Changes

|title=Ferney

|author=James Long

|publisher=Quercus

|date=August 2012

|summary=This is a wonderful historical-romantic variety pack rooted in the present whilst incorporating the past 2,000 years. That may sound odd, but reading is understanding so take the phone off the hook, make a cuppa and prepare to become absorbed and enveloped.

}}

History lecturer Michael Martin thought that the chance of love and marriage had passed him by. Then Gally, a history nut and lecture gate crasher, attended one of his lectures and dared to contradict him. Contradiction led to courtship and the marriage that had previously seemed so elusive but despite their love and accompanying emotional security, Gally has a dark subconscious that haunts her. She's unsettled by repeating nightmares and, worse, night terrors that can't be explained by counsellors' logic. However when Mike and Gally find their (or rather, Gally's) ideal home in the shape of a derelict cottage in the Somerset village of Penselwood, Gally's nightmares are augmented by a strong feeling of déjà vu. Meanwhile the Martins seem to have developed a benevolent stalker in the shape of aged local Ferney Miller. Mike considers him a bit of a pain while for Gally he represents something else entirely; something that she can't explain nor understand but will become a threat to her marital happiness and Michael's peace of mind.

There's so much more I'd love to discuss but it would give too much away and this is the sort of treat that's spoilt if the flavour guide is left in the box. The good news is that it's not fattening and, for those who want seconds, the sequel, ''The Lives She Left Behind'', is in the air.

If you've enjoyed this, then try [[The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger|The Time Traveler's Wife]] or [[Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon|Cross Stitch]]. Both are a bit marmite but I loved them both whilst accepting that the next [[:Category:Diana Gabaldon|Diana Gabaldon]] book is better than the first.