Single In The City by Michele Gorman
| Single In The City by Michele Gorman | |
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| Category: Women's Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Zoe Morris
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| Summary: An accurate and interesting take on the differences between two great nations, this is a funny book about an American gal in the British capital. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 352 | Date: June 2010 |
| Publisher: Penguin | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0141048260 | |
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In a rather spontaneous decision to follow her dreams Right This Second, Hannah has left Connecticut behind and moved to London. She doesn't have a flat, she doesn't have a job, and she doesn't have any friends, but she has more important things to worry about on arrival. Like how to deal with potential lovers who are too posh to wash and how to get the guy in the sandwich shop to understand her order. As she navigates her way through the highlights and pitfalls of life on this side of the pond she chronicles all the little intricacies that we would never consider twice.
This book had the potential to be awful. I've read other books about Yanks' views on the British way of life, ranging from slightly amusing to just downright wrong interpretations, and I feared this might be another one of those, mediocre at best. Happily, I could not have been more wrong. This is a funny, insightful, highly entertaining read that will resonate with British readers as well as their American cousins.
The story is a good one, if a little too good to be true at times: within chapters Hannah has a fab, affordable apartment, and the sort of job I'd love the chance to do, not to mention a row of suitors lining up at her door. As the pages fly by the characters on both sides of the Atlantic come to life, and you get swept away with Hannah's new life. The ending wasn't to my liking, but it only warrants the docking of half a star as the rest of the book is so stellar.
Throughout the book, the author includes little footnotes to explain certain brands or cultural references. Most of these are translations of American institutions for the British audience (Betty Crocker and Chuck E Cheese are two, though given the proliferation of the former in our supermarkets these days, it was hardly needed) while a few seem to be the other way round – she explains the concept of Costa Coffee to the USA contingent. I liked these footnotes, not because I really needed them (time spent living Stateside and a fondness for American media sorted that out) but because she adds her own wry take on them. I might know who or what Lilly Pulitzer is, but I still like hearing that it's America’s ode to the belief that wallpaper can be fashionable when worn as a dress.
I flew through this book. It was full of humour and life, and definitely had the feel good factor. Much better than I was expecting it to be, I would highly recommend it.
Thanks go to the publishers for sending us this book.
For the vice versa story, a Brit living it up Hollywood style, why not have a look at The Motherhood Walk of Fame by Shari Low.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Single In The City by Michele Gorman at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Single In The City by Michele Gorman at Amazon.com.
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