Carmel MacBain, looks back on her school and university years (1970's) with a bleakly comic eye. The friendships - are they friendships or are they rivals/bullies that you keep close. The book flicks between Carmel s childhood years in a Lancashire town and her University time studying law in London. Not a polemic, the novel does discuss feminism and class. Women's relationship with food and friendships. Are they friends or just convenient acquaintances? A bleak book, but well drawn characters with all their flaws are skillfully drawn. You may not like the protagonists but they we all know their like.
The book generated an interesting discussion on female friendship and competitive rivalry, class and what it was to be young at that time, and our (women's) relationship with food.
Marks out of 10: between 7 - 8
Words used to describe it: class envy, caustic, cold, stark, dreary, riveting, hungry
Next book
Cheri by Collette
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Thursday 15th April
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