Longlisted for the 2021 Women’s Prize, Unsettled Ground is Claire Fuller’s fourth novel. Twins Jeanie and Julius are described as ‘unnatural’. At 51 years old, they live with their mother Dot in rural England, disconnected from the modern world. They grow their own food, refuse to use banks, preferring instead to stash their money away in cubbyholes, and have an overall distrust of ‘civilisation’. But when Dot dies of a stroke, their way of life is threatened as her secrets begin to unravel. However, this is not a typical mystery novel. It is also an exploration of poverty, community, and survival.
Unfortunately, Unsettled Ground fails to live up to its intriguing premise. Fuller is, undoubtedly, a master at building suspense. From the very first page, Fuller leaves you eager to discover the truth behind Dot’s secrets. However, once the truth is laid bare, you are left feeling underwhelmed, cheated, and a little bit disappointed. Dot’s secrets are not as ‘big’ as they are made out to be, making the book feel, on the whole, slightly insignificant.
Additionally, the plot often feels slow, dragged out by far too many long-winded references to Jeanie’s and Julius’s money troubles. Instead of sympathy for the twins, you feel indifference. Their characters feel somewhat two-dimensional and undeveloped, for a novel that is character rather than plot-driven. Even when they find the body of their dead mother, slumped over the hearth, Jeanie and Julius do not seem overly bothered. There is some crying, but it feels ornamental – there is a certain emotional depth missing here.
Unsettled Ground’s one saving grace is Fuller’s rich descriptions of nature and rural England. Fuller pays close attention to the lushness of nature, making it easy to visualise Jeanie’s and Julius’s cottage – you can almost smell the earth of their garden and the surrounding countryside. The descriptions of nature, coupled with Fuller’s interleaving of folk song lyrics, make the novel atmospheric and somewhat magical.
Whilst this book was unsettling – for reasons both good and bad – it did not leave a lasting impression.
Really insightful review on this book. I read many fiction and fantasy based books and when looking for new content to read reviews such as this that are honest and unbiased are always so helpful and appreciate when narrowing down new books buy and read.
Was actually looking at purchasing this book but was slightly unsure about it, I am glad I didn't in the end.