A humorous take on a serious subject - a great Summer read. Enough substance to keep the reader engaged, but not too demanding.
This is quite a light easy read, although the subject is actually quite serious. The story is mostly narrated by Nate, a forty something driving instructor, who wakes up one morning to find his wife has disappeared, leaving him a list of all his shortcomings which have led to her decision to walk away from the marriage. His efforts to rectify these shortcomings, in order to win back his wife, make amusing reading, and he does find himself in some difficult situations. The writing style is good and I enjoyed it, although I did find myself getting slightly bored at about the two thirds mark – it picked up towards the end though, and the ending was good. I think it’s the ideal Summer read – not too demanding but enough substance to keep the reader engaged.
I loved the book!! It was an amazing story and i couldn’t put it down.
This is the story of Nate and Sinead Turner, who have been together for 16 years and have a son, Flynn.
Nate believes everything is perfect, until one day when he wakes up to find Sinead gone, with a list of all the things he did wrong.
As he attrmps to ‘prove her wrong’ by completing this list, his life changes and he wonders if what happened is for the best anyway.
What will happen? Will they get their happily ever after?
Yes, I think everyone has been down this route or knows of couples who have ......
Can dad win her back?
Nate wakes up early one morning to find the other side of his bed empty and a note downstairs with bullet points from his wife Sinead. After some deliberation he realises that these all relate to him and the problems she perceives. Thus she has left him. They have a 16 year old son called Flynn who suffers from cerebral palsy but they both dote on him. Yes, she has been having therapy and also the doctor diagnosed her with depression, but at her age Nate considers this almost the norm.
Now he has a mission - to make his way through this list and prove to her that he is worthy and can be a better husband. In following this path, yes, his life changes but is this for the better or the worse?
Each chapter is told by one of the characters with the majority of the chapters told from Nate's perspective. This struck me as unusual at the beginning as from the title I expected it to be told from Sinead's point of view. However, you build up an excellent picture of Nate and really find yourself rooting for him but where I felt the novel lacking was it was not really obvious why the marriage had failed/was failing from her sparsity in the book. She seemed almost childlike. I would also have liked to have seen more chapters by Flynn - there was only one, practically at the end.
Yes, I think everyone has been down this route or knows of couples who have ......
Enjoy
I loved this book - it made me laugh out loud. It is the story of a relationship breakdown - not a particularly funny subject but the author approaches it in such an honest and realistic way that the humour of a sad situation is as important as the pathos.
I loved this book - it made me laugh out loud. It is the story of a relationship breakdown - not a particularly funny subject but the author approaches it in such an honest and realistic way that the humour of a sad situation is as important as the pathos.
The main characters are Nate and Sinead Turner, seemingly happily married for many years and their teenage son Flynn, who has cerebral palsy.
Out of the blue, Sinead walks out, leaving Nate with nothing as an explanation except a long list featuring his shortcomings and irritating behaviours. He is completely devastated and bewildered.
Sinead was an up and coming silver jeweller at the beginning of their marriage but now works in a gift shop - the 'something' Owl and is feeling bored, unchallenged and hemmed in.
Really though - this is more a story about Nate once a successful musician and now a driving examiner, and his relationships with his wife and his son.
Through a bizarre encounter with Tanzie, a waitress from Burger Bill's, Nate begins to understand what has happened and what he needs to do to make everything right again.
There are some truly hilarious scenes mixed in with sadness and the periphery characters, including Stan the LP collector, and even music itself, are brilliantly defined.