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Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Jun 2005, 368 pages
Paperback:
May 2006, 368 pages
Book Reviewed by:
BookBrowse Review Team
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Kabak's debut is set in Wales (which, just in case you're not familiar with the geography of Britain, is the bulge on the West side of the country surrounded on three sides by sea) - Kate Cadogan is a typical desperate housewife who is triggered to take stock of her life when she comes home to find her teenage son has trashed the house and her husband couldn't care less. As she starts to take a close look at her life we travel back with her to her teenage years in the 1970s which were dominated by her controlling mother, and Kate's unplanned pregnancy, which landed her married to Rodney. Luckily for Kate, she has two supportive friends, Ingrid and Moira, who stick with her through the years, and the support and sympathy of her grandparents and aunt (to the point that one can't help wondering how things managed to spiral to such a low point for her in the first place). If you enjoyed Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman or Step-Ball-Change, this is one you'll most likely enjoy.
"Scenes play out fluidly and are nicely detailed, particularly in Kate's sophisticated foodyism." - Publishers Weekly.
"This is a charming, compassionate look at how one woman discovers that self-fulfillment shouldn't be postponed forever." - Booklist.
This review was originally published in The BookBrowse Review in July 2005, and has been updated for the
May 2006 edition.
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