Epic & Enjoyable

The Company Of Heaven by Catherine Fox is the fifth book in the Lindchester Chronicles series but can be read as a stand-alone. It is an epic tale set from spring 2021 to spring 2022. The reader drops in on the surrounding area of Lindchester as we follow the various characters.

It is a gentle tale as the narrator notices not only the big things but the small too. It is a social commentary on the times as you find yourself saying “gosh I had forgotten that” or “I remember that!”

We see the tail end of the COVID years that feel in some ways so very long ago. We are thankful for the freedoms we have today and which we had previously taken for granted.

All the characters are well drawn. They are an eclectic mix, such as you would find in any town. They each have their various challenges and are easy to empathise with. Each reader will identify with different characters.

The writing is amusing too. I found the maths problem with the young girl’s answer very funny – certainly something I could identify with, having found maths questions rather alien myself!

As we drop in and out of lives, we are the fly on the wall as we celebrate the highs and lows of the residents of Lindchester. For me, I found the book very reminiscent of George Eliot’s Middlemarch which I studied in the 1980’s as part of my degree.

The Company Of Heaven is an epic and very enjoyable read. I enjoyed the three bonus stories at the end.

I received a free copy from the publisher. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

JULIA WILSON