabin into their 50s—and then their mother dies and things start happening that reveal their mother wasn’t who they thought she was at all。 Fuller always writes vivid and unusual characters， and this is no exception。 It’s dark and sad throughout—but thankfully there’s some light at the end。
Lara Marshall
，
I am so excited to be on the blog tour for this brilliant book， especially on publication day！I never expected to read Claire Fuller's novel from start to finish in one sitting but for at least the second time this author grabbed my imagination and didn't let go！ Set outside a village an hour or so away from Oxford， a family of three， Dot and her twins， Jeanie and Julius， eke out their existence in a ramshackle cottage。 The twins are 51 years old， have always lived with their mother living an or I am so excited to be on the blog tour for this brilliant book， especially on publication day！I never expected to read Claire Fuller's novel from start to finish in one sitting but for at least the second time this author grabbed my imagination and didn't let go！ Set outside a village an hour or so away from Oxford， a family of three， Dot and her twins， Jeanie and Julius， eke out their existence in a ramshackle cottage。 The twins are 51 years old， have always lived with their mother living an orderly life with nothing going to waste。 Dot and Jeanie keep a large garden and sell what they can at a shop in the village。 Julius picks up odd jobs wherever he can。 They can all play music and give pure joy to whoever gets to hear them。 One of the things that really pulls you into this story is the amazing characterisation。 You become invested in these three characters as soon as a couple of pages in and you feel that you could have seen people like this in your own life。 The way that they can be treated by some members in their society does make you really think about how we can treat "outsiders"。 Those that don't fit into the mold of what we would consider "normal"。 The people who don't buy from supermarkets， aren't in the rat race， don't embrace technology。 I had to keep going to see what happened to these characters as their lives irrevocably change and whether they are able to survive。 They were beautifully described， complex and layered。 Jeanie & Julius will be living in my head for a very long time。 Overall， the prose is beautiful and sparse， so you automatically fill in the gaps。 The plot is both sharp and gentle， this book is not a typical mystery or thriller that leaves your heard racing， but it seeps into all those spaces in your soul that you didn't even know were yearning for this story。 A very special read。 This is far and away my favourite book of 2021 and will be very hard to beat！ 。。。more
Jaffareadstoo
，
Middle-aged twins， Jeannie and Julius Seeder， live an isolated life， scraping out a meagre existence in their rural location， which is made so much worse by the sudden death of their mother。 With their main support gone， Jeannie and Julius are left floundering in world which doesn't understand their naivety， or sense their total lack of awareness。 Jeannie is the weaker of the twins and yet it is her powerful narrative which relates what happens to them when their world tumbles down around them， Middle-aged twins， Jeannie and Julius Seeder， live an isolated life， scraping out a meagre existence in their rural location， which is made so much worse by the sudden death of their mother。 With their main support gone， Jeannie and Julius are left floundering in world which doesn't understand their naivety， or sense their total lack of awareness。 Jeannie is the weaker of the twins and yet it is her powerful narrative which relates what happens to them when their world tumbles down around them， and when old secrets， so carefully hidden， threaten to destroy everything they rely on to survive。Unsettled Ground is a disturbing read and whilst beautifully focused on what is happening in the present， there are hints back to a time when the twins were much younger and the story of a family tragedy which had far reaching effects on all their lives。 The strength of the story lies with this author's uncanny ability to make the ordinary into something extraordinary and in creating Jeannie and Julius Seeder she gives us characters who are so engulfing that even when you move away from their story， you still wonder what is going to happen next for them。 There's a deep underlying sadness to the story which is difficult to move away from， and the confining and secluded nature of Jeannie's life， in particular， makes for emotional reading and yet there is also hope in the twins' shared love of music， Jeannie's tender loving care of her garden， and in Julius's strength of character when courage is needed。 My heart broke into so many pieces， that there were times when I had to stop reading in order to make a restorative cup of tea so I could gather my thoughts。 Unsettled Ground is a strong and forceful family drama which made me feel quite angry at the injustice of what happened to Jeannie and Julius in the aftermath of their mother's death， and yet there were also times when the story was so tenderly compassionate， and so beautifully observed， that it， quite simply， took my breath away。The book has been long listed for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021。 It would be a worthy winner。 。。。more
Rebecca
，
PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTIONWhat if the life you have always known is taken from you in an instant？ What would you do to get it back？Twins Jeanie and Julius have always been different from other people。 At 51 years old， they still live with their mother， Dot， in rural isolation and poverty。 Their rented cottage is simultaneously their armour against the world and their sanctuary。 Inside its walls they make music， in its garden they grow （and sometimes kill） everything they need for sustenance。But whe PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTIONWhat if the life you have always known is taken from you in an instant？ What would you do to get it back？Twins Jeanie and Julius have always been different from other people。 At 51 years old， they still live with their mother， Dot， in rural isolation and poverty。 Their rented cottage is simultaneously their armour against the world and their sanctuary。 Inside its walls they make music， in its garden they grow （and sometimes kill） everything they need for sustenance。But when Dot dies suddenly， threats to their livelihood start raining down。 At risk of losing everything， Jeanie and her brother must fight to survive in an increasingly dangerous world as their mother's secrets unfold， putting everything they thought they knew about their lives at stake。 This is a thrilling novel of resilience and hope， of love and survival， that explores with dazzling emotional power how the truths closest to us are often hardest to see。NO SPOILERSI really loved Claire Fuller’s debut novel， Our Endless Numbered Days so was chuffed to receive an ARC for review of Unsettled Ground。 However， I was disappointed and it took me some time to work out why。 As I struggled to write this review my husband asked what I’d thought of the book。 I said it wasn’t a great book but I could see it as a 26 episode， Sunday night Netflix series and that’s when I twigged。 Unsettled Ground feels as though it was written for just that。 There are openers， episode “ends”， twists and reveals （none of which I didn’t see coming） and so， so many scenes fitted into just 287 pages that it is too crowded for the type of reflection I like。Having said that， if you want a fast paced， family secrets， easy read this may be what you’re after but for me， this book is too plot led and the writing is not crafted enough。 It’s not badly written at all but it’s simply not for me。Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for the complimentary copy of the book， which I have voluntarily reviewed。 。。。more
Katrina
，
3。5 stars。 I didn't love this one as much as her other books。 3。5 stars。 I didn't love this one as much as her other books。 。。。more
Leza
，
Such a fantastic writer。 Claire Fuller has that wonderful ability of drawing you straight to the heart of everything she writes; you’re standing right there with the characters。 Told from Jeanie’s point of view， her naivety and emotional complexity is perfectly written。 There’s a beautiful empathy for her and her twin brother; a non judgemental telling of lives lived outside ‘normal’ society。 I could see， feel and smell every detail of the cottage， of the wasteland spinney in the woods， of Bridg Such a fantastic writer。 Claire Fuller has that wonderful ability of drawing you straight to the heart of everything she writes; you’re standing right there with the characters。 Told from Jeanie’s point of view， her naivety and emotional complexity is perfectly written。 There’s a beautiful empathy for her and her twin brother; a non judgemental telling of lives lived outside ‘normal’ society。 I could see， feel and smell every detail of the cottage， of the wasteland spinney in the woods， of Bridget’s cluttered house。 Like her three books before， the plot hooks immediately and I couldn’t put this down。 One of my favourite storytellers。 The only problem being that now I have to wait a year or so for her to write another book。 。。。more
Candy
，
See my review as part of the blog tour on 31/03/21 on my blog candysbookcase。Wordpress。com
Jo
，
SECRETS AND LIES 4。5 is my score for this beautifully written book。 I could predict some of it but that didn’t spoil the plot in any way。 I didn’t grow up in rural poverty but I was at school with people from this background。 I also had a mother who lied about her affairs。 The protagonist Jeannie is a sympathetic character and strong in ways she doesn’t realise。 Her life is lonely and tough; in spite of terrible circumstances she pulls through and learns to trust others。 The kindness of stranger SECRETS AND LIES 4。5 is my score for this beautifully written book。 I could predict some of it but that didn’t spoil the plot in any way。 I didn’t grow up in rural poverty but I was at school with people from this background。 I also had a mother who lied about her affairs。 The protagonist Jeannie is a sympathetic character and strong in ways she doesn’t realise。 Her life is lonely and tough; in spite of terrible circumstances she pulls through and learns to trust others。 The kindness of strangers is shown to be multi faceted。 It made me realise what a big problem illiteracy is。 We will be discussing this in a group in May。 I listened to the excellent audible and have reserved the book in the library。 。。。more
Pickle Farmer
，
3 1/2 stars。 The set-up for this book is very strong， and it's often a remarkably suspenseful read - especially the last 40%。 The stakes， as they say， are raised。 It often felt a bit painful to read this， because of how much it made me think of my grandmother， who lived a similarly eccentric and isolated life。 These were the strongest parts of the book for me， the ones that focused on everyday existence， and the siblings' struggle to survive。 （view spoiler）[The part where they move into the cara 3 1/2 stars。 The set-up for this book is very strong， and it's often a remarkably suspenseful read - especially the last 40%。 The stakes， as they say， are raised。 It often felt a bit painful to read this， because of how much it made me think of my grandmother， who lived a similarly eccentric and isolated life。 These were the strongest parts of the book for me， the ones that focused on everyday existence， and the siblings' struggle to survive。 （view spoiler）[The part where they move into the caravan home and out of the cottage is pretty tough to read， as are the scenes when Jeanie is basically homeless， and eating food off of hospital plates。 But even though they're tough going， these scenes are some of the strongest in the book。 （hide spoiler）] I also often thought of the part in Knausgaard Book I， where he needs to clean out his father's house。 I was also reminded of Barbara Comyns， in terms of rural life， in which everyone's fingers are always cold， and everything is messy and damp。I did find the book melodramatic at times， and some scenes dragged。 It is also often unrelentingly brutal and bleak， specifically in terms of one major plot point （view spoiler）[（Julius getting shot， and not recovering） （hide spoiler）]。。。 and I'm someone who often criticises books for not being bleak enough！ That being said， I have major respect for the author for going to some dark places。 I think a lot of writers wouldn't have the courage to do so。 And thankfully there is SOME goodness/light at the tunnel at the end （view spoiler）[（namely， the dog being found- thank God！） （hide spoiler）]， so ultimately as a whole the book is balanced in terms of considering the reader's experience。Overall， I have a lot respect for Ms。 Fuller， for writing like FOUR books in the past six years - a major accomplishment。 She's clearly someone with a specific vision - someone who wants to write about people in isolation， and suspenseful， gothic， often violent narratives。 Lots of respect for that。 I would rather read a book like this than something 'cozy' any day！Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC。 。。。more
Beata
，
A poignant story of 51-year-old twins， Jeanie and Julis who have to come to terms with the reality after their mother's death。 Both have lived in a relative isolation with Dot for over thirty years in a delapidating cottage not far from Oxford since their father's sudden death。 Jeanie has difficulty relating to people， Julius make a living doing odd jobs。 The twins depend on each other， living in poverty and sharing the love for music。 The day when their mother dies is the moment when they begin A poignant story of 51-year-old twins， Jeanie and Julis who have to come to terms with the reality after their mother's death。 Both have lived in a relative isolation with Dot for over thirty years in a delapidating cottage not far from Oxford since their father's sudden death。 Jeanie has difficulty relating to people， Julius make a living doing odd jobs。 The twins depend on each other， living in poverty and sharing the love for music。 The day when their mother dies is the moment when they begin to uncover the truth behind some events that changed their lives。 A novel that kept me invested in and feel for both main characters。*Many thanks to Claire Fuller， Penguin Genral UK， and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review。* 。。。more
Hugh
，
Longlisted for the Women's Prize 2020A book for anyone who has a too sentimental view of life in the British countryside - Fuller's vision is most realistic where it is furthest from rural idyll。The story opens with a death。 Dot has been scraping a living in a run-down cottage on the edge of a farm since the death of her husband， and her 51-year old twins Jeanie and Julius still live there too - Jeanie helps with running the house and growing vegetables， her ambition limited after being told in Longlisted for the Women's Prize 2020A book for anyone who has a too sentimental view of life in the British countryside - Fuller's vision is most realistic where it is furthest from rural idyll。The story opens with a death。 Dot has been scraping a living in a run-down cottage on the edge of a farm since the death of her husband， and her 51-year old twins Jeanie and Julius still live there too - Jeanie helps with running the house and growing vegetables， her ambition limited after being told in childhood that she has a weak heart， and Julius is a casual labourer and dreamer。 When Dot dies suddenly after a stroke， the twins have to fend for themselves almost unprepared， as Dot has not told them enough about what underpins their living arrangements。 Most of the story is told in the third person from the perspective of Jeanie， as everything her life depends on is taken from her in a series of horrific episodes - first they find that Dot has left them no money， so they can't afford to have her decently buried， then their farmer landlord has them evicted for non-payment of rent they believed they did not owe， and they are forced to move to a dilapidated old caravan on a patch of common woodland， where they are defenceless against local troublemakers。（view spoiler）[Jeanie's troubles reach a nadir when Julius is left paralysed after being shot in the dark， but the final part set a year later shows her achieving a tentative state of fulfilment。 （hide spoiler）]Fuller's command of her story is impressive， and for all of the dark subject matter there is plenty to enjoy in the book， particularly its musical elements。 I did feel that the ending was a little hard to believe after the rest of the book， but without it the story might be too dark for many readers to stomach。 。。。more
Adibah Hakim
，
<>🌟🌟🌟🌟Unsettled Ground is a story about a pair of twins， Jeanie and Julius who still rely on their mother， Dot until they are 51 years old。 For Jeanie， she had received very little connection outside of their cottage due to her heart condition developed as a child。 While Julius， having an odd job but not too far away from the cottage。 When Dot dies， Jeanie and Julius face the reality such as threats to leave the cottage because of unpaid rents。 One by one， Dot's secret is revealed。 Claire Fuller <>🌟🌟🌟🌟Unsettled Ground is a story about a pair of twins， Jeanie and Julius who still rely on their mother， Dot until they are 51 years old。 For Jeanie， she had received very little connection outside of their cottage due to her heart condition developed as a child。 While Julius， having an odd job but not too far away from the cottage。 When Dot dies， Jeanie and Julius face the reality such as threats to leave the cottage because of unpaid rents。 One by one， Dot's secret is revealed。 Claire Fuller did a great job since the book offers heart-rending survival for the twins。 Jeanie and Julius have been living their life very simple and only interacts around the cottage。 And I can tell they faced so many problems when they need to settle on their own after Dot's death。 I liked this book because of the way Fuller pulls out issues that needs attention such as poverty， alienation， shunned by society， and how poorer people being treated terribly。Also I hate what Dot did to her own children。 How she trapped them because she feels paranoid。 Can you imagine， you discover the world outside your bubble after 51 years of life？ Would you be happy after learning about the truth？ Jeanie and Julius are good children。 They never questioned anything during Dot's existence。 Unsettled Ground is a grim tale， but surely not a depressing one and I look forward to read her next book。 I would love to recommend this book to you。 Thank you @putrifariza and @times。reads for the amazing copy💗💗💗 。。。more
Sandra Danby
，
The title is well chosen。 From the first page， ‘Unsettled Ground’ by Claire Fuller is unsettling。 An eclectic mixture of setting and detail make the timeframe difficult to pin down， it seems other-worldly。 An ordinary world， but not quite。 This is a world of Google and internet banking， of smartphones and digital life。Fuller writes about twins Julius and Jeanie who， aged 51， still live with their mother in a remote rural cottage。 They scratch a living， cash-in-hand earned from odd jobs， vegetabl The title is well chosen。 From the first page， ‘Unsettled Ground’ by Claire Fuller is unsettling。 An eclectic mixture of setting and detail make the timeframe difficult to pin down， it seems other-worldly。 An ordinary world， but not quite。 This is a world of Google and internet banking， of smartphones and digital life。Fuller writes about twins Julius and Jeanie who， aged 51， still live with their mother in a remote rural cottage。 They scratch a living， cash-in-hand earned from odd jobs， vegetables and eggs sold at the garden gate and the local deli， money kept in a tin rather than a bank account。 Everything changes when their mother， Dot， dies suddenly and they realise how she protected them and kept them safe。 But with Dot gone， their familiar world collapses。 Their routines don’t work， the difficulties their mother smoothed are now rocky， and they are evicted from their home。 This is a novel about relationships – sibling， parental and with the local community – both supportive and dismissive。 As the twins attempt to cope with the paperwork following their mother’s death， their isolation from modern society becomes evident to them。 Many people step aside from their helplessness， finding them strange and ignorant， people make assumptions and take the easy option of turning away。 Jeanie is mortified to find out that other people know more about her life and family history than she does， how neighbours silently colluded in a scenario either from a sense of helplessness， a misguided assumption they are helping， or malicious sniggering。 ‘Unsettled Ground’ is an uncomfortable but at the same time uplifting read。As Julius and Jeanie confront each revelation about the life they have been living， they begin to question each other’s loyalty。 Jeanie finds emotional strength she didn't know she had， despite a heart complaint she's had since childhood。 She sneaks back home and finds solace in the abandoned garden， harvesting vegetables。 This is an uncomfortable depiction of modern poverty in a society where money exchange is cashless and application for help depends on literacy。 Both find a way to cope but inevitably they need each other despite their grumbles and disagreements。 At times of stress， they pick up their guitars and sing folk songs as their parents taught them。When the truth slowly emerges about their father’s accidental death and Dot’s subsequent struggle as a single mother， they realise that deep down they had always had suspicions。 This is a powerful story about the strength of human nature and the bonds of family， about fighting back against bullies and finding light in the future。Read more of my book reviews at http://www。sandradanby。com/book-revie。。。 。。。more
Leah Blackwood
，
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway and was so excited because I enjoyed Fuller’s Bitter Orange novel。 This one fell a bit short for me， probably because the subject matter wasn’t especially compelling to me。 The last 50 or so pages become very interesting， but until then I felt like I was just spending every page trying to connect to the story！
Amanda McHugh
，
I enjoyed Claire Fuller's work Bitter Orange， and when I saw this title was available for request， I was thrilled to be approved。 The summary was intriguing and the cover was absolutely stunning。 I quickly dove in。 Jeanie and Julius' lives are thrown into turmoil when their mother suddenly dies from a stroke。 They've spent their lives together under the same roof， but when funeral planning uncovers more than they bargained for， Jeanie and Julius find themselves in unfamiliar territory; and in or I enjoyed Claire Fuller's work Bitter Orange， and when I saw this title was available for request， I was thrilled to be approved。 The summary was intriguing and the cover was absolutely stunning。 I quickly dove in。 Jeanie and Julius' lives are thrown into turmoil when their mother suddenly dies from a stroke。 They've spent their lives together under the same roof， but when funeral planning uncovers more than they bargained for， Jeanie and Julius find themselves in unfamiliar territory; and in order to move forward， they must learn the whole truth about their family。 I sat on my review for a few days to work out my thoughts， but I really liked this book。To start， this is a character-driven narrative examining the themes of love， complex family relationships， hope， and rebirth， and for the most part， I would go so far as to say it is primarily focused on the loss of innocence， a coming-of-age that happens unexpectedly because， well， it's not at a typical age。 The twins are fifty-one and only known their lives as their mother had lain them out。 In her death， however， they are forced to make impossible decisions， and in their struggle， we see genuine growth。 Jeanie is a rare character whose arc isn't centered around finding her worth through literacy。 So often we see characters solving every problem in their lives by learning to read or write， as if trying harder is the problem。 Jeanie is self-aware and understands this puts her at a deficit， but she also doesn't think her conflicts will magically disappear if and when she learns to spell。 Her resilience is heartbreaking and inspiring， and I especially loved the moments where she takes control of her own choices。 The sibling relationship is complex and rich but also co-dependent to the point of toxicity at times。 Their voices did not always read as fifty year olds， and I think that goes a long way toward the loss of innocence theme。 Realizing the truth about our families is not relegated to a specific time frame， and this newfound knowledge can be life altering， jarring， and completely transformative。 No spoilers， of course， but while there aren't many joyful moments to be found here， I found the love Jeanie and Julius had for each other to be a wonderful examination of sibling bond。 There's hope here， even if it's complex and not altogether clear。Overall， Unsettled Ground is a gritty， raw， emotional read that will stick to your bones and leave you questioning what you would do if your entire life wasn't what you were led to believe it was。 For fans of tense literary fiction， strained relationships in the vein of Ethan Frome or Jeannette Walls， or anyone looking for a taut family drama。 Big thanks to Tin House and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration。 。。。more
Suzanne Smith
，
A tale of rural poverty， survival， family betrayal and redemption， Unsettled Ground reclaims the romantic ideal of English countryside life for a narrative far darker and more grounded in the realities of those living below the breadline。 We are introduced to unlikely protagonists， 51-year-old twins Jeanie and Julius， who live a simple and isolated life in a cottage with their mother， Dot。 The story follows the twins when Dot suddenly dies and their world is thrown into turmoil; family secrets b A tale of rural poverty， survival， family betrayal and redemption， Unsettled Ground reclaims the romantic ideal of English countryside life for a narrative far darker and more grounded in the realities of those living below the breadline。 We are introduced to unlikely protagonists， 51-year-old twins Jeanie and Julius， who live a simple and isolated life in a cottage with their mother， Dot。 The story follows the twins when Dot suddenly dies and their world is thrown into turmoil; family secrets built into the very bricks of the cottage they’ve lived in their entire lives start to crumble， inducing a chain of events that leave Jeanie and Julius alone， untethered and fending for themselves for the first time。 。。。more
Lou
，
Unsettled Ground is Claire Fuller’s latest novel and akin to Bitter Orange it touches on themes of parental secrets， deep-seated lies and the family dynamic and explores what unfolds when a dependent brother and sister face unacknowledged family trauma and financial straits after their mother dies。 We are introduced to 51-year-old twins Jeanie and Julius Seeder who live in a ramshackle， dilapidated old cottage in the rural， fictional Wiltshire village of Inkbourne。 They live with their elderly， Unsettled Ground is Claire Fuller’s latest novel and akin to Bitter Orange it touches on themes of parental secrets， deep-seated lies and the family dynamic and explores what unfolds when a dependent brother and sister face unacknowledged family trauma and financial straits after their mother dies。 We are introduced to 51-year-old twins Jeanie and Julius Seeder who live in a ramshackle， dilapidated old cottage in the rural， fictional Wiltshire village of Inkbourne。 They live with their elderly， widowed mother， Dot， who has just turned 70， and spend their spare time growing vegetables， playing folk music and generally keeping to themselves。 The cottage is simultaneously their armour and their provider。 To an outsider it may look like poverty but， to them， it is home。 The land on which the house is built belongs to their wealthy neighbours， the Rawsons， and the difference between their way of life and that of the Seeder family is marked。 Julius works odd jobs but never too far away due to his travel sickness affliction and often forgets to ask for payment， whilst Jeanie， who has suffered from a heart condition since childhood， is too frail to work。 She spent very little time in school because of this and is therefore almost illiterate。 The cottage the family has occupied is rent-free due to a lifetime agreement following the premature death of Dot’s husband， Frank， 39 years ago when the twins were only 12。 He was killed in a tractor accident while ploughing the fields on the estate， and they believe the supplier of the tractor， the cottage’s owner Spencer Rawson， to be responsible for his death because the vehicle’s hitch-pins turned out to be faulty。 Their mother， they understand， came to an arrangement with Rawson to allow them to live in the cottage rent-free in exchange for not bringing legal action against him。It's on a chilly， snow-covered April morning when Dot passes away from a stroke and the twins discover her cold on the kitchen floor。 From this point on everything unravels。 Two overgrown children suddenly become two middle-aged adults with no concept of how to make it in the world alone; the cost of both mollycoddling and manipulation on their mother’s part。 They face eviction threats as claims are made about unpaid rent and bills。 At the same time， secrets about their mother start unravelling。 Who was she really？ The twins are exposed to a truth that has far-reaching repercussions， and as members of the local community start to make things difficult for the twins， Jeanie wonders how they will cope in a world that can be cruel and unyielding。 A portrait of rural poverty in the 21st Century， Unsettled Ground forces readers to see beyond the unsavoury， the unconventional， the ‘other’ and to recognise the thing that unites us all: the beating heart beneath。 This is a story of resilience and hope， of homelessness and hardship， of love and survival， in which two marginalized but remarkable people take centre stage。 It's compelling， compulsive and thoroughly evocative with a refreshingly original plot and beautiful prose。 As more and more secrets emerge they see life as they knew it crumble before them as they realise their mother was not the person she portrayed herself to be。 Jeanie is a captivating heroine， almost Hardyesque in the depths of misery she’s put through， and Fuller writes agonisingly well about abject poverty， isolation and the cruelty of predatory villagers who smell fresh blood。 The scenario is thick with jeopardy — just when you think things can’t get worse， they do — yet， blessedly， the climax pulls back from the abyss without losing a jot of drama。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Unsettled Ground
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Unsettled Ground&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Unsettled Ground&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0