Lighthearted and uplifting, this is a charming tale of a Norfolk (England) community group that comes together around an amateur competition designed to unlock a person’s creative spark. We alternate between the perspectives of Bardy, a retired English teacher suffering from writer’s block, and Kate, an equally frustrated once-painter, but the others in the group each have equally compelling narratives that slowly surface as the group coalesces into something much greater than originally intended.
This could have been simply another piece of uplifting women’s fiction (and nothing is wrong with that!), but I found a lot to love that went far beyond the expected bromides. Bardy experiences synesthesia and the description of how he saw people as intense and specific colors was fascinating. It was as though his subconscious experiences of people manifested as actual visual portrayals. I also found all the discussions about art — making it, recognizing it, expressing oneself through it (without considering external judgement) incredibly insightful and engaging — even though I have no artistic capabilities or experiences trying to produce it. The array of artistic endeavor was both amusing and absorbing — from oils to poetry to photography to fashion designs (on dogs!) to musical theatre. I was particularly interested in the way that any artistic expression is a window into someone — their interests, the way they see things, the way their brain works — I’m always curious about people and very aware of how differently people “work” from each other. I hadn’t really thought about artistic expression as a channel in that. I liked the reminder also that artistic expression is for the artist, regardless of the opinions and valuations of others. With so much commentary and criticism on all sides, it’s sometimes difficult to remember that you paint or play piano or pretend to take on acting roles because it’s fun and internally satisfying, not because you need the approval from others (unless you’re trying to make a living that way, of course!).
The book had a nice happy ending — full of (realistically IMHO) resolved situations with personal growth required for decent closure. The “Six Little Words” inspiring the title are exposed near the end — and they are perfect! Great for fans of Joanna Trollope. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Books to look forward to ... 