Book Review: The Proof Of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe

Posted on by Libby Price

“A BLISTERINGLY FUNNY POLITICAL CRITIQUE WRAPPED UP IN A MURDER MYSTERY, FROM ONE OF BRITAIN’S MOST BELOVED NOVELISTS – AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW
Post-university life doesn’t suit Phyl. Time passes slowly living back home with her parents, working a zero-hour contract serving Japanese food to holidaymakers at Heathrow’s Terminal 5. As for her budding plans of becoming a writer, those are going nowhere.
That is, until family friend Chris comes to stay. He’s been on the path to uncover a sinister think-tank, founded at Cambridge University in the 1980s, that’s been scheming to push the British government in a more extreme direction. One that’s finally poised to put their plans into action.
But speaking truth to power can be dangerous – and power will stop at nothing to stay on top.
As Britain finds itself under the leadership of a new Prime Minister whose tenure will only last for seven weeks, Chris pursues his story to a conference being held deep in the Cotswolds, where events take a sinister turn and a murder enquiry is soon in progress. But will the solution to the mystery lie in contemporary politics, or in a literary enigma that is almost forty years old?
Darting between decades and genres, THE PROOF OF MY INNOCENCE is a wickedly funny and razor-sharp new novel from one of Britain’s most beloved novelists, showing how the key to understanding the present can often be found in the murkiest corners of the past.“

I thoroughly enjoyed Jonathan Coe’s previous book, Bournville, and so was delighted to be offered an advance review copy for his new book.

The book starts with Phyl at home after university, a very similar age to my oldest child, and so easy to identify with. Her parents’ friend Chris and his daughter Rashida come to visit the family. The book is then set over the time period of Liz Truss’s prime ministership (so yes, quite a concise timeline) and ends up being a book within a book within a book. It’s all a bit of a head f*ck – but in a good way – and the ending makes you question everything you’ve previously read, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Each book element is a different genre – from cosy crime, to dark academia, with some autofiction thrown in for good measure. This is all clever – as Jonathan Coe’s books always are! It also enables there to be flashbacks to the 1980s when a lot of the main characters first met.

Another similarity with Coe’s previous books is that the locations are close to where I live! Who knew Fish Hill outside Broadway would be such a feature (I spent my 50th birthday with friends in a hotel a short walk from that particular stretch of road).

There is an eclectic mix of characters – and you do have to concentrate not to get confused (although that might just be me?!) The commentary on the current state of UK far right politics is also ‘interesting’.

Overall the book is very good at drawing you in and you wanting to find out more – and I absolutely adored the way the murder ended up being solved (no spoilers here).

A big thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my advance review copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is out in November 2024 and available for pre order now.

Book Review: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Posted on by Libby Price

I’m not sure if there is a collective noun for Richard Osman appreciators – like ‘Swifties’ for Taylor’s fans – but if so, I would definitely be in that gang. We would all do the equivalent of swapping friendship bracelets and sporting glitter on our faces – I’m not entirely sure on what these ‘equivalents’ would be – but I suspect a nice cup of tea would be involved. I’ve loved Richard’s Thursday Murder Club series, and so was prepared to part with cash (which I don’t often do!) to read the first instalment of his new series ‘We Solve Murders’. Having been educated about the world of publishing by the brilliant podcast that Richard presents with the marvellous Marina Hyde, ‘The Rest Is Entertainment’ I did pre order the book, as obviously Mr Osman needs all of the advanced sales he can get!! (If there was an ‘ironic’ font, I would have used that for the preceding sentence given the very large number of books he has shifted in the past. In fact Richard and his wife Ingrid know a German font designer, so perhaps they could get him to create one. I appreciate I am now verging into slightly deranged, potential stalker territory………)

Anyway – back to the book – here is the blurb for anyone who doesn’t just buy a book because Richard Osman wrote it:

“Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.
Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job . . .
Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?”

Whilst this is a new team of crime fighters – the Osman style of writing runs strong through Amy, Steve and the extended cast. Greggs and a Boots Meal Deal are mentioned early on – so what’s not to love?

I won’t ruin any storylines – but the different settings are great – I particularly loved St Lucia (I’m biased because we got married there, and I’ve also been travel sick on those horrific roads, and the bar at the airport is RUBBISH – we spent a 5 hour delay in the BA lounge and there is not much to keep you entertained – but it’s still a wonderful holiday destination – although perhaps a little risky in this book!)

The supporting cast are great – such an eclectic mix – and there’s definitely scope for fleshing some of those out in future books (I felt Adam – Amy’s husband / Steve’s son was a much less used character than I’d expected)

Whilst there are gruesome elements – it’s all done in a very ‘cosy crime’ way – and the humour throughout is as fabulous as I expected (so much funnier than The Bear – another podcast reference – sorry!)

My only quibble with the whole book is that Richard and Ingrid’s lovely new kitten Lottie doesn’t get a mention – whereas Liesl the cat is discussed both in the ‘about the author’ and the acknowledgment sections! I suspect this is purely a matter of timing, and that Lottie will have a starring role in Richard’s next book. #justiceforLottie

As I had hoped – this is a wonderful new book, and I look forward to seeing what Amy, Steve – and Rosie – get up to in the future (with or without visiting Coopers Chase – crossover incoming?)

I have to confess (we’re off on a TRIE tangent again!) that I bought it from ‘friend of the podcast’ Lauren’s boyfriend’s website so I could have it on my electronic reading device – but I do plan to source a copy from an independent bookshop for my mother’s Christmas present!

Book Review: Honeybee by Dawn O’Porter

Posted on by Libby Price

I have historically LOVED Dawn’s books – in fact for a few years, if anyone asked for a book recommendation, then ‘The Cows‘ was my go to. However, I didn’t particularly enjoy her last fiction book, and so was nervous of reading another one – but decided it was 2 year later and I would be big and brave when I was offered an advance review copy of Honeybee and hoped that my cat allergy was the issue last time.

Here is the blurb:

“For best friends Renée and Flo, adulthood isn’t the party they expected.
Renée’s dreams of being a writer are going nowhere. Flo’s hiding a secret shame. They’re both failing in work and love.
Why did nobody warn them? Why does adulthood feel less like freedom, and more like a trap?
Careening from one disaster to the next, and learning to spread their… wings, Renée and Flo must uncover the secret to living their best lives.
But maybe we never stop growing up. And maybe they’ll survive the course – if only they stick together.”

I hadn’t, until I started the book, realised it’s a sequel to Dawn’s Young Adult book ‘Paper Aeroplanes’ which I’ve never read – so I might be coming at it differently to someone reading a follow up to a much loved previous novel.

The book starts with Renée and Flo being reunited, after 3 years, at a funeral on the island of Guernsey where they (and in fact Dawn O’Porter herself) grew up. They are in their early 20s (so a similar age to my eldest daughter) and their lives aren’t panning out as they’d expected.

Having read 2 wonderful, literary books most recently, I was little concerned about my next read being a disappointment – but I need not have been concerned, this was wonderful. Just so different to either of them – but early in the book Renée’s first day at work had my literally laughing out loud!

Whilst it is part ‘coming of age’ it also deals with infidelity, mental health, grief, menopause, strained parental relationships – but not in a deep, depressing way – just in the way that most people’s lives are complicated with lots of different strands.

The setting of Guernsey is really well described as well – I’d definitely like to go and visit having never ‘done’ a Channel Island.

I hadn’t fully appreciated the time period of the book until a huge international event takes place – one of those times when you will always remember where you were – and I thought Dawn captured both the unfolding of the event – but also how everyone felt in the aftermath – really well.

The book is told alternately from Renée and Flo’s points of view – but the supporting cast of characters – family members, neighbours, colleagues, even bees – all provide a rich tapestry for the storyline. I romped through it – keen to see how everything turned out for our leading ladies. There would definitely be room for another instalment in their lives in the future too.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable, escapist read – it would appear I prefer bees to cats!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC. Honeybee is out in September 2024 and can be pre ordered now.

Book Review: Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent

Posted on by Libby Price

I feel like I’ve ‘known’ Susie Dent forever – she’s been in Dictionary Corner on Countdown since 1992 – which is a very long time. I heard her interviewed on a podcast recently and really enjoyed hearing about her being herself, not just the lexicographer and etymologist that she is famed for being on TV. When I heard that her first novel was being released, I was delighted to be granted an advance review copy. Here’s the blurb:

“Guilty by Definition is a love letter not only to language but to the city of Oxford, wrapped within an intriguing mystery of a missing woman and considering the emotional aftershocks of her disappearance on those left behind.
She’d known there would be ghosts in Oxford. Martha wasn’t afraid of any headless horsemen, or nuns haunting the local ruins; it was Charlie, always Charlie she was afraid would find her.
When an anonymous letter is delivered to the Clarendon English Dictionary, it is rapidly clear that this is not the usual lexicographical enquiry. Instead, the letter hints at secrets and lies linked to a particular year.
For Martha Thornhill, the new senior editor, the date can mean only one thing: the summer her brilliant older sister Charlie went missing.
After a decade abroad, Martha has returned home to the city whose ancient institutions have long defined her family. Have the ghosts she left behind her been waiting for her return?
When more letters arrive, and Martha and her team pull apart the complex clues within them, the mystery becomes ever more insistent and troubling. It seems Charlie had been keeping a powerful secret, and someone is trying to lead the lexicographers towards the truth. But other forces are no less desperate to keep it well and truly buried.”

The book is set at the ‘Clarendon English Dictionary’ offices in Oxford. I know Susie has worked for Oxford University Press in the past – so I’m guessing she’s drawing on personal experience for a lot of the setting (maybe novel 2 will be set in the world of TV?!)

Martha has returned from working in Berlin to a role at the CED – where her older sister, Charlie, had been employed before she disappeared many years before. Martha and her colleagues, and other people connected to Charlie, start to receive cryptic letters and postcards which they try to decipher.

I have to say some of this deciphering went over my head a bit – as my Shakespeare knowledge is not extensive – but that didn’t detract from enjoying the book. And whilst I haven’t read any more Shakespeare than my GCSE syllabus required, I did grow up close to Stratford Upon Avon – so am familiar with him and his family. In fact I grew up thinking the expression ‘It’s black over Bill’s Mother’s’ – when a storm was incoming – was due to the fact the clouds were gathering from a Southerly direction where Mary Shakespeare (nee Arden)’s house was. However, having attempted to fact check that (I’ve been ‘influenced’ by the book) it would appear this is one explanation – but actually people all over the UK use the same odd phrase and it may well refer to Kaiser Wilhelm II from Germany instead.

The start of each chapter features an unusual word which is then explained (some I knew, some I didn’t – but do now) and as you would expect, the language throughout the book is just wonderful. I felt like I was being educated whilst enjoying a fantastic book at the same time! This did mean that at the start the storyline felt quite slow – as lots of page space was taken up explaining the meaning of words – but I enjoyed that. I’m not sure if I just got used to that – or if the pace did pick up – as the ‘mystery’ element of the book seemed to gather momentum throughout.

The relationships between Martha and her colleagues are explored – and Martha and her parents and particularly how that changed after Charlie disappeared. The fact that someone who disappears / dies is remembered through rose coloured spectacles is also looked at, along with ‘recollections may vary’ between different parties of the same experience and ‘survivor’ guilt. That makes it sound really heavy – but it’s not at all – it’s a great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book – from an educational standpoint – but also as a well written mystery novel. A huge thank you to the publishers for my ARC. It actually was released 2 days ago – so if it’s taken your fancy, you can order it right now.

My only ‘slight’ quibble, is that a certain pop group from the 1990s were never mentioned…………….


Book Review: The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

Posted on by Libby Price

Having loved Kate Quinn’s previous book, The Rose Code, I was delighted to be offered an advance review copy of her latest book, The Briar Club. (Whilst it was advance to me, my reading has been a little slow, so it’s already out – but that means I won’t be tempting you too far in advance if you like the sound of it!)

“Washington, DC, 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic room, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss, whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; policeman’s daughter Nora, who finds herself entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Beatrice, whose career has come to an end along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare. Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears the house apart, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: who is the true enemy in their midst?
Capturing the paranoia of the McCarthy era and evoking the changing roles for women in postwar America, The Briar Club is an intimate and thrilling novel of secrets and loyalty put to the test.”

The book is set in Washington DC – and that in itself was great, as it meant I could reminisce about a trip with my husband a few years ago (which was back when my blogs weren’t all just book reviews!) It’s Thanksgiving 1954 and someone has been murdered in the top floor room – and the house itself is telling the story. Each chapter than covers what’s happened in the last 4 years, from the point of view of the family who own the house and then each of the residents in turn. The chapters stand alone as a story of an individual – and all included a recipe for that person and a song to listen to when enjoying the food – it was really clever and special.

The house then gives a few more clues as to what atrocity has just happened all cleverly linked to the back story you’ve just read. Each of the stories intertwines amazingly – and despite being a huge pedantic geek I didn’t spot a single inconsistency (well done Kate Quinn and your editor!)

Some of the characters are more likeable than others – but they make for a rich tapestry of a book. It also taught me quite a lot about that era that I didn’t already know.

I don’t want to give any spoilers – but it is brilliant! The best book I’ve read in a while that’s for sure. The writing is exquisite, eloquent and evocative – just like Kate Quinn’s previous book. It feels like an awful lot of time, care and research has gone into each of them.

I also adored that the final section, once the story itself is finished, goes through each of the characters and explains who or what they were based on – and how much was fact, fiction – or a mix of the two. I remember at the end of The Rose Code spending lots of time Googling – so this was super helpful. I was also delighted that I’d spotted the ‘Easter Egg’ that one of Fliss’s English relatives was a character in The Rose Code – gold star to me!!

A huge thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC.

Book Review: HRT: Husband Replacement Therapy by Kathy Lette

Posted on by Libby Price

“An outrageously funny, heartbreaking read – when Ruby finds out she has cancer on the brink of her 50th birthday, she decides to start living instead of complying…
Ruby has always been the generous mediator among her friends, family and colleagues, which is why they’ve all turned up to celebrate her 50th birthday.
But after too many glasses of champers, Ruby takes her moment in the spotlight to reveal what she really thinks of every one of them. She accuses her husband of having an affair and lambasts her mother for a lifetime of playing her three daughters against each other – it’s blisteringly brutal.
As the stunned gathering gawks at Ruby, the birthday girl reveals that she has terminal cancer, and has cashed in her life savings to take her two estranged sisters cruising into the sunset for a dose of HRT – Husband Replacement Therapy. But is Ruby being courageous or ruthlessly selfish?”

Having just turned 50 and with 2 sisters myself – I felt I had to say yes to an advance review copy of this! (Although thankfully I got through my 50th without a cancer diagnosis or upsetting anyone, despite too many glasses of champagne!)

I have to say when I started the book it felt incredibly similar to another Kathy Lette book I read recently, and whilst the wise-cracking humour was amusing – I wasn’t sure I could cope with something almost identikit – group of middle aged women against the entire male population. I almost gave up – but I’m glad I didn’t – as once the sisters were back from the cruise the book improved dramatically and had much more interesting storylines.

It looked at sibling relationships as well as romantic relationships, plus parental ones both as the parent and as the offspring. I also loved the setting in Sydney (having lived and worked there for a few months back in 1999 – it will always have a special place in my heart)

Overall I enjoyed the book – and I think most women of a certain age would! (But I won’t be booking on a cougar cruise any time soon!!)

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC – and it’s out NOW if you fancy the sound of it!

Book Review: Love Story by Lindsey Kelk

Posted on by Libby Price

I have loved previous Lindsey Kelk books – so when I saw that she had new book out called ‘Love Story’, I was delighted to be offered and advance review copy. Here’s the blurb:

“She’s a small-town schoolteacher, he’s a hotshot creative director. Together, it’s hate at first sight.
Sophie Taylor has a secret and Joe Walsh is the last person she’d tell. He’s devilishly handsome, incredibly hot – and far too sure of himself.
But Sophie desperately needs his help.
Because she’s not just hiding something small. She is Este Cox, the mysterious romance author the entire world is desperate to unmask.
When a trip to the countryside means sharing a cottage with only one bed, it’s a short step to sharing a whole lot more besides… Can Sophie trust Joe with the truth – and be herself?”

I absolutely LOVED this book! Sophie is a main character you’re rooting for from the start. Whilst most people think she’s ‘just’ a teacher – she’s actually a hugely successful novelist of a bestseller called ‘Butterflies’ – but for a number of reasons (mostly being that it’s a romance book – and her parents and ex are sniffy about such literature that they deem not sufficiently high brow) she’s keeping her other identity under wraps.

Whilst the book is fundamentally a will they / won’t they between Sophie and Joe – there is much more to it. The snobbery about romance / women’s fiction / chick lit is exposed for the utter bullsh*t it is (I particularly loved when Sophie reels off a list of amazing writers of the genre – Mhairi McFarlane, Emily Henry et al – the only mistake being that Lindsey Kelk was missed off the list!) And family relationships are also unpicked really well and true to life (having children of a similar age to Sophie’s younger sister – I can see how well that age group is represented in this book!!)

‘Love Story’ is also ridiculously sexy! In a building up the tension way – not a ‘I’m reading a porno whilst waiting to pick the kids up’ way. But I very much enjoyed this element too.

This – like lots of the books I’ve reviewed recently – is out on Thursday 4 July. There is an amazing range of fabulous options published on that day (even if choices for other things on that day are less exciting!)

A big thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC.

Book Review: The Summer Party by Kate Gray

Posted on by Libby Price

“It’s the event of the year – the company summer party. Mel can’t wait to let her hair down with her colleagues. Sun, sea, and her sights set on her work crush. One big happy family.
But as the champagne flows and the sun begins to set, cracks in the team start to appear. Secrets, lies, revenge. No one is as innocent as they seem.
But could one of them be guilty of murder? Mel soon realises someone is orchestrating a deadly plan. And she must uncover the truth if she’s going to get out alive . . .”

I was offered an advance review copy of The Summer Party by Kate Gray on Net Galley – and saw that it was recommended for fans of Lucy Foley – so I said ‘yes please!’.

The book is told primarily from the point of view of Mel – who works in HR at a PR company, Flavour. I have to say she reminded me quite a lot of Eleanor Oliphant – the eponymous heroine of a book published in 2017. She is one of the ‘lucky’ VIP members of staff to be picked randomly to stay overnight at an exclusive hotel set on a historic fort in the middle of the Solent. After all of the Flavour staff have finished their summer party – the lucky few will remain over night in the lap of luxury.

The weather is a scorching heat wave – and the oppressive heat as the party starts is written really well and you can really feel it. You know from near the start that something has happened to a previous colleague, Holly, who died after the Flavour Christmas party – and Mel in particular seems to be being reminded of her at every turn – even the bedroom smells of her perfume.

The party goes off reasonably smoothly – although with a drunken speech and lots of alcohol involved – and then most of the staff head back to the mainland. Things then get weird! It’s written really well and is incredibly evocative of the VIPs being totally stranded on an isolated fort with no way of getting off.

There’s murder and intrigue and you’re never quite sure who can and can’t be trusted. It had a great pace and made me want to keep reading to unravel what was happening!

Overall a great read for this summer.

A bit thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC. It’s out on July 4th – busy day for books – and voting!

Book Review: If I Were You by Cesca Major

Posted on by Libby Price

One of my books of 2023 was Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major, and so when I heard she had a new book out, I was delighted to be granted an advance review copy by Net Galley – here’s the blurb:

“How do you know when you’ve found The One?
Amy loves Flynn
Flynn loves Amy
But she can’t read his mind, and he can’t read hers. Heading away to her sister’s wedding weekend, little do they know it’s make or break.
When a bolt of lightning gives them the ultimate change in perspective, they have to get through the weekend walking in each other’s shoes… Literally.
Will this crazy experience split them up – or make them fall in love all over again?”

Early in the book a bolt of lightning cause Flynn and Amy to change bodies. Now, I’ve seen this happen in films – but wondered how it would be dealt with in a book – and I have to say that it was a bit of a headf*ck to start with. I kept having to stop and think ‘so who is this? Is this Flynn in Amy’s body – or Amy in Flynn’s body?’ But I did get into the swing of it.

Whilst Amy’s sister’s wedding is the back drop – lots of history is covered and uncovered in a really clever way for numerous members of the wedding party. It also addresses some fundamental issues and differences that men and women feel – but may not necessarily have considered. For example Flynn feels much more vulnerable when he’s Amy – and Amy is expected to be more aggressive when she’s Flynn.

There are some slight inconsistencies – where skills each of them possess when themselves are sometimes exchanged to the other person – and sometimes most definitely not. But you’re massively suspending your belief because they’ve body swapped – so whether someone can or can not then sing or play tennis is a bit irrelevant I guess!

I was interested to see if they ever swapped back into their own bodies, and if so how that could happen – because lightning doesn’t often strike twice (yes, I went there, yes, I am a d*ck) – and there are no spoilers from me here.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was desperate to keep reading.

It’s out on 4th July – which is a big day for lots of new releases, and I think something else might be happening that day too?!?

A big thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for my ARC.

Book Review: Wavewalker by Suzanne Heywood

Posted on by Libby Price

I was lucky enough to be offered another book to read that is going to feature in ‘Don’t Buy Her Flowers’ packages going forward – and so I obviously said yes (having never knowingly refused a free book!) I have to say that real life / autobiographies are not a genre I often read – but sometimes it’s good to try something outside your standard comfort zone. Here is the blurb:

“Aged just seven, Suzanne Heywood set sail with her parents and brother on a three-year voyage around the world. What followed turned instead into a decade-long way of life, through storms, shipwrecks, reefs and isolation, with little formal schooling. No one else knew where they were most of the time and no state showed any interest in what was happening to the children.
Suzanne fought her parents, longing to return to England and to education and stability. This memoir covers her astonishing upbringing, a survival story of a child deprived of safety, friendships, schooling and occasionally drinking water… At seventeen Suzanne earned an interview at Oxford University and returned to the UK.
From the bestselling author of What Does Jeremy Think?, Wavewalker is the incredible true story of how the adventure of a lifetime became one child’s worst nightmare – and how her determination to educate herself enabled her to escape”

The book starts in the 1970s with Suzy and her family in Warwick before her father decides to take them on a 3 year trip around the world sailing in the footsteps (um, that doesn’t quite make sense?!) of Captain Cook’s circumnavigation to celebrate it’s 200th anniversary. The family share a surname with the aforementioned Captain – and Mr Cook is very focussed in his plans for the trip – with his wife and kids (Suzy and her younger brother Jon) being swept along with it whether they want to or not.

The trip doesn’t go exactly as planned – and ends up being extended again and again. The family take on paying crew members to help fund the trip – which adds to the characters in the book. At times I found the storyline quite repetitive – but I guess the whole experience was at times. I also do not enjoy boats (I get motion sickness on a lilo!) and some of the descriptions – especially of ‘the wave’ incident – made me feel physically sick, which shows just how well it was described!

I have to say that I really did not like Mr and Mrs Cook – they appeared to have absolutely no thought or love for their kids at all. (Although I appreciate this book is told from Suzy’s point of view, and she’s now seemingly estranged from them, but I do wonder what they would say about their singlemindedness to complete the trip and be together as a couple – often seemingly to the detriment of their children).

Suzy was clearly incredibly self motivated to try and complete her studies by correspondence school (something that I think is much more common in Australia due to how much of the population lives in far flung outposts – and well before home schooling was a ‘thing’ for lots of us #shudderatthememories) and shows incredible strength of character. Given the incredibly unusual experiences – Suzy appears to be a surprisingly normal person.

Overall it was a really interesting book – and the trip around the world (visiting places I’ve been lucky enough to visit in South Africa and Australia) was great.

A big thank you to Don’t Buy Her Flowers and the publishers for my free review copy.