Title: Alice Alone
Author: Amanda Brookfield
Genre: Women’s Fiction
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Synopsis
On the day that her youngest child leaves home, Alice Hatton discovers two disturbing truths in a matter of hours. The Empty Nest cliche is true.
And she does not love her husband Peter at all.
Now in her fifties, Alice is appalled to realise that she is no longer considered her own person, but is instead defined by her relationships – mother to her adult children, wife to her husband. Horrified by the thought of spending another thirty years with Peter in their North London suburb, Alice decides to take matters into her own hands.
What follows is a triumphant and liberating breaking of all the rules. But when Alice must cope with loss for the second time in as many years, she discovers what even the most apparently ‘respectable ‘woman is capable of.
My Review of Alice Alone
When I started reading – I didn’t realise the story was actually set in 1986. The story starts with main character, Alice, watching as her last child leaves home – leaving her home alone with just her husband, Peter. With no children to take care of, she quickly comes to a realisation that she has nothing in common with her husband, and even more than that – she doesn’t love him.
Looking for more in life, Alice sets about on a journey of self-discovery. Whilst this starts out with simple and small things – a different hairstyle – this soon isn’t enough and she heads out and finds herself having a one-night stand, which later turns into an affair. I really wanted to like Alice as a character, and although I initially felt for her – some of her actions were quite shocking, cold, and deceptive.
There is a lot more that takes place within the storyline – which does go some way to explaining some of Alice’s actions. Alice Alone is a very frank, open and honest story – not one to read if you are looking for something light-hearted and playful – but also a really insightful view of a person trying to find themself again in life.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for providing the materials for this post and organising the Blog Tour for Alice Alone. Be sure to check out the other blogs that participated in this Blog Tour.
