As an allotment holder and a reader of novels with ensemble casts, I was looking forward to reading Elissa Soave’s latest novel. Common Ground is written from the perspectives of a ragtag assortment of gardeners who, although they spend much of their time in close proximity, rarely interact.
The plot concerns the town council’s threat to close the allotment and build on the land: it’s clear from the start how the ending will play out. Soave’s characters come to life on the page as the reader learns their backstories. No two characters are alike, and their lives are so busy they sometimes become overwhelming. The author tells more than she shows, which makes the characters hard to connect and there were times where I wished I could work things out for myself.
Laurence, in his white trousers and designer shoes, is by far the most interesting member of the group because his sections have more room to breathe. Soave has the tendency to ram home certain points – young Kevin’s repulsiveness, old Stanley’s self-imposed isolation – and the word ‘allotment’ is so overused, you can barely find a page without it.
Exposition and repetition make Common Ground feel longer than its 360 pages. A third of the way through and the problem with the council is largely forgotten about – it does pop up again later but the ‘plot’ is secondary to the characters and feels solely like a vehicle for the author to tell their individual stories. I wanted to enjoy this novel but, sadly, felt like an observer rather than a participant. There are moments of gentle humour, melancholy and genuine sadness – even if you know there’ll be a hopeful ending.
