This is quite a quick and easy read but I don’t mean that in any critical way. It is a lovely book: charming, funny, witty and demonstrating the author’s ability to observe the everyday in minute detail.
The novel is written in alternating perspectives from 2 middle-aged, divorced and lonely characters: Marnie and Michael. Extrovert deputy headteacher Cleo is matchmaking. She invites 4 single friends to join her family on a serious walking holiday, Wainwrights coast to coast route from St Bees in Cumbria in the east to Robin Hood’s Bay in the west. One friend opts out, one goes home early. Marnie, a proof reader and copy-writer and Michael, a geography teacher are left, pushed together in the beginning by circumstance.
Relationships are always going to be tricky and most people can think back to excruciating experiences as teenagers. Reading the cues, going too fast or too slow, misunderstandings, I could go on. However, I think, so much harder when you have a failed relationship behind you, have become used to being a recluse during lockdown times and are then (gently) bullied by an excitable friend to come out into the sun again.
The device of continually swapping narrators allows the reader to share the thoughts of Marnie and Michael as they get to know each other. Are they wasting their time? Do they actually want someone else? Aren’t they OK by themselves? And it rains and it rains. With flayed feet and aching legs Marnie retreats home to London, hurt by Michael arranging to meet his ex-wife.
Time passes but they are still in each other’s thoughts.
And then Michael manoeuvres a school trip to London. He gets in touch with Marnie and they agree to meet in Kensington Gardens. Is there still a connection? Is there enough to build on?
A lovely read.