Braver by Deborah Jenkins

'Engaging and original first novel which accurately portrays a church's community outreach. I look forward to seeing the author's work develop'  

Braver                                                                 
By Deborah Jenkins
Fairlight Books
ISBN no: 9781914148132
Reviewed by Moira Kleissner

Braver is the first novel by Deborah Jenkins, a freelance writer, teacher and Baptist church member, and is published by a small publishing house.

The narrative of the book traces the experiences and interaction of the three protagonists: Hazel who has OCD and works as a teaching assistant; Harry, a young teen who has an alcoholic mother and is bullied by some unsavoury friends; and Virginia, a community minded church minister in London. Each chapter is focused on one person but told in the author’s voice.

I particularly liked the way the church was portrayed and the outreach work it did in the community, reflecting what many modern churches do today. There is much to like in this book.
 
However, there were anomalies that jarred in the original storyline. In the schools I have worked in as a senior leader, someone with severe OCD would not have been employed and moved from class to class as a teaching assistant for infants or SEND children.
 
The story is undoubtedly engaging and original, but in my opinion there was a lot of extraneous information and over explaining of the characters’ past stories which I felt didn’t move the narrative along. I also longed for some ordinary characters who didn’t have complex back stories, and found the ending resolved too neatly.
 
Nevertheless the general storyline was good and I enjoyed reading the book, and it’s clear from the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads others have felt the same. I do hope Deborah continues writing: she certainly has original ideas, and I look forward to her next book.
 
 
Braver was shortlisted for The Writers’ Guild Best First Novel Award 2023
 
 
Related:
'My hope is that people will read it and think about church differently'
Interview with freelance writer, teacher and Baptist church member Deborah Jenkins about her novel Braver, and her long-held dream of writing a book about people with faith.
 
 

Moira Kleissner is a retired Primary Deputy Head, storyteller, trainer and minister’s wife