The writing is sharp and enjoyable and zings with observational awareness and irony
Emily Perkins, a New Zealand writer, has composed a fun and engrossing page-turner about a modern middle-class woman from humble beginnings. As a seemingly benign and successful owner of a lifestyle store, Therese – the protagonist - gets caught up in a scandal that is none of her doing. It explores marriage burdened with family entanglements from the point-of-view of a younger restrained wife to an older established business man.
Downstairs from Therese’s luxury apartment, her eccentric neighbour Claire provides the space for questioning and testing what is important. Therese begins to veer towards breaking free in her own way when she is taken for granted over and over again. The book explores compromise, privilege, authenticity, freedom and desires. The writing is sharp and enjoyable and zings with observational awareness and irony, especially when Therese reflects on or interacts with her spoilt step-children.
What a fun read!