Lead Review

• Book: Hello, Again
• Location: Aldeburgh, Barcelona, Guernsey, Hamburg, Lisbon
• Author: Isabelle Broom

Review Author: tripfiction

Philippa (otherwise known as Pepper) is an artist living in Aldeburgh. She is flamboyant in her dress sense and quite self effacing about her artistic competencies. She has a shovel-load of life issues going on… the loss of her younger sister when she was 13 is still raw and this bereavement impedes a good enough relationship between her and her mother. Dad has moved on and is due to marry his much younger lover.

So, when Pepper happens to meet the much older Josephine, she embraces their friendship – she is something positive in her life. Josephine is determined to revisit the scenes of an earlier love affair, something she wants to do before she gets too old and infirm, and she invites Pepper to accompany her. First stop is Lisbon, where they explore the city and sample the custard tarts with gusto. This is the first time that Pepper has actually left Aldeburgh and environs, so it is a big deal. There, Pepper serendipitously meets Finn, a German young man who has a lot about him. She falls for him and he for her. She is soon heading for his home town of Hamburg and they confirm that there is something life affirming about their relationship.

in Barcelona, together with Josephine once again, they explore the top sites and Park Güell is a delight for her, with all the mosaics. She is an artist and mosaicist and feels inspired to create something really memorable. Pepper is ALWAYS on the look out for bits and pieces of interest that she can use in her mosaics.

What does Pepper’s future look like….?

The author is tremendous at sharing her love of location with her readers. In Hamburg she flags the wonderful sites to visit (and bars – like Strandpauli, for example) and revels in the delights of Lisbon and Barcelona. If you want to follow Isabelle and Pepper’s literary footsteps, then there are plenty of venues to visit should you be so inclined.

This is a wonderful story of romance, life issues and location, that will transport you away from everyday worries – even just for a few hours. A good Summer read.

Back to book