White Tulip Resin

PUBLISHERS BLURB 

 

‘Moggach is at the height of her powers with this book, which moves from a beautifully observed comedy of middle-class life to an immensely moving celebration of two imperfect marriages’ The Sunday Times

 

‘A cracking, crackling social comedy, with some brilliant observations about ageing and a devilish plot twist’

The Times.

 

From the bestselling author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Tulip Fever, a deliciously funny, poignant and wry novel, full of surprising twists and turns:

James is getting on a bit and needs full-time help. So Phoebe and Robert, his middle-aged offspring, employ Mandy, who seems willing to take him off their hands. But as James regales his family with tales of Mandy’s virtues, their shopping trips and the shared pleasure of their journeys to garden centres, Phoebe and Robert sense something is amiss.

Then something extraordinary happens which throws everything into new relief, changing all the stories of their childhood – and the father – that they thought they knew so well.

MY REVIEW 

The Carer is a tale of life, of siblings dealing with the stresses of caring for an elderly, infirm parent. Phoebe is single and childless with a hippy, off grid ‘boyfriend’, Torren. Richard is married to Farida, a TV news reader, he’s jobless and working on a novel in the shed.

Both feel the other sibling doesn’t understand the stresses of worrying about their dad, James, they feel the other doesn’t spend enough time or effort with him. But then along comes Mandy, a live in carer. She’s brash, her politics are at odds with theirs and she’s not ‘like’ them at all. But she’s perfect, James loves her company and they have a hoot.

Then Phoebe and Richard begin to suspect Mandy is not all she appears to be and they have suspicions she is after James’ money.

Oh my, I love this book, it’s poignant, full of humour and honesty. From the stress of looking after an elderly, infirm parent to the sibling bickering, the general messiness of life , childhood feelings of neglect and coming to terms with the fact that parents are just human after all.

It really touched a nerve with me as I cared for my mother for several years (she’s now in a care home due to dementia) and my brother and I have very similar arguments as Phoebe and Richard. It’s so true to life.

It also deals with grief and there are some surprises along the way. A truly emotional and engaging read. One that will stay with me.

Thank you to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour, for the promotional material and an eARC of The Carer. This is my honest and unbiased review.

 

Purchase link : https://amzn.to/3de9aD3

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Deborah Moggach, OBE is an English novelist and an award-winning screenwriter. She has written nineteen novels, including The Ex-Wives, Tulip Fever, These Foolish Thing, Heartbreak Hotel and Something to Hide. She lives in London.

 

THE CARER

 

Paperback published 14th May 2020 by Tinder Press, £8.99

Also available in Hardback, eBook and Audiobook