the godmother by Carrie Adams
Release date: 2006 / 386 pages
Synopsis (from back cover): Back from a five-week escape from her obsessive former boss (read: job over, phone number changed, doorman notified), Tessa King returns to London rested and ready to reclaim her life. She has endless possibilities, and a full social calendar with wonderful friends and godchildren who adore her. But as Tessa begins to look at all their lives, she questions whether having a family can actually guarantee happiness…
First Line: I knew my luck had changed when I was upgraded to business class on my return journey.
Review: As I wrote near the end of my review of Adams’ latest (the stepmother), I immediately requested her first novel and was thrilled that no one was waiting on the library’s list. I’m sure the fact that it was published over two years ago had a lot to do with this, because it was just as good a read as the stepmother! I was also excited about the title since I have recently been given the pleasure of this honor for the first time and am just thrilled. And Tessa provided an interesting model for this special relationship.
Tessa, the stepmother of the previous novel, is the protagonist of the godmother. The plot follows her life and friendships as she strives to find a balance between being an involved, devoted godmother and friend as well as have a separate identity. More significantly, this novel explores how we define “happiness” and fulfillment — and how often we look to external factors (children, relationships, jobs) to provide this, even when we know happiness can only be achieved from within.
The strength of this novel is the characterization. Tessa is very likeable and although I had gotten to known her in the previous novel , I enjoyed seeing her journey to “stepmotherhood.” She thinks she is in love with Ben, a childhood friend, but this really isn’t the focus of the novel. In fact, I would not characterize this work as a romance — or even as “chick lit” (although it’s pretty close — and this is not a criticism, since I love well-written “chick lit”).
The focus is more on Tessa’s attempts to forge a satisfying life when her closest friends have all become parents. However, her friends’ marriages represent a variety of levels of happiness. And Tessa actually does enjoy her carefree life-style. She thinks she might be ready to “settle down,” but isn’t completely convinced.
When the novel opens, she is returning from a period of time away — in reaction to a bad situation with a former boss that is never quite disclosed (doesn’t need to be). Here is the opening of the novel:
I knew my luck had changed when I was upgraded to business class on my return journey. My curious gold-encrusted traveling companion made the long flight pass too quickly. He turned towards the transit lounge with the unforgettable words, “If you’re ever passing through Vladivostok. . .” I waved him off, set my wheelie bag on the ground and, after five wound-licking, soul-searching weeks away, headed for home.
This was it. My moment to start again. I had dealt with what had been a hideous year and I’d put it behind me. OK, it was only September, but I had decided to return to the academic timetable. Anything to be able to punctuate what had been and now. New year. New start. New me. Tessa King was back. I smiled at everyone. Sharing the love and our good fortune at being alive. The Customs official eyed me warily and promptly took my bag apart. I didn’t mind. Nothing was going to ruin my return. Having found nothing but festering clothes and gifts for my godchildren, he let me go. I was almost jogging by the time I reached the sliding glass doors. An expectant smile quivered at the side of my mouth, ready to burst forth the moment I saw my welcome-home party. The doors opened. I stepped through and yelled “Hi” at a woman I’d never met before.
“Sorry,” I said. “You look just like my friend.”
Francesca would have been mortally offended. The woman was older, shorter and wearing velour. I looked around me to check I was where I thought I was. I was. But she wasn’t.
Now, this is a nice example of Adams’ writing — and of how she quickly makes the readers feel like we’ve known Tessa for a while. Now, of course, I DID know Tessa from the previous novel, but Adams does foster an intimacy with her characters that is comfortable, yet fresh.
Throughout the novel we watch Tessa become too intwined with her friends’ lives, confront those aspects of her own life that are dissatisfying, and then eventually embark on a relationship with James, the focus of the stepmother.
So, I definitely recommend this novel — whether you have read Adams’ latest or not — and believe it would be a perfect vacation read. Not too heavy, but substantial enough to engage your attention on a long flight or short week at the beach!
Anyone read this yet?
I finished reading this book about a week ago and loved it. (I have not read “the stepmother” yet but intend to as soon as my library gets it!) I liked the characters and the way they were developed in the book. I like books with characters that I can relate to, especially if I can relate to them without being in a similar situation myself.
BTW, I read this based on your recommendation of “the stepmother” — once again, you have served me well. For that I say, “thanks!”