Facing the Light on the eve of World Book Day

My first contact with Adele Geras was through her wonderful children's book The Fabulous Fantoras which I blogged about in the very early days. Adele kindly let me post the pattern for knitting The Dream Cushion from the book on here.I'm still dreaming about mine, one day it will be made.
I've just finished Facing the Light and this has been a real diversion from my current reading fare so all the more welcome for that.
A vast family saga replete with lies, secrets,skeletons in cupboards and all building towards that final showdown at matriarch Leonora's 75th birthday party.The daughter of a celebrated Edwardian artist, Ethan Walsh, Leonora has devoted her life to keeping his memory and his work sacred.
Her family have other ideas.
It's a bit like watching a TV soap when you know a party spells trouble and this is going to be no exception.The tension builds up slowly but surely as the family arrive, the marquee is erected, the food is prepared, the flowers are arranged, the gifts are given all as the flashbacks gradually fill in more and more detail.
Some wonderful and memorable characters intricately and beautifully drawn and lots of speculation and interweaving of past and present relationships all entering and exiting this massive stage that Adele (I think we are on first name terms) has created.I can't imagine how many post-it notes she had dotted around to remind her  about all this, it really must have required advance personnel skills to keep this family in order.
This is one perfect hot water bottle read par-excellence, a book to curl up with and award yourself one of those total immersion reading experiences.
I'm even more delighted that Adele stopped by for a virtual pot of tea,scones and cream and the dovegreyreader asks...armchair.That will be on the blog tomorrow to celebrate World Book Day and the publication of another of her books, Lily A Ghost Story. This is a great little read aimed at "those who may have lost the reading habit or just want a short fast read". I read my copy ages ago and though I may not be the target audience I wasn't disappointed.
Meanwhile prepare yourselves for tomorrow, my sides still hurt from all that laughing and I daren't get on the scales.We really went to town on that clotted cream and don't mention the shoes...please.