A novel of adventure through ENGLAND to SCOTLAND

2nd June 2022

Thea and Denise by Caroline Bond, a novel of adventure through England to Scotland.

Inspired at some level by the adventures of Thelma and Louise (consider the name choice as starters, Thea and Denise), this novel sees two women of a certain age – ok, menopausal women – who start a friendship which sees them journeying up through England to St Abbs in Scotland.

Each has a life that works reasonably well until it doesn’t. Thea sees her teenage daughter choosing to live with her father, which feels like a total rebuttal of everything that Thea is offering her daughter. Her work is putting her under pressure and finally she decides to head off. The aim was to do this on her own, to see places of her choosing and to do things that would restore her sanity.

Denise happens to live opposite Thea’s ex and through serendipitous events their paths happen to cross, several times. Denise is soon hitching a ride with Thea, unbeknownst to her own husband, Simon. Things are rattling along in the marriage (three boys and a job in her husband’s company) but something is definitely missing – being valued, for one.

And they are off, mulling over life, sharing intimacies and seeing a bit of the country as they set off from St Albans and make their circuitous way up North, enjoying each other’s company and generally putting their own worlds to right.

This is a nicely written story of female friendship that is redemptive and engaging.

I feel the orange coloured cover overly references Thelma and Louse’s trip, which started in Arkansas and went over to the Grand Canyon – heat and colour being integral – whereas the two women in this story confine themselves to England where the weather is milder (ok, cold!) and toned down, and they probably need umbrellas and thermals. We took a quick straw poll and most guessed that the book (just looking at the cover) was set in California (the other was Italy). So it might be a revelation or a disappointment when readers pick up this novel and discover where it is actually set. A bit of a misleading book cover, to be honest.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

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