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    This Holey Life
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    This Holey Life
    Unavailable
    This Holey Life
    Ebook353 pages5 hours

    This Holey Life

    By Sophie Duffy

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook


     'Sophie Duffy is a real find. Sharp as a tack.' 
    Laurie Graham


     'By turns deeply moving and funny, the narrative zips along in an appealing and spirited voice.'
    Kate Long



     ... that was the point at which I should've put my foot down. Stamped it hard. Stopped the past repeating itself. But what did I do? I did what Mum used to do in times of crisis. I left the room and went to put the kettle on.

    ?


    Vicky is a reluctant curate's wife, struggling to come to terms with her own bereavement and her husband's new-found faith. Then, one Boxing Day, a knock on the door brings her annoying big brother, his teenage son and a cello into her life, turning her world upside down.
    With her small terrace house in Penge now fit to burst, Vicky struggles to manage her three children and the joys of everyday family life. As a new threat lurks behind every corner, hope appears in the most unlikely of circumstances.


    An enchanting, funny, sad yet bittersweet tale of life and living, one that reminds us it's not a race at all... but a journey.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLegend Press
    Release dateJul 1, 2012
    ISBN9781908775634
    Unavailable
    This Holey Life
    Author

    Sophie Duffy

    Sophie is the winner of the 2010 Luke Bitmead Bursary and the Yeovil Literary Prize. She currently lives in Teignmouth, Devon with her husband and three children. Sophie’s debut novel The Generation Game was published July 2011 and was inspired by her childhood growing up in a sweet shop in Torquay. Sophie’s second novel This Holey Life was published in 2012.

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    Reviews for This Holey Life

    4/5

    6 ratings2 reviews

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    • 4/5
      When I first started reading, I wasn't certain I would be able to relate to Vicky and to her complicated life; frankly, I would have booted Martin out after the first night! Still, I kept reading, and found myself unable to stop. Vicky is a woman under siege, one battling with family history, the loss of a child, her husband's abrupt decision to embark on a life in the church, and the realities of her daily life. Vicky is a sympathetic character because she is real and because the way she works through her problems is real. I loved her daughters (especially Olivia), though her husband I was less a fan of her husband- in my opinion he should have been paying more attention to the impact of his choices on her life. Martin was a nightmare and frankly so annoying that I'm giving this 4 stars rather than 5- I simply can't imagine why Vicky tolerated his presence in her house, brother of no brother. Regardless, this is a excellent look at one woman's attempt to hold it together for everyone else and yet somehow finding that she's in the place that she always needed to be. Highly recommended!
    • 4/5
      Vicky's patience is tested to its limits when her big brother and his son come to stay. Martin's wife has kicked him out - why, and how long will Vicky put up with him?This is a story of family relationships, coming to terms with the past and particularly with loss. Vicky's husband Steve was a plumber before he found God and became a curate, and Vicky also has to put up with parishioners and lots of tea making, while bringing up 3 young daughters. There is a great deal of the minutiae of domestic existence, but it is told with a lot of warmth and humour, and I liked spending time with the characters. Vicky puts up with a lot more than I would from her obnoxious brother - there are some flashbacks to their childhood and teenage years, and then to her more recent past and the loss of her baby son Thomas, and her mum.While most of the novel is told from Vicky's point of view, there are a few passages offering the perspectives of Martin, Steve and other characters. Some are interesting, some don't really work - three year old Olivia's passage sounds much more like the thoughts of a very bright five year old. I was a bit annoyed too by some of the comments about motherhood (re staying at home versus going out to work).Despite these reservations, this was an enjoyable read. I received a free copy of this book through the Amazon Vine programme.