Revenge of the Middle-aged Woman by Elizabeth Buchan

Revenge of the Middle-aged Woman

Elizabeth Buchan

You would expect a book about the breakdown of a 20-year-old marriage to be depressing but instead it exhudes calmness and reassurance as the story progresses.

Thoughtful writing and a very good insight into the mind of a middle-aged woman.

Extract
It was silent in the bedroom. The newly liberated Nathan had not bothered to shut the wardrobe door or close the drawers in the chest we shared. This was a piece of sentimentality left over from the early cash-strapped days when we had had no money and limited furniture. The symbolism of having our underwear so close together amused us, and we had retained the habit.

The drawers were half empty. Reasoning that it was wise to embark on an unavoidable painful process sooner rather than later, I shifted a folded nightdress into Nathan's vacated half. The movement dislodged the lavender bags I kept tucked into the corners, releasing a spicy fragrance.

But even smells were a problem - too spicy, too evocative, too sickly ....

Parallels
  • Lives and Loves of a She-devil by Fay Weldon
  • Instances of the Number 3 by Salley Vickers