Drawing from her own medical knowledge as a doctor, Joanna Nell always brings humour, reflective thoughts and positive ageing themes – I have read all of her books and she’s never missed a beat.
Dr and Dr Winterbottom have lived their married lives alongside being the dedicated duo in their rural village medical practice for forty years. But it is time to retire, and the life adjustments seem easier for one more than the other. One wants to quietly establish an organic vegetable garden and other wants spontaneity and Greek travels.
Quirks, oddities, snipping and snipes over seemingly trivial matters threaten to derail their quiet, ordered lives. It’s time for one to give in and it’s a stand-off!
With thematic shades of Shirley Valentine, a sojourn to the Greek Islands is the remedy to ‘cure the ails’ and ‘get it out’ of Dr Heather Winterbottom’s system. Evoking fears for her impulsive behaviour soon settle into a calmer narrative as Dr Heather works through the personal adjustments she needs to make in her retirement.
As a reader I was worried that I would lose respect for the key characters of Heather and Alan – I cared about them both! But worry turns to empathetic understanding and the author’s trademark humour saves the day!
Author Joanna Nell firmly appeals to ‘women of a certain age’ and I appreciate her realistic perceptions of bodies that age!
Hachette
ISBN 9780733649042