I wanted to read this book before My Dark Vanessa was released (today!), on the recommendation of Dolly Alderton from The High Low podcast. I was not disappointed with Putney and read it within a couple of days.
I loved it, but it frustrated me. Each character had their own secrets and varied understanding of their own or others’ secrets.
The story revolves around the Greenslay family, who are quite bohemian and allow their children to run rather wild and free. Ed is welcomed into the Greenslay family and quickly develops an infatuation with Daphne Greenslay, an energetic 9 year old.
This infatuation is evident from the first chapter, so the reader is quickly unable to feel comfortable in any part of the story and are overly aware of what is to come.
Child abuse is a difficult topic to read about. But when the characters do not fully understand their abuse, both victim and perpetrator, it is even more frustrating and frightening. Despite the fact that I became annoyed with every single character in this book, due to their either involvement or ability to watch the crime continue unpunished, it struck me as quite realistic. Don’t get me wrong, I have never experienced abuse and I know nobody that has. However, I can’t help but think that the way that Daphne interoperates her abuse, as well as the way that Ed justifies it (though horrific), is quite an honest depiction of how victims and perpetrators of this kind of abuse may think.
This book is definitely not for those that are looking for a comfortable and happy read. There is no heroic slaying of the evil character.
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