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A review by beate251
The Woman with All the Answers by Linda Green
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.
Meet the Banks family. Michelle is a stressed out 52 year old district nurse, her husband Marc is a copywriter for a compost company and is addicted to buying old dolls on ebay, her 18 year old daughter Liv suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia, her 16 year old son Graham has just sent a dick pic to his underage girlfriend, her mother is dying, her father is constantly at risk of getting scammed and doesn't understand the digital world anymore, and her MIL needs more and more help after a fall. Oh, and she's in perimenopause and the guinea pigs keep dying.
Now picture a world in which the Alexa voices actually belong to real women Iike 65 year old Pauline from Halifax, shortly to be retired, who hides her broad Yorkshire accent when adding things to the Banks' shopping list or playing Liv's sad songs list for the umpteenth time. Pauline has been looking after the family's needs for six years and never once broken cover - but now she feels Michelle needs her, being crushed from so many sides at once. The story is told in dual POV between Michelle and Alexa Pauline.
Now, let's get out the way how bonkers and a legal nightmare this would be, because if Pauline from Halifax could have a good gander at my bank accounts, I'm not sure how happy I would be about that. Then again, it shows how blindly we trust a disembodied voice that can keep us under surveillance via several technical gadgets like webcams and Ring doorbells.
Let's also discuss how triggering the Yorkshire accent is in writing for a grammar obsessed person without the definitive article "the" - speaking it in Happy Valley is not the same thing! Also, you can't actually use an LPA until the donor has lost their mental capacity so Michelle needs the normal power of attorney.
Having got all this out the way, oh my God, how good is this book? Where on earth has Linda Green been? I've last read In Little Stars several years ago and I am stoked there is a new one with one of my favourite publishers.
There is so much going on and then Pauline from Halifax swoops in like a literal Mary Poppins to the Banks family, with her "friends in high places", her "Amazonian Queens" Facebook group and great tips for sorting out the mess that is Michelle's life. We also get an insight into Pauline's lonely life, which makes the ending particularly happy.
There is social commentary about modern technology but also heartwarming family support and forgiveness. This is the epitome of a funny, relatable, inspiring, hopeful and uplifting story and one I can wholeheartedly recommend, especially if you like strong, feisty, middle-aged women, Menopause talk, black Labrador emotional support dogs called Basil and you're also a fan of Fiona Gibson's books.
Meet the Banks family. Michelle is a stressed out 52 year old district nurse, her husband Marc is a copywriter for a compost company and is addicted to buying old dolls on ebay, her 18 year old daughter Liv suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia, her 16 year old son Graham has just sent a dick pic to his underage girlfriend, her mother is dying, her father is constantly at risk of getting scammed and doesn't understand the digital world anymore, and her MIL needs more and more help after a fall. Oh, and she's in perimenopause and the guinea pigs keep dying.
Now picture a world in which the Alexa voices actually belong to real women Iike 65 year old Pauline from Halifax, shortly to be retired, who hides her broad Yorkshire accent when adding things to the Banks' shopping list or playing Liv's sad songs list for the umpteenth time. Pauline has been looking after the family's needs for six years and never once broken cover - but now she feels Michelle needs her, being crushed from so many sides at once. The story is told in dual POV between Michelle and Alexa Pauline.
Now, let's get out the way how bonkers and a legal nightmare this would be, because if Pauline from Halifax could have a good gander at my bank accounts, I'm not sure how happy I would be about that. Then again, it shows how blindly we trust a disembodied voice that can keep us under surveillance via several technical gadgets like webcams and Ring doorbells.
Let's also discuss how triggering the Yorkshire accent is in writing for a grammar obsessed person without the definitive article "the" - speaking it in Happy Valley is not the same thing! Also, you can't actually use an LPA until the donor has lost their mental capacity so Michelle needs the normal power of attorney.
Having got all this out the way, oh my God, how good is this book? Where on earth has Linda Green been? I've last read In Little Stars several years ago and I am stoked there is a new one with one of my favourite publishers.
There is so much going on and then Pauline from Halifax swoops in like a literal Mary Poppins to the Banks family, with her "friends in high places", her "Amazonian Queens" Facebook group and great tips for sorting out the mess that is Michelle's life. We also get an insight into Pauline's lonely life, which makes the ending particularly happy.
There is social commentary about modern technology but also heartwarming family support and forgiveness. This is the epitome of a funny, relatable, inspiring, hopeful and uplifting story and one I can wholeheartedly recommend, especially if you like strong, feisty, middle-aged women, Menopause talk, black Labrador emotional support dogs called Basil and you're also a fan of Fiona Gibson's books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment