What a lovely weekend I had reading this beautiful book, creatively written there were times the narrative read like poetry. "Leaves" by John Simmons is a character dominated story depicting the lives of several residents of Ophelia Street a no-through road in London predominantly set in 1970. I was particularly drawn to this due to 1970 being my birth year and it was interesting to read how life, standards and ideals were back then. Each diverse character was totally unique and intriguing, some likeable some not but it was a truly engaging read seeing how all of the neighbours interacted with each other, living their own lives with their innermost thoughts and feelings. Generally this book was a light and entertaining read but there were some poignant moments, some quite sad and it did occasionally cause you to think of your own mortality. There's also a murder that keeps the reader guessing throughout. The story is set out in chapters covering the four seasons of 1970 and you really do get the feeling that you are living in Ophelia Street with the characters, spying on their lives and feeling the tension in the street especially after a hostel opens for recently released prisoners. There's even a mention of the 'skinheads' typical of the 1970's. It was lovely how the seasons changed the street visually and in turn the emotions of the residents for which the author described brilliantly. Overall a very good read that I'd happily recommend and I fully intend to read the author's next book "Spanish Crossings" very soon too. 4 stars.