Faith [Paperback]

The other reviewers here are in danger of being too harsh on this novel. It tells the life story of Laura, a woman who has been wrongly imprisoned for the murder of her best friend, Jackie.

This book has much to offer. The descriptions of poverty in London only a few years after the war are unflinching, engaging, affecting but subtle and free from embellishment at the same time. Bit by bit, Pearse builds on the characters of Laura and Jackie until I was drawn into the story and cared about what happened to them.

The character of Laura, who was sexually molested by her stepfather as a child, grows up to be the archetypal woman of the world, going through a variety of interesting/colourful experiences, as well as various sleazy and degrading ones. Yet this adds further credibility to the plot. Such situations occur, and the way in which Pearse describes them makes readers empathise with Laura rather than scorn her. She is, after all, a victim of a troubled past, and those who recognise that in themselves will enjoy reading 'Faith'. The descriptions of how a woman can be drawn into a world of pornography, drugs, and lust for wealth are very vivid and told with an unflinching, painstaking attention to detail. Why shouldn't a writer draw attention to the ways in which a working-class woman can inadvertently be drawn into such things? Just because Lesley Pearse didn't graduate from a top University and has a more accessible vernacular than middle-class writers like Joyce Carol Oates does not make her story-telling any less valid. Virtually everyone will be able to relate to at least one of the characters in this novel - doesn't this therefore guarantee it's relevance and artistic worth?

Yet 'Faith' isn't without it's flaws. Some of the plot developments are predictable at best, and the central character's unwavering ability to always bounce back is not always convincing. What's also slightly irritating is the portrayal of a woman who climbs society's social ladder through a variety of sleazy or calculating means. It doesn't do women many favours - we are, after all, able to achieve things through hard work and intelligence. The character of Laura is not portrayed as stupid
or talentless, so why did Pearse feel the need to portray her as someone who finds success through porn, Casino work, modelling, or constantly searching for that next conquest - usually a wealthy one?

Despite these irritations, 'Faith' is an extremely enjoyable read, with a collection of characters, scenarios, situations and observations which will strike a chord with many. Lesley Pearse has also done a great deal of research with regard to locations, and it shows. Good research always gives further credibility to a novel.

Lesley Pearse is still very much one of the leading writers of fiction in the UK today, and with good reason. As long as people are able to relate to and empathise with her characters, and enjoy her plots, her writing will continue to have validity and her success will be much-deserved.

Laura Brannigan, is serving life in prison for the murder of her best friend, which she states she did not commit. One day she receives a letter from Stuart, who she had a relationship with 20 years ago, he pays her a visit in prison, and he is one of the only people who is convinced she did not commit the murder, he takes it upon himself to prove that Laura is innocent.

This is another brilliant book by Lesley Pearse.

I loved it - but then again I just want an absorbing read on holiday - and it was a GOOD read. Lesley's books are always worth buying. I am eagerly awaiting the next one. The story did go back and forth "in time" but that added to the suspension in the plot. Rock on Lesley....!