That Part Was True - Deborah McKinlay
I was certain I wasn't going to like That Part Was True and not just because I have a prejudice against novels that have an appendix of recipes at the end. It's more however that the premise seems very old-fashioned - a 84 Charing Cross Road -like written correspondence between a lonely rich lady living in the English countryside and an American author that develops into something special. But then the characters are of that generation, both of them approaching 50, both reaching a point in their lives where it's time to look at where they are and re-evaluate if it's where they hoped to be. That's not really much of a recommendation either. What makes you keep reading however it that it is realistic, deals with real-life issues, and the author's handling of the subject keenly recognises this and never lets it slip into idealism or sentimentality. That's what keeps you reading even if you don't find you particularly relate to the characters or their circu...