Dorothy by Neil Rathmell

Dorothy

 by Neil Rathmell



Dorothy by Neil Rathmell 
was published on 18th May 2024 by Valley Press.
 My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me on the tour.







My Review

This is such a moving poetic biography written by a son that takes you through a whole gamut of emotions as you read about Dorothy’s life and the feeling of failure she endured for the vast majority of it.

The insight with which Neil talks about his mother in this verse like setting shows an understanding and compassion , along with the ability to see her life through her eyes and not through his.

It is a book that will not take you long to read , I sat down with it on a wet May afternoon, but it will leave you with a sense of having had the privilege of almost being a part of Dorothy’s life due to the way in which the narrative unfurls.

The chapters on India, where Dorothy actually experiences joy for the first time, and a change in her life moving forwards bring light into what , up until then, has been an extremely emotive life, bringing a smile to your face and a lightness as you read the final chapters of the book.

If you are like me, you will get a lot out of this book about Dorothy and will maybe look at the lives of one , or both, of your parents and wonder how well you knew them and what they were feeling. 






About the Author




Neil Rathmell was born in 1947 and grew up in Yorkshire. He read English at Jesus College, Cambridge. His first novel, The Old School, was published by Faber & Faber in 1976. His short fiction has been published in literary magazines including Ambit, Prole, Popshot and The Penny Dreadful. His plays have been produced by youth theatres and amateur drama groups in the UK, India and the Czech Republic. After a career in education which took him to Cheshire, County Durham and Shropshire, he is now back in Yorkshire enjoying retirement with his wife, Jaspreet.


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