so-soWe meet Gopi in the aftermath of losing her mother. She's the youngest of 3 girls and Dad, in his quiet way, isn't coping. No one in this family is dealing with their grief.
Grief and loss open up massive spaces and Gopi fills her space by playing Squash at Western Lane every day.
This is a short book at less than 200 pages but I feel like it needs a good edit. I like what this book is trying to communicate but the execution falls flat.
so-so6th book read from the Women‘s Prize for fiction-long list
😬Sorry this one didn‘t work for me. I‘m not a fan of novels about sport even though the story has other topics. I wasn‘t interested in the story and I couldn‘t believe so decision made. 2.5/3⭐️
pickMoving one-sitting read. I liked it, but not nearly as much as the other two #WomensPrize titles I‘ve read (Ordinary Human Failings and Brotherless Night).
so-soWas this a victim of overhype? Should I have read a print copy rather than listening to the audiobook? I‘m not sure but I feel like whatever the multiple nominating committees of various prizes found in this I missed. I appreciated the way squash takes center stage but otherwise was disconnected from the characters.
pickThe description and cover suggest this short novel is all about squash and, while it is, it‘s also about grief, connections, and trying to find your way after major loss. Gopi is 11 when her mother dies, and she and her father cling to the game they both know, steeping themselves in it, as they try to cope with going forward without her. I really liked this and, frankly, didn‘t expect to.
so-soA well crafted story about grief and a family left behind. While I found it interesting that squash was at the center of this - and I learned a lot about the sport from the book and much googling - the characters where a bit basic, and overall the story a bit bland. Unfortunatly this is not a book that is going to stick with me. It was a quick an easy to get through read.
Read for the Women's Prize for Fiction Long List 2024
3⭐
I got a little buzz from the #Booker2023 award, and ordered these five the same night. They just arrived.
pickThree sisters mourn their mother and try to accommodate their father's grief while also defying the expectation that he can't raise them on his own. The youngest plays squash compulsively and watches old Jahangir Khan matches with her father. Nothing much happens. This is all vibe, and only the sketch of a plot, but I found it surprisingly captivating. Even the squash trivia.
#booker
#womensprize #longlist #womensprize2024
When your current read suddenly intersects with your surroundings. It's currently Diwali and I can hear fireworks in the distance. 😃
