The Other Woman

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There are amusing depictions of the “power struggles” between the generations. Each one convinced that their fight is the more important. The one that will change society.

The 1920s was a time of great social, political and economic change. The world was mourning the loss of almost 20 million military personnel and civilians during World War I, followed by the devastating effects of Spanish Flu which killed 50 million people globally. BUT SHE LOVES YOU NOT: Lurking in the shadows is a rival, a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves. Is that a yes or no?” it said again, a little closer now. Mr. Peroni had maneuvered himself so that he was now my next-door neighbor but one. What an odd expression that is, I thought, oblivious to the fact that he was now standing right beside me. Can you also have a next-door neighbor but two, and three? I wondered. Mahon was found guilty of the murder of Emily Kaye a century ago, but violence against women by the men who are closest to them continues to be a global problem.Thank as well to the Traveling Sisters who read this tale along with me hating Pammie along the way. And besides them, there was a third type of woman: less visible and less noticed, and neither one thing nor another. These women were Misses without youth, middle- aged without wedding rings. They held fast to the banks of the river, avoiding the current, clustering together in the cool green shade. I could not understand why or how Emily fell for Adam, or vice versa, as the characters seemed immature and their relationship based completely on sex. Some people (me included) claim that the power of writing fiction instead of fact books on relevant questions in society lies in the fact that fiction builds a relationship between the reader and the message, and that this relationship leads to empathy and a true wish for change.

Now, I’m not sure if it’s me but while the book clearly claims that Pammie is 63, she’s painted as behaving much older. Or is it that I’m 63 and I’m hoping young people don’t think of me as acting that old? I groaned inwardly as I heard someone shout, “Emily, fancy another drink?” Really? Did he not get the hint? I looked over at Ivor, but he was engrossed in conversation. I had a furtive glance around, embarrassed to know that the person who had said it would be watching my confusion. My eyes fleetingly settled on Mr. Peroni, who was grinning broadly, revealing straight white teeth. I smiled to myself as I remembered Mum’s erstwhile advice. “It’s all in the teeth, Emily,” she’d said after she met my last boyfriend, Tom. “You can always trust a man with nice teeth.” Yeah—and look how that turned out.Thank you to St. Martin's Press-Minotaur books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

That reason I gave this book 4 stars, rather than 5, is that red flags, as big as a barn, are slapping Emily in the face, concerning the actions of Adam and Pammie. Emily seems to hang on to her first impressions of Adam, without giving consideration to how he changes over time, and the fact that Adam gives no weight to her thoughts or feelings. Add that to his scheming and cruel mom and I can't see why she was willing to fight for a relationship that seemed not worth the time and effort. But I'm not Emily, so I set aside those thoughts and just enjoyed the book for the psychological thriller it is, all the way through the twist ending.

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Unfortunately I ended up disappointed by this book, though I really wanted to like it. In fact, it is the only book from this year Booker I’ve decided to read. (I’ve read two others before they were long listed. ) It seems this book is widely admired by others. But it has fallen quite short of my personal expectations. Despite having introduced myself in the “forum” earlier in the day, I felt I had to do it again as I approached the baying mob.