Kept in the Dark by Penny Hancock – A satisfactory read

Synopsis: Sonia, a middle-aged woman, is attached to the home she grew up in situated beside the Thames River in London. As this narrative novel plays out her days in the house, her thoughts and her feelings reveal many unresolved and conflicting issues she has with her own family, her mother and with the memories of her childhood.  Little do her friends and family know, Sonia has kidnapped Jez, a youth who is brilliantly gifted in the musical linguistics of the guitar. Why is she greatly obsessed with keeping Jez with her at all times? Who is the mysterious and alluring figure in her memory who she refers to as “Seb?” Most importantly, how does Sonia reconcile with the disorder she has created for her own gratification?

My Blurb:

When I first started to read this novel, I was greatly surprised that it was written by a British author. Typically, British novels are filled with British wordings. I found that this novel was generally written in a demotic American tone. Of course, there were inserts of British expressions.  Most interesting is Hancock’s descriptions of Sonia and Helen’s attire. Both characters are costumed in European fashion. I think the author’s choice to tone down the British euphemisms was a good move.  It helped readers like myself understand and follow the characters’ internal and physical struggles.

As my eyes feasted on this piece of fiction, I discovered that it was more focused on promoting writing creatively as opposed to writing for the sole purpose of recounting the chain of events. As I flipped each page, I understood better and better the lost dreams, the feeling of hopelessness, and the desperation of each character as they try to find happiness. The sentiment of loss is one that everyone can relate to. However, everyone diverges when it comes to the methods used to compensate for the loss and the degree of delusion each individual is willing to strive for to protect their belief in the loss.

For Helen, the isolation she senses from her husband influences her to rely on alcohol. The numbness alcohol offers her is a vacant escape. In the end, this so-called friend impairs her judgment and fogs her senses when she needs it most to ensure her survival.  

For Sonia, her hope for Seb to return from her memories persuades her to selfishly neglect the well-being of others while she strives for her own happiness. The ultimate goal of her greediness corrupts the innocence of Jez’s youth. The fissures of Jez’s wholesomeness appear as he suffers under the dire conditions he is forced to endure by Sonia.

This novel shows that the destiny of each individual is not controlled solely by the person him/herself. Often, the encounters made, the friendships, the family, the time, and the place all play important roles in shaping an individual’s fate.  Like Jez, his encounter with Sonia has led from a pleasant conversation about music and guitar to fighting to live. As for Helen, her trust and friendship with Sonia has blinded her from seeing Sonia’s secrets and conspiracies.

Fundamentally, the quality I enjoy most about this novel is the rich descriptions of the Thames River and the house Sonia lives in. The words about the River and the house breathed life into these inanimate objects. The existence of these two places added life to the characters as well. The Thames River and Sonia’s house enabled Sonia’s character to blossom and to fill out the gaps in her character through their motion, light, and activities.

Give this novel a shot and let me know what you think!