The Magic of Bernie Moon
Since becoming pregnant and getting married in her late teens, Bernie Moon has dedicated her life to husband Martin and son Dan. Now approaching 50 and going through the menopause, she realises she's become invisible to those she loves, just a living household appliance that cooks the meals and makes the beds. But things are about to change. A vivid nightmare the night a local woman is murdered reawakens something in Bernie that has lain dormant since childhood; the ability to psychically explore and alter other people's minds and attitudes. As she rediscovers the extent of her gift, she gains the confidence to do things differently in her own life too. But the past is about to catch up with her, and a looming school reunion will bring it all to a head...
Ideas and Revelations
As I turned the last page of 'Broken Light', the only word to emerge from my throbbing brain was 'Wow'. There is so much being talked about in this book; misogyny, consent, misunderstanding, power imbalances, sex, truth, relationships, honesty, respect, stereotypes, self-awareness, isolation, justice... And all in the framework of a solid supernatural plot about female empowerment in mid-life. 'Broken Light' is far from a light read. It's the compelling story of one woman and her unusual skill used to explore contemporary debates around relationships between men and women.
Complex Characters and Social Media
I think this is a book and set of characters that I will be thinking about and decoding for a while yet. The core characters are reassuringly complex, neither wholly bad nor wholly good. For example, women can be messy and vengeful, while men can be sensitive and wilfully ignorant. I also enjoyed the way the pros and cons of social media are shown rather than told. Platforms and websites bring people together and push them apart, and the way social media is integrated into ordinary life is woven naturally through the story. Ms Harris shows how easy it is to fall into unhelpful thought patterns and repetitive arguments around certain topics and events without even noticing, giving the reader food for thought about their own behaviour, on- and offline.
One Little Niggle
I was in two minds about mentioning this, but I was listening to a podcast with the author and she said she wants to make sure readers are able to get absorbed into her books without errors to bring them back to reality, so here goes. I was completely distracted by date issues a few pages into the book. Bernie and Katie are supposed to be in the same year at school, but UK school years run 1st September to 31st August. As Katie is eight months senior to Bernie and Bernie has a September birthday, it's unlikely they were in the same year. I understand that some September babies are allowed to start early, but the child-like quality of young Bernie is key to the plot, so I find this unlikely. Like I say, a minor distraction, but enough of a distraction to get in the way of an otherwise stunning book. I hope I can be forgiven for mentioning it.
Overall
I suspect that people will either love or hate this book. Some will find the magical MacGuffin a turn off, while others will bemoan the lack of entirely nice men (that's not who this book is about). Personally, I found 'Broken Light' to be a clever way to explore the complex minefield of contemporary attitudes and ideas around how men and women are able treat each other and themselves. It's complex, bold, original, creative and dramatic. There are no superheroes. Everyone's flawed because everyone's relying on worn ideologies and faded stereotypes. If you like a challenging read that will make you think, I'd recommend 'Broken Light'.
Now, what next...?
'Broken Light' by Joanne Harris was published by Orion Fiction in 2023. This review is based on the hardback edition. Cover image kindly provided by the publisher.
