The Everyday and Far Away – Jacqueline Jones

Published By: Magpie
Pages: 320
Released On: 01/05/2025

Ernie has had three grand passions in his long life: his dear wife Phyllis, a vintage Norton Dominator motorcycle, and his mini-me son, Stephen. Now, as dementia overwhelms Ernie and takes away everything he can remember about the everyday, memories of those far away times remain crystalline and cherished.

His granddaughter Nina, seventeen, is equally at odds with the everyday. Excluded from college for her lack of concentration, it seems a job in her mother’s greengrocers is the best life can ever offer. Endless time stretches bleakly ahead, yet Nina feels she can barely make it to the end of each day.

Until, that is, Nina stumbles upon a surprise which, it turns out, can save both Ernie and herself…

*****

Thanks to Anne at Random Things Book Tours for the gifted copy of this title in return for an honest review.

This sounded utterly beautiful and I leapt at the chance to read it.

Anyone who has gone through dementia knows it can be impossible to explain, but Jacqueline has done a marvellous and sensitive job at it.

It goes between first and third person. Ernie’s chapters are in first person, whilst the others are in third, which goes to show that it’s Ernie’s story. I don’t generally gel with first person, but by balancing it with other points-of-view, it made it easier for me. But I admit, I don’t think it would have had the same impact if Ernie’s chapters weren’t in first person.

It goes go to and fro various time periods. I know some people don’t get on with changing time periods, but I generally am a fan as it’s a great way of seeing what’s happened and how that affects the present, and we get to see our characters through different periods. It was seamless and I can’t think of any other way she could have written this and got the same effect.

I loved the characters. Some were in it more than others, some more likeable than others. But I thin she’s created such a spectrum of humanity that there really is something for everyone. Ernie and Nina are particular standouts – it reminded me of my relationship with my nan, who had dementia.

I struggled to put it down. It was just so comforting that I could have stayed in this world forever. I read half in bed one night and then finished it the following morning. It really is a very good book.

It does contain some difficult topics such as dementia, physical illness, death, grief, relationship struggles, familial difficulties, neurodiversity. But at the very soul of the story, is heart, love, and hope.

It’s not overly sad, which is surprising given the subject matter, but I did find myself welling up at a few moments, not always sad. But there were a couple of moments (no spoilers) where it definitely wasn’t happy tears. In fact, by the end of it I was glad I was alone because I was a mess.

Oh and whilst I won’t give spoilers, let me just say that the last chapter is probably the best last chapter of any book I’ve ever read.