Corley Roper is devastated when his little daughter Elspeth dies of scarlet fever and the situation is made worse by his wife's entanglement with a spiritualist. His grief drives him out of the house, and for a few days he just wandered. On his wanderings he had a chance encounter with Mary Wilson, who was also grieving the loss of her still-born child, a little boy. They exchange stories, but somehow Corley is haunted by Mary's sadness. Mary is overwhelmed by the fact that her little boy was unable to be buried in the churchyard, as was the case for still-born babies in the early 1900's, and so Corley helps her to bury a small lock of his hair underneath a tree in the churchyard. On his return home, his wife insists that he move into his workshop at the end of the garden, and eventually asks for a divorce, aided and abetted by the spooky Mr Dolgelly, with whom it appears his wife is conducting some sort of affair.Although his situation is dire, somehow Corley feels more impassioned about Mary Wilson and her tragic childhood and loss, and so engineers a visit to her home, after finding a book that she left at their last meeting, to find out more. But Mary is terrified to see him, as she is unhappily married to a village curate, and is worried about the local gossip if she is seen with him. This surprises Corley, as he felt that there was a strong bond between them, and thought that she felt the same way, too. Corley finds himself eerily affected by the dead baby, and even seeks counsel from a Psychiatrist, but is not convinced he is just suffering from a nervous condition brought on by his own loss; more that he is somehow 'haunted' by the baby, and that he won't rest until he has found the reason for Mary's sad childhood. His quest takes Corley on many journeys across England, and also to Paris, where he coincidently meets up with a young American journalist, who had tried to interview him at his home, shortly after Elspeth's death. For Corley is a highly acclaimed author of children's books, but he insists that his grief has robbed him of his gift to write.This book is a marvellous tale of grief, love and kindness. I just fell in love with Corley for his compassion and determination, and hated his wife and Dolgelly with a vengeance! She has this horrible habit of talking to Corley in a childish voice, using stuffed animals for her mouth piece to deliver cruel words. I am looking forward to obtaining James Wilson's other novels, as I found him a wonderful empathetic writer, with a real sense of his character's pain.<strong>Book Circle Panellist</strong>

This gripping historical novel is beautifully written in language that calls to mind the great novels of a century ago, but Wilson adds a modern sensitivity. Corley Roper is a writer of children's stories. His life has fallen apart after the death of his young daughter, something both he and his wife fail to come to terms with. For Roper it means he can no longer write the stories that failed to save his daughter, and his wife starts an affair with a spiritualist who moves into their house, trying to contact her daughter's ghost. Roper becomes obsessed with a woman he meets in a graveyard where she asks him to bury a lock of hair in a cigar box. He wants to know what her past is and solve the mystery of her family which he sees as his personal quest. Wilson has a brilliant understanding of the power of language. Roper and his wife write notes in childish words that speak of a former closeness but that in their current predicament illustrate that they don't talk about anything of importance and use words to avoid communication. The combination of Wilson's language and the settings create a vivid picture of England in the 1910s. The Waterstone's Book Circle

This is a beautifully written book, and one which strongly evokes a sense of period: 1910, the lost world of pre-war England (and France). It also creates strongly drawn characters, particularly that of the grieving narrator Corley Roper. The use of the first person narrative is perfect for this novel, as we see everything only through Roper's eyes which develops our sympathy for him, especially in his dealings with his wife - not an appealing character. Her use of (very irritating) baby language and soft toys to communicate with him is never really explained and much in their relationship is, decorously, kept hidden. It seems to me that, in this story about one man's search for truth, it is the questions raised about what is not revealed - and what may be imagined - that makes it such an interesting read. This is one of those books that, the more you think about it, the more interesting it becomes...Waterstone's Book Circle

Initially I wasn't sure how I would take to Consolation. It's primarily about the deaths of two children, and as a mum to two small girls, I wasn't sure if I would want to read this book. However, I can say that these feelings were very quickly dismissed. Corley Roper (children's author) and Mary Wilson (un-happy vicar's wife) have both tragically lost their children and meet by chance one wet night. Corley becomes entranced by Mary and after hearing the tale of her childhood, vows to find the answers he believes she is searching for. Set in 1910 Corley Roper travels through England and even over to France trying to find out about Mary's life. Aside from this plot is also that of the relationship between Roper and Alice Dangerfield, an American fan who has travelled the globe to meet him, and of Roper and his estranged wife. At times I did find it hard to believe that the novel was set in the early part of the twentieth century, but for characters as rich as Roper and Dangerfield, then I guess it was all pretty possible. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but it made for light reading and I wouldn't say I disliked it.Waterstone's Book Circle

I really enjoyed this book although I couldn't make much sense of the strange, surreal beginning. Bear with it as all becomes clear.Set in 1910, Corley Roper is a famous author of children's books whose loveless marriage has finally broken down following the death of his young daughter. His wife has turned to spiritualists including one particularly Gothic character, Mr Dolgelly. Roper, meanwhile, has been banished to the garden shed. When he meets and hears the sorry tale of the mysterious Mary Wilson, Roper embarks on a quest of discovery which takes him around England by horse-drawn caravan with his friend, Jessop and to Paris where he forms a tentative relationship with American journalist and fan, Alice Dangerfield. The quest becomes slightly obsessive as he discovers Mary may have been abandoned in Paris amid some scandal by an aristocratic family who paid for her to be cared for by a household of staff.Roper begins to experience hallucinations, believes Mary's stillborn child is living in the recesses of his mind and also suffers physically. Is he mad or is this a ghost story? What is the truth behind Mary Wilson? And will Roper give in to his feelings for Alice? The quality of writing, the atmosphere and the strange ghostly references reminds me of Wilkie Collins' 'Woman In White'.Waterstone's Book Circle