Astonishing Splashes of Colour

Another modern novel, this one by Clare Morrall, is Astonishing Splashes of Colour.  Set in Britain, this is the story of a young woman who is confronted daily by the losses she has faced in her life, though some losses didn’t really happen (ah the twist in this one is pretty good, though I figured it out before it was exposed).  Katherine, who picked up the nickname “Kitty” after the family kitten died, is in a state of depression largely untreated and lives next door to her husband, James (the nicest guy in the book for sure!).  Kitty is the youngest child in her family, a family of six, though she never met her mother nor her oldest sister, as mom was killed in a car crash and sister Dinah disappeared with some hippies at age seventeen.  The four older brothers served as baby sitters for the young Kitty as her Dad constantly was consumed with his paintings, an artist by trade.  Her brothers all are now consumed with wife and kids, girlfriend, work, or some other distraction.  Each of the brothers want what is best for Kitty but realizes she needs professional help.  Early on in the story the reader learns how Kitty goes to school each day waiting for her son Henry, though Henry was never born.  Kitty lost her pregnancy pre-maturely.  Death and disappearance play a major role in Kitty’s inability to feel a sense of stability.  Kitty moved out of her father’s house in her late thirties and that’s where she meets James, the son of two doctors, who has his own issues (physical and emotionally).  The story follows Kitty’s strange adventures living in another world where she has premonitions and has a hard time of dealing with what is real and what is imagined.  The story comes to the major twist after Kitty’s grandparents are found died in their home (of natural causes) which leads the family to reunite for the funeral.  What a series of learnings… all leading to Kitty’s abduction of a child in a hospital and then stealing another child, a seven-year-old brat, who tries to pawn herself off as a bratty thirteen-year-old.  Kitty finally faces the lies that were created about her life in the final pages after the young seven-year-old burns down Kitty’s father’s house.  I wish the author had used a bit more on the whole “colour” piece which is only touched upon but makes so much sense in the area of depression.  The scenes with Kitty and her counselor are real and give the reader the belief that treatment can be a source of support when all else seems to be going out of control.  I really enjoyed the story and believe the author did an outstanding job of presenting characters that were real and believable.   While this story too jumped around (like yesterday’s) I thought that it was much more connected. Add this one to the collection.