The Miseducation of Evie Epworth: Radio 2 Book Club Pick

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One of my friends loved this debut novel by Matson Taylor but it still took me months to get to it and I am so thankful I did. In fact, although I was keen for something light... a good psychological thriller about some murderous psychopath; from the opening lines of this novel I was transported into Evie's world. It's written in first person from 16 year old Evie's point of view and almost akin to stream-of-consciousness thinking. Taylor gives Evie a really delightful voice and this is a quirky and often-funny read. At the same time however, there are moments of poignancy, some of which come as a result of life experience and realising things young Evie does not.

A great, pacy coming of age novel set in Yorkshire in the early 60s. Brilliant plot charts the ups and downs of the journey of a young girl from childhood to womenhood with a few twists and turns, lots of comedy and a plenty of drama thrown in. A really enjoyable read but also a serious exploration of the role of women in families and the workplace.” Of course, unlike me, Evie defines Womanhood narrowly based on her own experience. Will she become a farmer's wife as desired by her father, a hairdresser (Christine's idea), will she continue at school and become a teacher (a friend's suggestion) or will she become an Independent Woman like her neighbour, Mrs Scott-Pym's daughter? The Miseducation of Evie Epworth is a brilliant comedic coming of age story. It is the debut novel from Matson Taylor, a Yorkshireman through and through with a deep love of food. So much so, the theme of food vividly runs through this delicious novel, beautifully enhancing everything about it – the story, the characters, the comedy.I am a similar age to Evie in this book, and have recently been feeling some very similar things. Questioning my own path and comparing myself to other people my age. I found Evie so incredibly relatable and this book really helped to ease my personal doubts. The same wonderful characters from the first book make appearances in this one, alongside some wonderfully quirky new friends. Matson Taylor is able to wonderfully craft characters that are so vivid that my mind struggles to realise they are fictional. The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor was published in Australia by Simon & Schuster and is now available. An absolutely stunning, first class debut - please please Matson Taylor let us know how Evie gets on in her new chapter of her life, she now feels like a lifelong friend (I’m already missing her) and with gorgeous Caroline by her side, the world is her oyster! Not really until about 6 years ago to be honest. I’d written a chapter for a V&A book on London Couture and one of the editors, Edwina, pulled me into her office after reading my draft and said that I was a born writer and that I had to write. It was a really important moment for me because I’d always wanted to write and had been told by quite a few people that I should write but hearing it from a senior curator who’d written many books was a big thing. So I thought I’d better pull my finger out and do something about it. And I did! I enrolled on a Faber Academy course and wrote The Miseducation of Evie Epworth. The Miseducation of Evie Epworth is the first novel by British author, Matson Taylor. At sixteen and a half, Evie Epworth is faced with a decision: what to do with the rest of her life. There are plenty of suggestions (marry a farmer [Dad], do her A levels [best friend Margaret], work in a hair salon [Christine], marry a doctor [Mrs Swithenbank]). This is where she so misses having a mum.

Tight, clever and riddled with wit. Like discovering Adrian Mole or Bridget Jones for the first time.’ Joanna Nadin, author of The Queen of Bloody Everything However, at the heart of the novel is the chasm left by Evie’s abruptly-ended relationship with her mother and the recognition of ‘the huge, enormous, unfair if that hangs over everything I do. If my mother were still alive, things would be very different’. The book was selected with the help of a panel of library staff from across the UK. Our readers loved The Miseducation of Evie Epworth – here are some of their comments: This is a superficial novel, full of stereotypes. None of the characters seemed believable and I didn't care for any of them. Everybody was quite annoying in fact!

Customer reviews

I’ve learnt that, even though I’m quite a chatty social person, I’m very good at spending time on my own working on a book. I love it. I can get caught up in a paragraph or even a sentence for hours and not realise what time it is – my brain goes off somewhere and something takes over. That’s such a great feeling. I’ve also learnt that I either need to get a higher chair or shorter legs. Set in 1962, Evie is 16 years old and growing up in Yorkshire on a farm with her father. Her mother died when she was young, so her female role model is her next-door neighbour Mrs Scott-Pym, who she spends a lot of time with. I absolutely loved the characters in this, they were all so vibrant and vivid. It’s a perfect summer read and had me smiling from ear to ear. Evie herself isn’t an annoying protagonist like some younger characters can be. She had a maturity whilst maintaining a young aura. I just wanted to wrap myself up in village life. I know there are parts of growing up covered in this that many of us will relate to. It is set in 1962 which made it feel both modern and historical. A rush of light suddenly bounces around the room. I love it when people say my mother's name. It's like she's living again, if only for a second. I let the golden flare of her name burst over me. p 49