What do you get when you combine the end of a 20-year relationship, an unexpected inheritance, and a job at a used bookstore? You might wind up with a quaint home in Scotland, new friends, and the chance to start over. Thea has been made redundant at her job, discovered her husband has been keeping secrets, and decides to go see this house her great-uncle has left her. When she arrives in Baldochrie, she is only planning a short visit to sort out the house and then head back home to straighten out her life. But what could be better than sorting out herself along with the house?
This is a book that explores how it feels to reevaluate your life after receiving several hard knocks. Starting over can be hard, especially when you are questioning what you did wrong or if you even did anything to cause all the turmoil. And as Thea learns, "It's good to have things to think about that have nothing to do with" your ex. Doing that thinking in a new place around new people may let you "pretend everything's is all right," and "maybe get to a point where everything is all right."
The setting is a big part of the story - the lodge house near the old manor, the quaint Scottish town, the bookstore, the shore. And the characters are an entertaining group: best friend Xanthe, curmudgeonly bookstore owner Edward, local lord Charles, Jilly and Cerys at the local coffee shop. Each person's interactions with Thea help to make her more believable and 3-dimensional. When she has highs and lows, readers will feel them with her.
No comments:
Post a Comment