People Person, Candice Carty-Williams

People Person- Candice Carty Williams

I am a pretty big fan of Candice Carty-Williams, as I absolutely adored her 2019 novel, Queenie. So for me, (and my sister!), People Person was an incredibly exciting prospect. So exciting in fact that my sister, on the day of release leapt down to Waterstones to buy it for herself (and a copy for me!) signed no less!. We were incredibly fortunate because each purchase that day came with a free tote bag so it was absolutely thrilling, (still really grateful my sister got me a tote too!). – That’s what siblings are for!!

The Pennington’s

Which brings me neatly to what Carty-Williams second novel is all about, family. The central character is 30 year old, Dimple Pennington, a quite emotional, sensitive and lonely woman, who has four other half siblings; Nikisha, Danny, Lizzie and Prynce (Nikisha and Prynce share the same Mother). Dimple is one month older than her half-sister, Lizzie.

Despite knowing of them from a young age, as they are introduced by their pretty eccentric and absent father, Cyril Pennington. Apart from one specific meeting the five siblings grow up pretty separately, with their 4 different Mothers.

That is until now, when a rather strange, series of events brings them together as adults. These new relationships, that Dimple never knows she needed, transforms how she sees herself and helps her reinterpret what really matters to her.

What on earth

Having read her first novel, the opening of this one was really not what I expected to dive into. OF course, I do not want to spoil it, but the beginning ‘strange’ or ‘catastrophic’ event (as the blurb describes it), really feels very farcical and unreal. I have to be honest, I wasn’t really feeling the book when I started, it felt unusual for Carty-Williams to throw me, without warning, into action like that!!! I ambled on with the book and discovered how wrong I was to doubt her!!

Family!

Now having read both novels I can see a number of things that makes Carty-Williams books so engrossing. Her language isn’t particularly fancy, but it doesn’t need to be, she creates very real, (always funny), but believable characters. The emotional depth of each character creeps up on you over the novel, with each sibling showing themselves, and their vulnerabilities, and most importantly in this book, what they stand for.

She captures so uniquely the bond between siblings. You have to constantly remind yourself too, that these 5 did not grow up together, nor are they full siblings. But as Nikisha, the eldest says; ‘You’re my full siblings, I don’t subscribe to the idea of halves and wholes…’.

They squabble, they argue; but Dimple realises suddenly in her life, for the first time, she has people that have her back.

The siblings

The impact of their Father’s nonchalant (basically absent), parenting appears to have manifested in different ways across all of them. Their attitude to their Father, again show their different characters.

Nikisha is very pragmatic, now with two kids of her own she doesn’t really have time for her absent Father. However when another event occurs in her Father’s family, she quickly assumes the role as eldest; because she knows what needs to be done.

Danny, ( probably my favourite !), having a brush with the law in his twenties is now working as a plumber to support his sweet wee son, Marley. From his doting love of Marty, he cannot understand his Father’s choice to not be part of their lives. Oh yeah, and he is always hungry! Hahaha

Dimple is a kind of failed influencer. She has a fake persona online, but in reality it conceals, a very lonely woman, who doesn’t know what she is doing with her life. She is fully of self-critique, and for me in many ways, with all her emotions, is the character most readers will relate too.

Lizzie is absolutely terrifying. She is very critical of all her siblings and appears to have an unfounded superiority context for a lot of the book, against her siblings. But I think she has inwardly softened to her siblings.

Prynce, the youngest is really still growing up. Still acting as the baby of the lot, he has Lizzie’s honesty without the hurt she brings with it. He cares and is just eager to help and be part of it all.

Are you a People Person ? (Possible spoiler ideas)

As soon as you begin reading the novel drives you towards attributing the phrase ‘People Person’ to Cyril Pennington’, their father. He is incredibly easy-going, laid back, friend to all, but there is an absence in him of assuming his Fatherly role.

But the concept of being a ‘people person’ in this novel is taken further. In the sense we all know, to be a people person is to be Cyril, a friend to all and just generally good with getting people to like him, and be on his side.

As Dimple and all her siblings come to terms with their Dad’s choice, not to invest in their lives, they become a new form of a ‘people person’. By this, I mean (as I think the novel does), that they learn to accept someone for how they come, and not how they want or wish them to be.

They want their Dad to be sorry for his absence, they want him to suddenly turn a corner; but to be a people person is to accept someone’s limits and flaws. I am not saying Cyril is right, but when the siblings are able to accept what he lacks, they no longer need to emotionally invest, and therefore be let down.

To be a people person is not only charm everyone onto your side, but to accept an individual as they come, and as Dimple is allowed to do across the novel, accept yourself without another’s judgement.

The Ending

In many ways the ending to this novel was very like Queenie. Although the characters are different and of course the plot is different; I was left with the same peaceful feeling that all was well with the characters. The endings aren’t happy happy happy, but they are realistic, honest, and you’re left with the feeling of a long breath out, not of relief, but of peace and acceptance. It is a very calm ending.

What a stunner, read this book and read Queenie! She better keep writing lol.