Hey Remy, by Jane Cullen.
Hey Remy is so much more than just another novel. It is almost a literary work of art.
Hey Remy is beautifully written. The description of Bronte country and the weather conditions that change by the day, sometimes by the hour, make you feel as though you were sitting near the ruined farmhouse at Top Withens on the Haworth moor, the site Emily Bronte used for inspiration when writing Wuthering Heights.
The novel features heavily in the narrative and the author obviously knows the book inside out as the main characters both use quotes from it on a regular basis.
The story, (Hey Remy, not Wuthering Heights,) is about a private tutor, Mrs Eleanor Daley who specialises in teaching English Literature and philosophy, and Remy James Rocko Radcliffe, (never forget the James bit,) a teenager who was forced to leave his state school because the staff couldn’t understand his needs.
Remy is very different from his peers. He is almost certainly, ‘on the spectrum’ and though undiagnosed, Eleanor suspects he has Aspergers and slowly but surely eases him into a routine that fits his needs while she attempts to explain how many of his outbursts would be seen as inappropriate by others.
‘Hello Mrs Daley. I hope you are well.’
Remy greets Eleanor the same way every morning as he appears at the front door of her cottage. She soon learns that the young man has no filter on the things that come out of his mouth. If something is in his thoughts, he is compelled to say it. This leads to him getting into a lot of trouble with the residents of the town, but also there are many hilarious moments to enjoy as we get to know how his brain works. As he explains to Eleanor, if it doesn’t come out, it will whirl around in my head for days.
Remy is a decidedly handsome young man and women of all ages flock to him like moths around a flame. Sadly his encounters with the opposite sex always seem to end with him having verbal abuse or even objects thrown at him. His ‘cup of tea’ moment with the married owner of the town’s bookshop had me laughing out loud. I, like you, will never have heard this term used as a euphemism before, but it works so well.
As Eleanor gets to know Remy better,, she manages to find a way to help him keep his most inappropriate thoughts to himself, but those thoughts are usually so explosive, she can’t resist asking him to repeat them to her.
The relationship between the two main characters is beautifully constructed. The work is filled with pathos and all of your emotions will be utilised whilst reading. You will laugh, cry and sigh, sometimes while reading a single page. Ms Cullen’s total understanding of Remy is plain to see. The boy is different, he knows he is but the author doesn’t dwell on the downside as Eleanor repeatedly assures him that being different is a positive thing and that he has a remarkable capacity to soak up knowledge. The dialogue between the two works so well. It’s like you’re listening in on a conversation whilst sitting drinking coffee in your favourite café. I can’t praise it any more highly than that.
The intensity of the relationship may lead the reader to question whether she has allowed herself to get too close to the young man. She is in her forties, he is just eighteen after all, but the growing closeness is skilfully done. I won’t go into too much detail but I’m sure, as you follow their deepening relationship, you will come to the same conclusion I did. It works for them, and that’s all that matters.
Things are complicated when Remy’s bereaved father and his disabled daughter get closer to Eleanor and the situation leaves you wondering whether it will all end in even more tears than have been shed already by the family.
Remy’s relationship with his young sister is wonderful to behold. Whenever they appear together in a scene, the heart is warmed. The siblings have an incredibly close, special connection that would delight even the most sceptical reader.
How people take on bereavement in their different ways is a big part of this story. It affects all the main characters in the novel and it is handled sympathetically by the author. We all react differently when a death occurs, especially when it is a partner or a parent and Mrs Cullen explains how the characters deal with it in a delicate, understanding manner. As someone who has suffered personally, I could empathise quite easily with both Remy’s family and Mrs Daley herself.
I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with Mrs Daley, Remy, and his family. This book was so far out of my reading comfort zone that I normally wouldn’t even have picked it up to read the back matter of the novel. I am so glad I did, though, as I really enjoyed stepping into Remy’s world. I shed a few tears and laughed out loud (probably at the most inappropriate moments).
Five out of five big stars. Congratulations Ms Cullen.
T.A.Belshaw January 2025.