I have been enjoying Joanna Trolloppe novels for a long time now and each time she writes a new one I have to add it to my collection. Her latest novel is Friday Nights which is an excellent read and is probably one of her best to date. It’s not a book where a lot happens. There isn’t really that much action. It is, however, a book about people and human nature and if you find that fascinating you will probably love this book.
Friday nights are very important to six very different women. They vary greatly in age and circumstances but all rely on the companionship and support from each other particularly during their Friday night get-togethers. The six form a wonderfully eclectic mix from Eleanor a sprightly spinster in her seventies to young Jules who is struggling to find her way in life. Lindsay and Paula are both single mothers with young sons. Lindsay was tragically widowed before her son Noah was born and Paula’s young son Toby was the result of her long term affair with a married man. The final two in the group are business partners Blaise and Karen. Blaise is very single minded and driven in her work whereas Karen is more harassed trying to juggle the demands of a career and a family life without much help from her husband Lucas.
As you can see they are a very diverse set of woman but they all gain a sense of camaraderie from the group that they seem unable to find elsewhere. That is until the dynamics change when Paula introduces her new boyfriend, Jackson, to everyone. For some reason he has a profoundly unsettling influence on them all and it’s not long before cracks start to appear in the group and tension rises. Things are never likely to be the same but maybe that possibly is a good thing as it forces all the women to reflect on where they are in their lives!
This is such a well-written book that had me feeling completely involved from the very first page. All the women are very believeable and likeable characters in their different ways, which really did make me care about what was going to happen. Each of the six characters are given equal weighting and different chapters focus on different characters creating a well balanced read. The way Jackson is introduced is perfect. At first he comes across as most affable and amenable but it’s not long until the reader starts having doubts about his motives.
I loved reading this book from the very first to the very last page. The pace was gentle and steady and it was effortless keeping up with it all. I liked the characters and cared about them but it’s also a very good portrayal of how women’s relationships work and why they matter so much.
This fabulous book is published by Black Swan and has a RRP of £7.99 but you can probably pick it up for a lot less. I bought mine in Tesco as part of a two for £7 offer!
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I read a couple of her offerings years ago and thought them dreadful - maybe I was expecting too much being a huge fan of the original Trollope and maybe I should give ehr another chance in the luight of your recommendation
Apr 14th, 2009
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