Sunday Best by Bernice Rubens

My friend Kathy recommended this writer and what a wonderful writer she is. Kathy said her humour was wonderful but in this book it’s not the humour that is the key to enjoyment. It’s the story of George Verrey-Smith, schoolmaster and cross dresser, who needs to resolve his personal issues. The death of a neighbour initiates a whole string of events that see him facing up to his sexuality and to his past. The writing is outstanding. George tells his own story with black humour, wit and a nastiness of character that can leave you gasping. I really liked the resolution which rang absolutely true – no fairytale quaint endings here but something as satisfying and utterly believable, important when the situation the writer is exploring is so unusual. This makes it all sound very serious, and while the themes are indeed serious, the storytelling is done with a light hand. It is utterly readable.