A Question of Answers by Margaret Henderson Smith
| A Question of Answers by Margaret Henderson Smith | |
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| Category: Women's Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: The roller-coaster ride of Harriet Glover's life as she tires of trying to persuade her partner to marry her - and finds herself falling for her boss. Passionate and funny. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 244 | Date: October 2008 |
| Publisher: Arima Publishing | |
| ISBN: 978-1845493288 | |
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Harriet Glover lives with her partner who's reluctant to commit himself to marriage. It's not that he hasn't had time to make up his mind – their two children are at the stage where they might produce grandchildren. His excuse is that he can't see the point as they already share a surname through chance, so what difference would marriage make? Mark's not entirely insensitive (well, some of the time…) but he can't understand Harriet's need for that reassuring piece of paper. Until then she's going to be wondering if his eyes are wandering elsewhere. Harriet's not entirely immune either: she finds the headmaster of the school where she teaches quite irresistible.
And to be fair, Joris (that's pronounced Yoris, by the way) has a lot going for him. He's good looking, six feet tall and blonde, as well as having his fingers in all sorts of pies and friends in high places. Harriet, on the other hand, is almost permanently broke and so accident prone that she could give Frank Spencer a run for his money. Somehow you can't quite see Mr Sanderson falling for her charms – falling over her, yes, but you sense that he will be caught by someone rather more elegant and sophisticated. Or, are appearances, deceptive? He does seem to turn up in the most unlikely places.
If you like slapstick comedy you will love Harriet. She's kind-hearted and genuinely does her best. She's also a very good teacher with the interests of the pupils close to her heart, which is more than you suspect you can say for Mr Sanderson. He seems to be more interested in his business interests and collecting female hearts. Margaret Henderson Smith has to perfection Harriet's feeling of being completely enraptured by the man and there were times when my heart ached for her. Her friend Tricia is also attracted to the man – but you really don't feel quite as sympathetic to her! They're two engaging and well-written characters.
It's a good story too, which didn't work out as I was confidently expecting it to. It's a plot that's been carefully constructed rather than one which works itself out as the writing progresses and there are some very clever touches which keep the farcical on just the right side of believable. The author also has a real talent for the phrase which sums a situation up, which sticks in the mind, but there were occasions when she seemed to be trying just a little too hard on this front. Happily this disappeared when she relaxed into her story.
I hope that we'll hear more from Margaret Henderson Smith – and Harriet Glover. I'd like to thank the author for sending a copy of A Question of Answers to the Bookbag.
If this book appeals then you might also enjoy The Only Way Is Up by Carole Matthews and You Don't Have To Be Good by Sabrina Broadbent. We had a very interesting chat with Margaret Henderson Smith.
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You can read more book reviews or buy A Question of Answers by Margaret Henderson Smith at Amazon.com.
You can read more about Margaret Henderson Smith here.
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