By Katie Fforde
Penguin Books 2021
451 pages
ISBN 978-1-529-15632-4
1/5 stars
Will I read more from this Author: NO.
Genre: romance
Keywords: London 1963, cooking school, growing up, unmarried pregnant woman, snobbishness, aristocracy, woman’s place in life, friendship,
I had found three books I wanted; but the offer was the second book for half price, so as the book shop was closing, the bookseller put this on top of the others, telling me I would enjoy it. I did not.
But it made me consider, how many bad books do you have to read before you find another good one?
Summary:
London 1963 Lizzie has been permitted to attend a cooking school for girls of high society so they will be able to take good care of their future husbands. Her mother since the day she was born 19 years ago has planned Lizzie’s wedding in the tiniest details; she hopes the cooking class will open a way for Lizzie to find an eligible man.
Lizzie is to live with her mother’s younger sister, Gina, but she finds Lizzie too beautiful and is afraid her man friend will transfer his attention to Lizzie. So, Lizzie has to move out and moves in with two friends from the class: Alexandra a rich orphan who lives alone with David, homosexual, actor, antiquity person. Meg, who was brought up by a widowed mother, who had earned her living by being a housekeeper. Meg plans to become a chef cook, which gives Lizzie a shock, a woman can make a living for herself?! Alexandre is a free spirit who cannot stand fools, interested in antiquities with a life experience that is not really explained.
Lizzie starts to grow up which brings problems with her parents as she starts to lie to them. Vanessa is another class mate arranges a party where the 3 girls are invited; to meet other men. By one look Lizzie falls in love with Hugo, Vanessa’s brother, who is almost engaged to Electra, the very thin model and not very likeable. From here the rest of the book is predictable. Hugo and Vanessa's parents are snobbish aristocracy.
Various complications, Lizzie gets pregnant by Hugo. She does not want to tell him and so destroy his life. Although as David tries to explain to her, her life will be far more spoiled than Hugo’s. When Lizzie turns to the family doctor to get a pregnancy test, the doctor reveals that fact to her parents without telling her. Her parents get extremely angry and take her home. In the end Hugo finds out, wants to marry her, she agrees.
Lizzie is wondering if he really loves her, or he only marries her because “he has to”. Like in a Jane Austen novel, all is revealed in a letter.
What I think about the book:
This is absolutely not a Jane Austen novel; I found the characters without personalities, uninteresting except perhaps for David. I think a much more interesting book would have been to start where this one ended: how to make such a necessity marriage work.
Lizzies’ parents are much more interested in what the neighbors think, than in supporting and helping their daughter; actually, the mother is volunteering at the local church but has not learned what it means to be a Christian.
I think that the family doctor in the book should be struck from the registry for un-ethical and unprofessional conduct; even if it is 1963.
This book has made me appreciate that I have a profession, so that I do not have think that my daughter’s wedding day is the only thing to live for and the most important day in my life; I have not had time for that.
As a parent you must find the balance to protect your children, but also allow them to become independent and support them also when the choices they make are not what you would choose; and even if it means an unplanned pregnancy; actually, I would be happy to have a grandchild.
For a book that starts with a cooking school for finer French cooking, I found the descriptions of food very poor and uninspired, in one place somebody finds that a sandwich with cheese and a tomato is heaven.
On the author:
Born UK 1952, since 1995 she writes romance novels, at least two dozens or more at the moment.
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