Some books are powerful - thanks to the prose, the story or the subject matter. Far From Home is powerful because of all three. It describes the sharpSome books are powerful - thanks to the prose, the story or the subject matter. Far From Home is powerful because of all three. It describes the sharp and terrible events in what used to be Rhodesia and is now Zimbabwe. It shows the rise of Robert Mugabe to power. It manages to portray both sides of a conflict that tore a country apart and was a dark period in world history.
First we meet Tariro, and gain an insight into the lives of the Karanga people. She is a bright and charming young girl, in love with the brave and handsome Nhamo. Her whole life is in front of her - but then the white settlers arrive and steal all of that life away from her.
The second part of the novel shows Katie, a pampered daughter of one of the white settler families. She has been brought up to consider black people beneath her, and is forced to confront those prejudices when her uncle takes her into his home - the uncle that has taken a black woman to wife.
There is a connection between Tariro and Katie that brings the two story lines colliding together, and is fitting and neat.
Robert's prose is stark, clean and elegant. It details the sometimes shocking events with quiet dignity and helps to evoke feelings for both Tariro and Katie, despite the fact that they are on opposing sides of the tale.
The characters are brilliantly written, and it is simply awesome to see two female protagonists take centre stage.
Robert clearly writes from the heart and has a great deal of experience in the subject matter. She manages to convey a complex political situation with direct language and a lot of sympathy.
This, as I say, is a powerful book. It is very well written. But it is not fun or light. It is challenging, thought-provoking and has enormous depth. ...more
I highly enjoyed this gentle selection of anecdotes about Gervase Phinn's experiences in his first year as a school inspector in the Yorkshire Dales. I highly enjoyed this gentle selection of anecdotes about Gervase Phinn's experiences in his first year as a school inspector in the Yorkshire Dales. Phinn has a talent for introducing eccentric and warm-hearted characters, and his enthusiasm for the role he had comes through strongly.
This book is quintessentially English - in fact, the Yorkshire Dales almost become a character in their own right. We see them through Phinn's eyes as the seasons pass, and his descriptions of the various schools he visits are vividly drawn.
It is very much in the spirit of James Herriott, and is a very pleasurable way to spend a couple of hours. ...more
This is more of the same from Gervase Phinn - the second year of his job as a school inspector in the Yorkshire Dales. Once again, we meet a cast of wThis is more of the same from Gervase Phinn - the second year of his job as a school inspector in the Yorkshire Dales. Once again, we meet a cast of wonderful characters, including the three other inspectors - Harold, David and Sidney; Connie, the rather draconian caretaker of the Staff Development Centre; and, of course, Miss Christine Bentley, the beautiful young headmistress that Phinn is gradually falling in love with.
The writing is eloquent and at times beautiful, as Phinn describes the awesome sights of the Yorkshire Dales that he encountours in the course of his school inspections. There is also a wonderful sense of his deep and abiding respect for the institution of teaching, and the part that teachers have to pay in the formative years of children.
The children here are the stars of the show - blunt, yet innocent Yorkshire children who are more accustomed to seeing rabbits being shot as pests than as the main characters in stories by Beatrix Potter! There are little anecdotes about each school visit, including some lovely tales of nativity plays.
The other side of the Yorkshire Dales is also explored here - the inner city schools and in some places the dire lack of basic education for children who are not expected to amount to more than factory workers and labourers.
Book Number 3 in the Dales series by Gervase Phinn.
Another delightful book full of anecdotal tales. This story also delves a little more into the persBook Number 3 in the Dales series by Gervase Phinn.
Another delightful book full of anecdotal tales. This story also delves a little more into the personal lives of the various characters we've come to know pretty well over the course of the previous two books - in actual fact, it can be likened to getting to know colleagues at work: a few interesting facts and titbits dropped here and there in the course of the rest of the story.
So we hear about Connie's father, and Harold's intention to retire, and, as always, the backdrop to the rest of the story is the love affair between Gervase and Christine, who is now Mrs Phinn.
I'm thoroughly enjoying my romp through these gentle books. ...more
For some reason, I found this book in the Dales series a little tougher-going than the previous three. It was still light-hearted, but seemed a lot moFor some reason, I found this book in the Dales series a little tougher-going than the previous three. It was still light-hearted, but seemed a lot more wrapped up in Phinn's personal life rather than tales of the schools he inspects, which is always the most joyful part of the books.
In this book, his wife gets up in arms about a school closure, Sidney Clamp plays a rather amusing joke concerning a Quaker meeting house, and Phinn welcomes his first child into the world. ...more
This - the fifth instalment in the Dales series - reached the same quality as the first three, after the slightly slow-going fourth book. It had a gosThis - the fifth instalment in the Dales series - reached the same quality as the first three, after the slightly slow-going fourth book. It had a gossipy quality to it, as though sitting down to talk with some friends. It was extremely easy reading.
The biggest positive for me was the high quality of the prose by Phinn, both of the beautiful Yorkshire landscapes and the people that he meets in the course of his school inspecting. Here is a good example: "...a cheerful little cleric with a round red face and white bushy eyebrows which curled like question marks below a shiny pate..." It perfectly captures the essence of the person described and helps lend a very visual characteristic to the book.
I also deeply loved the wonderful Yorkshire dialect that Phinn employs to lend character to the people, especially the children. For instance, here is a snippet of Joseph's conversation in one of the Nativity performances that Phinn attends: "That's a rum do. We've been on t'rooad all day and both on us are fair fit to drop. We're fair fagged out! I've got t'wife out 'ere an' she's 'havin' a babby, tha knaas."
My only real complaint about the book was the way that Phinn constantly referred back to tales from previous books - they tickled me the first time round, but by the second or third time I've read it it simply feels like padding.
This is a small negative, though, and didn't greatly hamper my enjoyment of the book. ...more
This book is a curious mix of King's memoirs and some of his thoughts on what helps to make a successful writer. It was an odd book for me to pick up,This book is a curious mix of King's memoirs and some of his thoughts on what helps to make a successful writer. It was an odd book for me to pick up, since I have not read a single Stephen King book (a fact of which I'm obscurely proud!) However, I am rather in awe of the fact that he consistently churns out best-selling doorstop novels, and I figured he would have interesting things to say about how to write.
I was not wrong at all - he wrote very easily about the dos and, more crucially, the don'ts of writing, and I was fascinated by some of his methods. The idea that he often proceeds into massive novels with no more than a 'what if?' scenario is, frankly, amazing.
The problem was that I ended up far more interested in the memoir aspect of this little book. The snippets of his life - covering humorous escapades with his brother; his fight against alcoholism; and the course his published career took. I would have liked to read far more of this.
In fact, I concur with a number of the other reviewers - this book didn't know whether it was an autobiography or a 'how-to' manual on writing, and suffered as a result. I do think that either could have stood up to being a lengthier book in its own right.
Overall, a neat little look at the craft of a writer, but King does not say anything new and certainly doesn't say anything more enlightening than you can find for free on any decent author's website these days. ...more
As Fraser points out at the start of her novel detailing the lives of Henry's six wives, most people onl know them by either the rhyme "divorced, beheAs Fraser points out at the start of her novel detailing the lives of Henry's six wives, most people onl know them by either the rhyme "divorced, beheaded, died... divorced, beheaded, survived" or by the female stereotypes attributed to them: "the Betrayed Wife, the Temptress, the Good Woman, the Ugly Sister, the Bad Girl and the Mother Figure." Fraser sets out to debunk myths and present an unbiased view of the six women who came to share Henry's life. Unlike other books of this nature, Henry is not focused on at all - we merely see glimpses of the man he is at the time of each of his marriages.
Fraser writes extremely sensitively about each of the six women - telling their tales from birth to death and using contemporary sources as far as possible. The research is impeccable and allows Fraser to consider many of the myths that have grown up around one or other of the wives and decide whether they might be true or not.
I loved the fact that each woman was presented as being courageous and spirited - they each had some good quality that Fraser explored in her quest to discover why that particular woman caught the eye of the king.
A great deal of learning can be achieved from this novel. For instance, I did not realise that it was Henry's desire for a male heir that drove him so thoroughly to move from woman to woman. I also was not aware of how he had each time lined up the successor to the queen he wanted to rid himself of. Again, it was new to me the fact that Henry was married to Catherine of Aragon for over 20 years, while the sum total of years of his other five marriages numbered just ten. It presents an entirely different view of Catherine - of a royal princess whom the king cast off reluctantly, but whom also did not go quietly.
Another point that both amused and horrified was the reputation that Henry VIII (and, by extension, England) developed thanks to his mistreatment of wives. England was universally laughed and sneered at by the other countries in Europe, and it might well have caused many of the European princesses to be withheld from Henry for fear of how they might be treated (thereby changing the course of history?)
My one real fault of this book is its density. It is extremely well-written and as gripping as a non-fiction historical novel can be but there are still dry passages which take a while to read through. In addition, there are a great many notes that add to the reading but necessitate flicking back and forth within the book which disturbs the narrative flow.
I have great admiration for the fact that Fraser managed to present an impartial viewpoint on each of the six wives and strove to reach understanding as to their motives. I did come away from the book with a sneaking suspicion that she preferred Catherine of Aragon and decried the actions of Katherine Howard - it would be interesting to know if I had correctly identified her most and least favourite of the six wives.
There is a current trend at the moment (in fiction, led by Phillippa Gregory, and on television, including series by David Starkey) for exploring anew the Tudors and the "tyrant" who epitomises the lineage. This book should be read by anyone who has been interested in this period of history - in summary, it is a well-rounded and sympathetic look at the six wives of Henry VIII. ...more
This book is a rather irreverent romp through two thousand years of British history, collected under such diverse headings as "How the Romans eastabliThis book is a rather irreverent romp through two thousand years of British history, collected under such diverse headings as "How the Romans eastablished our template for 'civilization' by killing anyone who didn't like it" and "How geography, religion and a spot of bad weather turned England into a major European power." Pretty much all of the major events in those two thousand years are at least touched upon in a faintly humourous fashion.
So why the low rating? This is for a few different reasons...
One of these is because O'Farrell's book doesn't really have an audience. Either you are a person who likes history - in which case, you would have read much more in-depth factual books about the periods that interest you - or you are a person who has little fascination in history and so this half-way house book wouldn't get your vote either. I believe that the only real audience is made up of people who quite enjoy John O'Farrell's newspaper columns and notice his name attached to this novel.
This on its own wouldn't be a problem, since it is more an issue of the commissioning of the book rather than the contents. It is just unfortunate that the contents suffer from being a little too glib. Actual facts are presented alongside anecdotal musings in the same fashion, leading someone unfamiliar with history to either believe all of it or none. As someone who has an interest in the reign of Henry VIII I felt that his misrepresentation of being syphilitic was unnecessary - the fact that none of his six wives or his mistresses or his children contracted the disease really gives the lie to something that O'Farrell presents as bald fact.
My other complaint is that O'Farrell believes he is funnier than he is. His 'amusing' analogies comparing historical events with modern day popular culture become boring and over-used. This, for instance, is a good example: "Various stand-up comics reminisced at length in 'I Love 1383' - 'God, the late Middle Ages; what was that about? Do you remember how there was always a squealing pig running down a muddy high street?' ...etc"
The one redeeming feature of the book is the gravitas and reverence with which O'Farrell deals with the two World Wars. Passages such as: "The Second World War has acquired a unique and hallowed place in British History, not purely because the war itself turned out to be so just, but also because of the extraordinary heroism of the servicemen and civilians caught up in it" make you proud to be British.
All in all, when O'Farrell is not trying to be self-consciously witty and clever, the book is an entertaining read packed full of little tidbits you might never have been aware of (such as where the Tory nickname came from). It is just a shame that he rarely reigns himself in. ...more
This is an interesting little book. Monica Dickens has clearly been around horses all of her life, and here she reminisces about certain horses she haThis is an interesting little book. Monica Dickens has clearly been around horses all of her life, and here she reminisces about certain horses she has owned down the years. The book is a memoir of sorts but deals only with her animals.
The writing is almost dreamlike and definitely a stream of consciousness rather than done with any true structure in mind. I'm uncertain why there were even chapters included, since there seems no logical reason why Dickens breaks off at the end of a chapter.
Her writing is competent - some of the descriptions of her horses (especially Ben) are almost poetic.
There is no easy reason to say why I love this book so, and come back to it on a regular basis. I think possibly because Dickens conveys the enormous delight in owning and being around horses?
In between anecdotal stories about past rides (my favourite being her ride with John along the beach at Cape Cod), Dickens offers little tidbits of advice about how to deal with ponies in the stable, while at riding, how to train, what equipment to use. Everything she says carries a certain gravity since it has all been learned through extensive experience.
This book is definitely only for the horse-lover! It is written for children in the main, but no reason why adults won't enjoy the simplicity and enthusiasm of the writing. I enjoyed it, but it is definitely not for everyone. ...more
This is a book about a year in the life of a working shepherd. Although the subtitle indicates that it talks about the shepherd and his dogs, the sheeThis is a book about a year in the life of a working shepherd. Although the subtitle indicates that it talks about the shepherd and his dogs, the sheepdogs are only one part of the story, which comprises sheep, and the turning of the seasons, and David's family.
It is a warm cosy book that leads you season by season through the usual happenings of a sheep farm. Kennard writes honestly and frankly about how much hard work it involves; how little money he takes; how the work of moments can damage a whole season.
There are touching stories about his sheepdogs, and I think a lot of readers will have sympathy for the plight of Ernie, a young dog who is a little too eager about herding sheep.
Kennard also writes about a few of the sheepdog trials he enters, and how effective his dogs turn out to be.
There is gentle humour and simplistic language which makes it a fast and easy read.
I have my complaints, it was certainly not the perfect book! Kennard's dialogue is stilted and difficult to read without smiling (and for all the wrong reasons!) However, I am willing to cut him some slack because he is not a natural author, and the dialogue is a small part of the overall book.
It was diverting enough for an afternoon's read, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend unless someone specifically wanted a book about sheep herding. ...more
Bill Bryson has the rare knack of being out of his depth wherever he goes - even (perhaps especially) in the land of his birth. This became all too apBill Bryson has the rare knack of being out of his depth wherever he goes - even (perhaps especially) in the land of his birth. This became all too apparent when, after nearly two decades in England, the world's best-loved travel writer upped sticks with Mrs Bryson, little Jimmy et al. and returned to live in the country he had left as a youth.
Whether discussing the dazzling efficiency of the garbage disposal unit, the exoticism of having your groceries bagged for you, the jaw-slackening direness of American TV or the smug pleasure of being able to eat your beef without having to wonder if when you rise from the table you will walk sideways into the wall, Bill Bryson brings his inimitable brand of bemused wit to bear on that strangest of phenomena - the American way of life.
So, I was between books and facing a long haul flight to the States from good old Blighty and needed a book that would enable me to dip in and out and keep me relatively sane in what is essentially a glorified bus! Because of my destination I decided to tackle Notes From a Big Country (for the umpteenth time, I might add) by Bill Bryson. Being written in the form of short articles - originally written for one of the English Sunday papers - it is perfect fodder for a person who is facing severe jet-lag and finding it hard to concentrate on the plot of a regular book.
Obviously, since it is a series of articles, it will be hit or miss. Some of the articles seem to be tossed out with little thought or relevance. There is an additional problem with timeliness - some of the events Bryson talks about date the book horribly.
On the whole, though, this book is tremendous fun, with a series of sparkling and very amusing essays on matters as diverse as the British vs. US postal system; whether Thanksgiving truly is the best holiday; and the art of shopping in the States. Some of the articles even manage to tug on the heart strings - the one in particular that springs to mind here is when Bryson talks about his first son flying the nest.
I adore the irreverent humour and sense of wonder that Bryson brings to many of his articles, whether talking about the enormous variety of breakfast cereals on offer or the fact that Christmas lights NEVER EVER work. His humour works for me because it often springs from nowhere and leaves you giggling in surprise.
I would warn that, if you're anything like me, this book might be a little tough on your neighbours while on public transport thanks to the unattractive snorts of laughter you will be emitting at regular intervals!
Well worth picking up for light entertainment and a joyous observational journey on the differences between the States and, well, everywhere else. ...more
"After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson took the decision to move back to the States for a while, to let his kids experience life in another"After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson took the decision to move back to the States for a while, to let his kids experience life in another country, to give his wife the chance to shop until 10 p.m. seven nights a week, and, most of all, because he had read that 3.7 million Americans believed that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another, and it was thus clear to him that his people needed him.
But before leaving his much-loved home in North Yorkshire, Bryson insisted on taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home. His aim was to take stock of the nation's public face and private parts (as it were), and to analyse what precisely it was he loved so much about a country that had produced Marmite, a military hero whose dying wish was to be kissed by a fellow named Hardy, place names like Farleigh Wallop, Titsey and Shellow Bowells, people who said 'Mustn't grumble', and Gardeners' Question Time."
Please permit me a short aside to explain picking up this book. For the last week or so I have been travelling - first to the States and then to France. On my flight out to the States I read Bill Bryson's Notes From a Big Country, helping to immerse myself in the culture of the country I was visiting. To celebrate my return home, I decided to book-end my trip with his Notes From a Small Island to prepare myself for coming back to our green and pleasant land.
As you can no doubt tell from the publisher's blurb on the back of the book, Bill Bryson takes a very irreverent look at England and the people who inhabit it. The humour is of a gentle teasing nature, however, and it is clear that Bryson has an enormous fondness for the country he is leaving.
The nature of the book is distinctly episodic, as Bryson uses public transport to take him to various locations around the country. Some of the places he visits are very personal to him (the only reason for some of them featuring in a book supposedly meant to represent England). These interludes are interesting and often funny, but don't add a great deal for someone who is reading this book to gain an impression of England. He skips some regions entirely - the Midlands really don't get a look in, which is sad considering there are such lovely towns and cities littering the middle of England.
I would also take issue with some of his complaints. If he tells us once, he tells us one hundred times that he feels the town centres have not been developed with any sensitivity to the original buildings. I happen to agree with his point, but sometimes this is all he mentions about a couple of the locations he visits. I would have liked to hear more about the special features of these places - this is loosely supposed to be a travel guide after all! And Bryson's mood on the day that he arrives does tend to influence his opinion of the city unduly.
If you take on board these criticisms, then the book is a very pleasant, easy read with some wonderful flashes of humour. In fact, the parts of the book I liked especially were where Bryson interjected his wry observations on matters as diverse as train spotters, the creation of chopsticks (why?!), and a little flirtation with some sexist commentary on the difference in the sexes as they shop.
It was exactly what I needed as I returned home, especially the following quote: "It looked so peaceful and wonderful that I could almost have cried, and yet it was only a tiny part of this small, enchanted island. Suddenly, in the space of a moment, I realised what it was that I loved about Britain - which is to say, all of it. Every last bit of it, good and bad - Marmite, village fetes, country lanes, people saying 'I'm terribly sorry but', people apologizing to me when I conk them with a careless elbow, milk in bottles, beans on toast, haymaking in June, stinging nettles, seaside piers, Ordnance Survey maps, crumpets, hot-water bottles as a necessity, drizzly Sundays - every bit of it.
What a wondrous place this was - crazy as fuck, of course, but adorable to the tiniest degree."
Gervase tells of a life full of happiness, conversation, music and books shared with his three siblings, mother and father. This book is a snapshot ofGervase tells of a life full of happiness, conversation, music and books shared with his three siblings, mother and father. This book is a snapshot of growing up in Yorkshire in the 1950s - reminisce with Gervase, and share in his personal journey - of school days and holidays as well as his tentative steps into the adult world. You can devour numerous uproarious stories including the incident involving a broken greenhouse, crashing his brother's newly restored bike as well as secrets about his first dates, adventures at summer camp, family trips to Blackpool and many other captivating tales. With a wicked ear for the comical, and a sharp eye for detail, this beautifully written book visits poignant moments, significant events and precious memories from a boy called Gervase.
I love Gervase Phinn's books. His writing is gentle, family-friendly, with a sharp observational humour that gives his words a wry wit. As a consequence, I was thrilled to see that Phinn had written a new book dealing with his own life while growing up in Yorkshire.
My view of this book is extremely positive, in the main. In fact, the main factor of 'Road to the Dales' I didn't enjoy was the structure. Phinn's commentary darts all over the place, which does give the novel a gossipy feel (this might have been the aim, to be fair!) but doesn't help the reader really get too much of a grasp on what Phinn will be chatting about next. It is far from linear, and, in the first part, deals more with Phinn's family than on his own story.
I did also recognise a few anecdotes from Phinn's novels about being a school inspector in Yorkshire. It strikes me that most people who would read this book would have read his prior novels, and so it seemed a little short-sighted to duplicate material. Happily it was very infrequent.
These minor issues aside, 'Road to the Dales' is a wonderful book. The stories of Phinn's early life and his progress through school, the holidays he takes, the games he plays on the street outside his house - all are related with warmth and a huge affection for the places and people that informed Phinn.
Having a father of a similar age as Phinn lent extra poignancy to my read, since I've heard my dad speak of many of the same sweets, food, games, experiences from when he was growing up.
The part of the novel that I enjoyed the best was the way Phinn spoke about his teachers and the learning that led him to pursuing the role that we see him taking on in his books about being a school inspector. I also had good-humoured, passionate and experienced teachers while going through primary and secondary school - who definitely helped to instill in me a love of books and learning - and appreciate Phinn's eulogising on how important a factor it is in a young person's life. Quotes like the following fill the pages: "Like all great teachers he did not stick slavishly to a script but would deviate and tell stories to arouse our interest. What I learnt from Ken Pike was the importance of young people having high expectations and self-belief."
I also loved the humour - something that I'd already encountered in his books about being a school inspector. Little anecdotes such as the following are delightful:
"One trainee nurse, a permanently cheerful Jamaican woman with a beaming smile and sunny disposition, was assisting the anaesthetist in another operation.
'Arm board,' he said, meaning the device on which the patient's arm rests prior to the administering of the anaesthetic. The nurse nodded and smiled but made no move.
'I said arm board, nurse,' repeated the anaesthetist sharply.
'Ah'm bored too, doctor,' she replied pleasantly, 'but we'll soon be going home.'"
As a final point, I do 'Road to the Dales' is an effective study of life in the 50s and 60s in northern England. Health and safety were unheard of, and life would have been unrecognisable to many of us brought up in a time where political correctness and safety for children are constantly spoken about: "Parents didn't worry about where you were, who you were with, what you were doing, and never imagined that predatory paedophiles were lurking around every corner and hiding behind every bush. It wasn't as if they didn't care about us [...:] Amazingly, in all those early years, apart from a few scrapes and scratches, I never hurt myself and was never approached by the stereotypical 'dirty old man in a raincoat'."
Gervase Phinn admits candidly that, if you are looking for a memoir of a childhood filled with misery and difficult situations, then you need to go elsewhere. Phinn writes with love about his wonderful childhood, his family and his experiences. He recognises that he was blessed compared to others, and that humble joy is very evident. I greatly enjoyed this diverting novel and would recommend it to those who have enjoyed Phinn's prior work and those who enjoy real life memoirs. ...more
'My story begins where most women hope theirs will end - with a big, white wedding. After all, isn't that how every good fairy tale finishes? I though'My story begins where most women hope theirs will end - with a big, white wedding. After all, isn't that how every good fairy tale finishes? I thought so. And at 23, in love and engaged, it seemed my happy ever after was secure... That is until the man of my dreams died three weeks after our wedding. Look at me now: a 23-year-old widow. You'd never guess. I've learnt to hide it well. Because the way I saw it, there were only two options:
a) Dress in black, become a recluse and watch my wedding video on a loop
OR
b) Decide falling in love again is out of the questions and choose an easy, uncomplicated alternative - sex.'
This book is amazing. Full stop. Wife, Interrupted is one of those books that stays with you long after closing the last page. When a book manages to bypass your mind and hit you right in your emotions - when you feel pain and sorrow right alongside a grieving widow, you know you are reading something deeply special.
It felt very much as though Amy Molloy was opening the personal journal to her life, and saying 'Here. This is what happened." She is never less than painfully honest about her life with Eoghan - and her life without him. I ran the full gamut of emotions while reading Molloy's stunning account of dealing with bereavement: sadness (yes, I cried - there is a funeral scene where I would defy anyone to keep dry eyes); anger (it seemed so unreasonable that Molloy had to deal with something so painful), and even humour (some of her accounts had me laughing out loud). Ultimately, what you take from this book is hope: that, even if your happy ending does not exist the way you wish it, you can be strong enough to make your own.
The prose is both stark and memorable. Molloy does not mince her words, even when dealing with dark sexual encounters and the horrible events that occur when a loved one is tackling the issues that crop up during cancer treatment. I think it is this bleak honesty that gives the book its sensational impact - if Molloy had softened her account, it would have been less meaningful.
I do think that this book should be read by anyone who recognises Amy Molloy's situation - that of caring for a loved one during the advanced stages of cancer. I genuinely believe it will do good in allowing people to realise that they are not alone in the event that they start resenting their role and feel genuinely relieved when their partner passes on. Molloy has written about her particular way of dealing with grief, which opens up the idea that ANY way of coping with grief is the "right" way for individuals.
I think my only complaint is that some of the men that Molloy turned to for casual sex were represented in a rather stereotypical manner - but I guess that even here Molloy was extremely honest about the fact that she rather picked the losers in order that they didn't become more to her than just a one night stand. Tyler, in particular, defied belief in a number of situations, but I think most women have had their own Tyler to deal with. I was rather pleased by the resolution to the Tyler storyline - once again, it expressed hope for the future.
I could wax lyrical about this book endlessly! I wouldn't say I enjoyed it, but that I absorbed it avidly. The story was sometimes very hard to enjoy, but the messages within the pages were powerful. Wife, Interrupted is as far from the generic fluff written in the chick lit as is possible to imagine, so don't be put off by the pastel cover! I recommend this without hesitation. ...more
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