Recently I did something I’ve never done before; I chose a book based purely on the cover. With a ridiculously long “need to read” list, I had no reason to be so reckless. But that’s the problem with having so many books you want to read – it can be overwhelming.
So, back to the cover of the book I chose. It was simple; that’s why I liked it. It could represent ANYTHING. And as I delved into the story, I liked what I found. Let me introduce you to Nina, our main character.
Nina doesn’t know it, but she has a strong fortitude. With her childhood and teenage years steeped in poverty, you’d think she’d know a trick or two. However, as the younger sibling, she was protected by big sister Twiggy. More on Twiggy later. Heads up: we love her.
The story opens with Nina living a life of leisure. Her hubby, Finn, is loaded. She lives in a swanky house, drives an expensive car and her sons go to a posh school. Then Finn dies. In the midst of her pain, Nina gets a summons from her sons’ school. She duly attends the appointment, to be told her sons can’t stay as the eye-watering fees have not been paid for two semesters. Upon staggering away from that confusing news, Nina gets a call from her husband’s accountant advising her beloved Finn owes an astonishing amount of money. She barely has time to absorb this hideous news when her teenage son rings from their home, to alert her men are carting their possessions into waiting trucks.
You get where I’m going. I must admit, I was a fascinated voyeur into how the system works. And by system, I mean what happens when the proverbial hits the fan and debt collectors come calling. It’s brutal.
Back to our poor Nina. She’s trying to cope with the loss of her husband Finn. There is mounting evidence Finn was not the person she thought he was. Homeless and penniless, the doors of her wealthy neighbours and “friends” are slammed in her face. She rapidly packs the remaining bare essentials from the home that now belongs to the bank, and flees; back to where she grew up. Guess who still lives there – big sister Twiggy!
I want to keep talking but I also don’t want to ruin the journey. I’ll leave you with this: it was a joy to watch Nina grow a set, so to speak. I also liked the fact the author didn’t neatly wrap everything up with a pretty bow. We were shown the direction Nina wanted to take and I, the reader, sincerely hopes she makes it because in the end, she was worthy.
This is the first novel I have ready by Amanda Prowse. It won’t be the last. Will I recklessly tempt fate and again choose a book by its cover? There’s a very strong chance I will. xo
Mexican J.P. Combe has been proud to call Brisbane home for the past 15 years. Her hobbies are reading and drinking wine (preferably at the same time). She has the uncanny ability to make all things electronic stop working and frequently deletes things she didn’t mean to. When J.P’s not cursing technology, she can be found cooking unpalatable meals for her long suffering husband (the dog doesn’t mind) or helping their kids with homework – aka the blind leading the blind.
J.P’s debut novel was released earlier this year.
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