April 28, 2022
The Friday Gospels, by Jenn Ashworth
I wanted something new, something different. There’s an award called The Portico Prize, given “for the book that best evokes the spirit of the North of England, open to new works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.” I found the 2022 shortlist, and sought out some titles from it when we were at Storytellers Inc, and picked up The Mayflies, by Andrew O’Hagan, whom I’ve read before and which was published in Canada, but it sounded great. And then I also bought a book by Jenn Ashworth, an Lancashire author whose nominated book Ghosted wasn’t on the shelf, but her 2013 novel The Friday Gospels was, a review on the back of it reading “put me in mind of Mike Leigh.”
And oh, I loved it so completely. Instead it terrific when longing ends up in something that so completely satisfies?
The Friday Gospels takes place over a single day in the life of a Lancashire Mormon family whose second son is returning from two years away on a mission, the point of view moving between each member of the family—younger sister Jeannie: troubled older brother Julian; father Martin who’s fallen for a woman he met in the park while out with the dog; his wife Pauline, who’s become a shut-in and struggles to walk, plus Gary himself, whose actual experience and the way he’s regarded by his family are wildly divergent. But then, as it becomes clear, this is the case with all the family members, each one hiding shocking secrets, and just when you think such a character could not possibly have your sympathy, Ashworth turns her story inside out, the most incredible sleight of hand, and she does it again and again.
So that there is bleakness, but also so much humour, and humanity, gorgeous love and redemption, and the most ridiculous-seeming character is brought to life so vividly, flawed and human, tough and tender. With a plot that twists and turns—I read this on the plane and found myself gasping, whisper-shouting “NO!” at the page more than once—I was thoroughly gripped by this story of a single family, but also tremendously moved. I loved this book, and am very happy I also picked up a copy of Ghosted so I have that one to look forward to.
