The writers retreat by Victoria Brownlee

Kat found success as a writer by telling the story of her parents’ own love story. Her entry into the publishing world was easy, but now after drafting her second novel everything seems to be tumbling down around her. A rewrite is necessary, but Kat is filled with dismay at her own inability to refashion her second story to make it anything but boring. Was it too much like her own life? A last-minute place on a writer’s workshop in France might be her chance to break the fear that she cannot write at all. Inside the writer’s craft and meshed with the sensuous joys of French cuisine and culture, Kat discovers more than she expected and it is not all romantic. 

Written as a combination of a writing journal inspired by workshop prompts, and a bare-bones novella that seems to reveal a mystery involving the workshop hosts, the story is revealed as a combination of fiction, an investigation report disguised as fiction and an overarching mystery. The strange weaving of these things creates a muddied plot path that is sometimes a little uncomfortable in its progression. What is delightful is the French cultural landscape and the description of every meal creates moments of salivatory appeal. At times this seems a strange way to tell this unfolding mystery, and it is not always satisfying. There is romance, mystery and self-discovery all wound together in knots. Some of the techniques for creative writing are intriguing and the excerpts shared by the collection of retreat attendees can be admirable, but mostly this book feels puzzling. No one and no one’s story can really be trusted, and the narrative structure and style is slightly off-centre. Written for adults, but readers aged 16+ could find the Creative writing aspects of the story interesting.

Themes: Writing, Fiction, Plagiarism, Mystery, Romance, Publishing, Self-discovery.

Carolyn Hull