Shy Creatures is a book that I will remember for a long time to come and will be recommending far and wide. Clare Chambers writes such beautiful, tender books that examine love and the frustrations and sadness of living alone in a painful honest yet life affirming way.
Central to Shy Creatures is Helen, an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital. We are in 1964 and she is in her mid 30s and in a long term relationship with a married doctor. Her position is precarious and hopeless but she can see no other way to live.
The catalyst for change comes as a man is found in a house with his elderly aunt. It appears he has lived there hidden away for many years. His life is a mystery that Helen is determined to solve. The book is told in 2 timelines, 1964 and William’s life with his aunts going backwards and gradually revealing why he has been hidden for so long.
This is a book you want to savour, the poignancy of William’s tragic life is almost unbearable while there is joy and sadness as Helen takes steps into a new life.
I’d give this 10 stars if I could - just read it.

This is such a beautifully written book I made myself slow down reading it because I didn't want it to end. The publishers describe this as, 'a life affirming novel about love, family and the joy of freedom' and it is all that and more.
Clare Chambers skillfully tells us the story of art therapist Helen, and William, a patient at Westbury Park mental institution in the 1960s. William has been discovered after not leaving his house for more than ten years. Helen makes time to find out about William's background and help him engage with the world once again. But as well as treating William and finding out about his past, Helen has troubles of her own including an affair with Gil, a married psychiatrist at the hospital, and a niece that needs her help.
It took me a while to really get into the book because the affair is the first thread we're introduced to, and for me, it was the aspect I engaged with least. But once I got past that, I immersed myself very happily into the story and was completely gripped.
This is an uplifting and heart warming book, with characters you can really believe in and care about.
With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC

This is a beautifully observed novel with strands interweaving. Helen is an art therapist in 1960s in a psychiatric hospital in Croydon. She falls in love with charismatic Gil. Gil is an "experimental" psychiatrist in some ways and has firm views on humane treatment.

The theme of boundaries is explored on various levels. Gil is a married man so Helen's relationship with him crosses certain boundaries. When Helen's niece has needs related to her own mental health , acceptable ethics and boundaries are once again tested.

Another strand to the story is the story of William, who has lived an isolated life with his aunts in a suburban house. He is found with his beard reaching his waist and has been "neglected". He is also mute. Gil takes on his case and Helen too. She finds he has artistic talent and tries to draw him out including finding his childhood friend (more boundary testing here)

Why is William alone in the house and why was he isolated? This strand unravels in parallel to Helen's story. Themes of freedom, kindness and dependency resonate through all the strands.

William's story reminded me of The Warlow Experiment by Alix Nathan. Also there were echoes of Pat Barker's Life Class and Regeneration trilogy in the art strand and historical psychiatry.

An intriguing read.

I've always enjoyed Ms Chamber's writing, but I think this may be her best yet. A gem of a novel, it manages to evoke an era and be both heartbreaking and heartwarming.
It also raises a number of questions, particularly about the care of mentally ill people, which remain all too relevant today, and it is interesting the writer based the core of her novel on a news article and the tabloid headlines it engendered.
Thank you to netgalley and Orion publishing group for an advance copy of this book

Shy Creatures is a very well-written and moving story based on a real news item.
I loved the dual timelines and the well-drawn characters. The book raises some complex issues. A beautifully-written and thought-provoking novel.
Outstanding.

The book starts in 1964. Helen Hansford is an art therapist working in mental health. She has been having an affair with Doctor Gil Rudden, one of her colleagues. Gil gets a house call and Helen accompanies him, and this is where we are introduced to William Tapping and his aunt Louisa.
William is found very unkempt.
What mystery is to unfold regarding why he has been found in those strange conditions?

This story is so well written, from the start to finish I was carried along with immense interest. It is told in the 1960’s and 1930’s.
A book of displaced sense of loyalty, and family secrets. How what other people thought in the 1930’s mattered very much, expectations of lifestyle and conduct. What society thought was correct in that era.
It does cover some sensitive issues.
As well as the authors writing style really appealing to myself I enjoyed reading about life in past times.
A very good book I will remember.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

I thought this was such a gentle book.
It’s about a psychiatrist, an art therapist, a nephew and his 3 aunts. But it’s so much more than that.
I devoured this book and I keep thinking about it.
I will definitely be recommending this book!

Shy Creatures is another fantastic offering from this talented author! It is a moving story set in 1960s Britain and follows Helen, an art therapist at a psychiatric hospital and William Tapping, a man discovered living in isolation with his elderly aunt.

Through Helen’s investigation, the novel explores William's tragic past and the circumstances that led him to seclusion.

Shy Creatures is an absolute must-read for fans of historical fiction and readers of the author’s previous work.

Clare chambers is one of my favourite writers as her books are so emotional and she is so skillful at observing and encapsulating the details of human behaviour and intimate relationships and friendships. The book focuses on the discovery of a recluse- William- and through some chance discoveries, his lonely history and sad family tale. Set in 1964, it really highlights what a different world we live in now.
A superb book about loneliness and love.

Another winner from Clare Chambers. I have long been a fan of the author's gentle touch when writing the stories of recent-historical characters in a thorough but compassionate style. She manages to capture the period and mood with well-researched detail and a slightly slower pace which is suited to the less technological age in which this novel is set, Croydon of the 1960s. Her characters and their gradually evolving histories are beautifully drawn, and intrigue from the outset. Chambers weaves the case of a newly discovered recluse into an uncovering of the events and relationships, which have led up to the present day, both for the narrator and her patient. It is a fascinating, totally engaging plot which subtly takes the reader beyond their everyday and remains in the mind long after finishing the book.

Wow. What a book. The characters and plot really stayed with me, even after I'd finished. Even though the ending ties up all the loose ends nicely I just wanted to keep reading about their lives. Set between the 1930s and 1960s the plot follows twists and turns around love, a childhood mystery, trauma, and family relationships. I can't rate this one highly enough.

'Shy Creatures' is a beautifully written book. Without rehashing the plot or giving away any spoilers the story set in a 1960's Mental Health Hospital tells us Helen and William's stories. It's a book with everything, one that will stay with you after that final page. Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an arc of this highly recommended five star read.

The writing style and the story will make you want to read the story in one sitting. The characters are lovely and really interesting to make you want to find out their story, Clare Chambers just got on the list of must read authors.

A really good read. Helen works as an art therapist at Westbury Park a hospital for people suffering with mental health, where she is having a relationship with Gil a married man but one night they are called out to an disturbance at a house where they discover William and his aunt and they are both in a bad way..After taking them both back to to the hospital it soon becomes apparent that William is very unstable and can't communicate with them. As his past is uncovered it is a remarkable and heartbreaking story but it so cleverly written by the author that it grips you from the beginning and also can Helen find the courage go change her lifestyle

I love Clare Chambers as a writer, and I loved this book. It is beautifully-written, with well-drawn characters, and a real sense of the period. I enjoyed it so much that I have already pre-ordered a copy for a friend.

I loved this book so much I don’t know what to say about it. It’s not a particularly tender story and yet by the end I was holding it to my chest, there was just so much care and kindness woven throughout. The prose was really lovely in a way that didn’t draw attention to itself, expect to be subtly wry and identifiably British. The characterisation was thoughtful, and there were several difficult topics, including child sexual assault, neglectful imprisonment by relatives and mentions of historical psychiatric practices, that were handled with a careful but light touch. This was my first Clare Chambers book and I CANNOT WAIT to devour her backlist.

Alerted by neighbours, police arrive at a house in Croydon and an elderly woman is taken into hospital. The police also find another resident, a man with hair and beard down to his knees and unable to speak. No one recognises him and there are no records of him living there. The man is William Tapping and his identity and how he came to be in the house are the central pivot of the book.

Helen is an art therapist at a mental institution. She is besotted with her colleague, Gil, and has been having an affair with him for 3 years by the time William Tapping is admitted.

This is a twin timeline narrative, with Helen relating the present (1960’s) and William, the past. This is a well written, moving story that captures your attention as it gradually reveals the answers. It is a touching and sad but not maudlin story and I was fascinated to read that it was based on an imagined backstory of a real historical news item.

With thanks to NetGalley, Claire Chambers and the publisher for an arc of this book.

🐱 Favourite Quote

"Perhaps if he had offered her a glass of wine instead, the day would have unfolded quite differently, but it is by these small acts that relationships are made and unmade."

🐈 My thoughts:

I chose this ARC uniquely because of the cover. At first, I thought it was going to be a DNF, but quickly the characters grabbed me and didn't let go.

This is very character-oriented, with Marion and Helen being my absolute favorite characters. The "Hidden Man" mystery plot is slowly explained, and this is why it kept my attention until the end. I normally don't enjoy slow-paced books, but Clare Chambers has a way of making it work perfectly.

It made me think about the influence that your family has in dealing with your traumas, especially if they happen at a young age. Such a powerful influence that will set you up for a great recovery or ruin your life. And how the perception of your relationship with someone can change drastically once you step out of it and start analyzing it from a distance. Sometimes, a little step back is all you need to move in the right direction.

I do love books that make me think!

Shy Creatures is set in Croydon in 1964 where Helen works as an art therapist at a psychiatric hospital and is having an affair with Gil, a doctor at the hospital. After a home visit they meet 37 year old William Tapper who is admitted to the hospital and engages in art therapy with Helen.
I have adored the novels of Clare Chambers for years and I was so pleased to see the acclaim she received for her last novel. She doesn’t write many novels and this makes her writing all the more special, Shy Creatures is beautifully written with gorgeous and insightful writing that flows so well and I was completely immersed in it. Clare Chambers really brings the 1960s to life - the atmosphere , the attitudes and Helen’s life as a single woman in her 30s. William Tapper is portrayed with extreme sensitivity, The narrative moves backwards and forwards through his life and although there is so much sadness there is ultimately hope.
What a wonderful novel, I would highly recommend it and felt bereft when I’d finished it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC,

In the 1960s, clinical psychiatry made great advances from the still prevalent Victorian treatment of mental illness. This story is based on newspaper snippets of the story of a forty-something-old man from Bristol who was found as a recluse living in squalor with his aunt.
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The protagonist, William Tapping, is then brought to Westbury Psychiatric unit. Art therapist Helen Hansford is interested to find out about his past and help him heal.

A well-rounded story, maybe a bit “biscuit tin” in places, but well worth reading.