The Vanishing of Margaret Small - Neil Alexander

AUTHOR: Neil Alexander

NARRATOR: Annie Aldington + 1

GENRE: Literary Fiction, Contemporary Drama

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: An unusual story. The title and cover makes this debut novel appear light and easy-going, but it gets quite intense at times. Definitely worth reading for its quirky protagonist and its character-oriented storyline.

Story Synopsis:

75-year-old Margaret Small has been a lifelong Cilla Black fan. After the death of the singer, Margaret begins receiving anonymous envelopes containing cash, with a note simply signed ‘C’. Margaret is sure that these are from Cilla, but whom can she confide in? Her young caregiver Wayne will surely laugh at her.

To resolve the mystery, we are also given a glimpse of another timeline beginning from 1947, when little Margaret was first ‘vanished” into a long-stay institution for children with learning disabilities.

Both the timelines are narrated to us in the first person pov of Margaret.

Where the book worked for me:

😍 Margaret as the lead character is endearing and will definitely make her way into your heart. Despite the tough life she has had, she ventures into each day with an amazing never-give-up attitude. Simply adored her!

😍 I won't tell you why and how long Margaret ended up in the children’s institution but the way this aspect is incorporated into the plot is marvellous. It isn’t a case of writing a character with a disability just to fit in with the current trend in fiction but forgetting to use it after some casual mentions. On the contrary, the author thoughtfully makes use of this aspect of Margaret’s personality in almost every chapter.

😍 There are some memorable secondary characters as well, both good and bad. Wayne was among my favourites.

😍 The two timelines work wonderfully in sync with each other. Neither seems forced, and both were equally enjoyable.

😍 The chapters are short, adding to the pace of the novel. (I was a bit apprehensive to see eighty-seven chapters at first! Needn’t have worried.)

😍 While the book is quite emotional, it also incorporates plenty of humour.

😍 The story is slow and quick at the same time, if you know what I mean. There’s not much happening in each chapter but you still feel like the plot is moving ahead steadily, mainly by uncovering greater facets of the characters’ personalities.

😍 The author’s note at the end reveals the real-life inspiration for Margaret. Loved it!

😍 Okay, call me gender-biased, but I am not a fan of men writing women; most of the times, they mess up female representation. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that this is written by a man! What a beautiful and sensitive portrayal of the female characters! There was no scene where I felt like the writing went stereotypical. So yeah, I admit, there are some good male writers in contemporary fiction. I hope some more of them come my way. (Sorry for being so presumptive in my dismissal of male authors! It’s a case of ‘Multiple times bitten, perennially shy.’)

😍 Imagine also my surprise when I discovered that this is a debut work. It is far more complex and nuanced than many of the established works I have read.

(How do debut writers write whimsical characters best – I wonder! Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Olliphant, Matt Cain’s Albert Entwistle, even Fredrik Backman’s Ove – all are debut works with memorably peculiar characters. Neil Alexander’s Margaret Small joins this elite list without a doubt.)

Where the book could have worked better for me:

😑 A tad too convenient at times, especially in the second half.

😑 Some of the secondary characters are too clichéd.

😑 There are some plot points, mainly about Margaret’s younger years, that are brushed off hastily. I would have loved some more details on these gaps.

The audiobook experience:

The audiobook, clocking at 8 hrs 41 min, is narrated mainly by Annie Aldington, with some chapters coming from another narrator. The second narrator doesn’t get much chance to show much vocal range, though the scenes narrated by this person are also performed well. (Notice how hard I am trying to avoid spoilers about identity!)

Aldington is MARVELLOUS! Her voices and her emotions are spot on. The personality she creates with her voice not just for Margaret but for all the characters she voices is so good that you feel; like you are hearing a multi-cast performance.

There’s only one problem if you opt for the audio version, which is brilliant in every other way. You will discover at least the gender of the mysterious ‘C’, which eliminates half of the potential suspects from the list. Reading the book would have helped retain the mystery better.

All in all, this is a book that is heartrending and heartwarming at the same time. If you want to read the touching story of a loveable old lady, definitely give this a go.

The book is available on Kindle Unlimited.

My thanks to Bonnier UK Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Vanishing of Margaret Small”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.