Ellesea Loves Reading
Finding Summer Happiness
By Chris Penhall
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” Aldous Huxley
I love books. I love films. I love theatre. I love dancing. And I love singing and bouncing along to music virtually all the time, whether it’s in my house, in my car, or in my head. Apologies to anyone who has to hear or see that.
Like a lot of people, a fair bit of my life is done to a soundtrack – you know, sometimes a random song on a radio will spark a response, or I’ll compile a playlist for a sunny day. Shouting ‘Alexa play something happy’ or “Alexa play something relaxing’ has become a favourite pastime of mine.
And, now I’ve written three books, I realise that I sort of set them to music as well. I don’t make the main characters perform a song and dance number, but music does punctate the action occasionally. And that’s particularly true of my latest novel, Finding Summer Happiness.
The story follows Miriam Ryan, who has just walked away from her hugely successful events and catering company for a very long rest in secluded house on the Pembrokeshire coast in south west Wales. But due to an administrative error she discovers that seclusion is definitely not on offer. Cue surprise visitors, a few tribute acts, a spot of stargazing and a Look-A-Like Festival, plus quite a lot of food.
Of course, as it’s set in Wales there has to be singing, and Miriam herself is a lover of a playlist, so I found myself referring to the music she and some of the other characters were listening to in the background during the course of the story without really thinking about it.
It’s Not Unusual by Tom Jones makes an appearance – of course it does - It’s one of my favourite songs, and my main karaoke go-to! But it would be giving too much away to say how and why it is sung…..
Little Mix’s Break Up Song is in there somewhere – I was thinking of songs you could sing really defiantly to, and I have to say, that one’s a prime ‘as loudly as possible’
one I reserve for the house alone (or maybe a karaoke session in a booth for the ears of my friends only as they usually sound as bad as me). Look at Me I’m Sandra Dee from Grease is obviously a classic, as is the whole soundtrack and is surely designed as a sing-along. Alan the astronomer unsurprisingly plays the whole of Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, at one point. I’ve also thrown in a nod to the Sex Pistols, Ed Sheeran and Huey Lewis and the News, plus others scattered here and there because everyone at some point during their day puts on some music that just plays out in the background to whatever they’re doing.
And my favourite, favourite song of the past year – Happiness by McFly – is in there too. Because it’s in my head quite a lot of the time anyway.
When I write at home I often listen to certain types of music without really thinking about it or head to cafes for a spot of writing around other people where there’s a playlist going on.
In Portugal there is a supermarket close to the place I stay in regularly which until recently used to play out Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble and sometimes a spot of salsa over the sound system. It felt like going to a party and certainly affected what I bought…I’m writing my fourth novel set in Lagos and the western Algarve, and this may have to make an appearance.
“In the words of AC/DC we roll tonight to the guitar bite and for those about to rock I salute you.” Dewey Finn, School of Rock
Finding Summer Happiness by Chris Penhall
Miriam Ryan was the MD of a successful events and catering company, but these days even the thought of chopping an onion sends her stress levels sky rocketing. A retreat to the Welsh village of her childhood holidays seems to offer the escape she’s craving – just peace, quiet, no people, a generous supply of ready meals ... did she mention no people?
Enter a cheery pub landlord, a lovesick letting agent, a grumpy astronomer with a fridge raiding habit – not to mention a surprise supper club that requires the chopping of many onions – and Miriam realises her escape has turned into exactly what she was trying to get away from, but could that be just the thing she needs to allow a little bit of summer happiness into her life?
Her new novel, Finding Summer Happiness, which is set in Pembrokeshire in South West Wales was published in May 2021.
Chris is an author and freelance radio producer for BBC Local Radio.
She also has her own podcast - The Talking to My Friends About Book Podcast in which she chats to her friends about books. Good title!
Born in Neath in South Wales, she has also lived in London and in Portugal, which is where The House That Alice Built is set. It was whilst living in Cascais near Lisbon that she began to dabble in writing fiction, but it was many years later that she was confident enough to start writing her first novel, and many years after that she finally finished it!
A lover of books, music and cats, she is also an enthusiastic salsa dancer, a keen cook, and loves to travel. She is never happier than when she is gazing at the sea.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisPenhall
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisPenhallBroadcasterWriter
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