Oh my! As I settled to read what seemed to be a bittersweet tale of a lady close to myself in years, and celebrating such a book that has a mature ‘heroine’, nothing, just nothing prepared me for the most audacious twists I’ve encountered in a long while. One after the other!! I actually roared with laughter. Not from the specifics of the plot but for the sheer joy of what an experienced novelist can produce to entertain and delight readers. So clever the way the story turns on it’s axis from light to dark with a wit and observation that is typical of Deborah Moggach’s work.
The black dress seemed to be me to be somehow symbolic - Prudence’s acknowledgement that the entire dynamic of her life was changing, almost as if the wearing of the dress was a character changer. At least I did early on in the book! Then thoughts of Congreve and spurned women fuelled my impressions! I really don’t want to give anything away but the story develops from Pru’s husband of many years walking out on her and how she copes with life after marriage, from confiding in best friends to gatecrashing funerals in the black dress she finds in a charity shop.
A cast of colourful characters, a well paced narrative that urges the reader on, with an exploration of human nature - how people’s perceptions of themselves differ from how other see them and what lengths people will go to achieve their end goals.
It is an entertaining read and sure to delight Moggach’s fans.
My thanks to Team Bookends for a gifted proof.
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