Scan barcode
A review by anjana
Staying On by C.M. Taylor
4.0
This was something I requested on an impulse, I liked the cover and story seemed to be different. I am glad I got a chance to read this book.
This is a story of a family, who have been harbouring resentments and dysfunctional for years and this is the year when everything boils over. Although the beginning of my review may seem a little dreary, the book was not. A couple in their late sixties have spent a large part of their retirement in Spain. They live as expats, with that demarcation clear since they do not 'assimilate'. There is trouble brewing with Brexit hanging over them and people opting to go back to England. Their daughter-in-law decides to bring the family to visit for the summer and what happens next is the book in its entirety.
I have been living in a foreign country myself without 'assimilating' the last few years so I know some of the emotions that happen to make their way in the heads of Tony and Laney. Their mode of communication with each other and expressing themselves is not refined but heartfelt. It was easy to actually see the events unfolding in reality. None of the people are perfect, some more annoying than others but overall they are a family. I recommend this to people who enjoy seeing family dynamics at work and like reading character-driven tales.
This is a story of a family, who have been harbouring resentments and dysfunctional for years and this is the year when everything boils over. Although the beginning of my review may seem a little dreary, the book was not. A couple in their late sixties have spent a large part of their retirement in Spain. They live as expats, with that demarcation clear since they do not 'assimilate'. There is trouble brewing with Brexit hanging over them and people opting to go back to England. Their daughter-in-law decides to bring the family to visit for the summer and what happens next is the book in its entirety.
I have been living in a foreign country myself without 'assimilating' the last few years so I know some of the emotions that happen to make their way in the heads of Tony and Laney. Their mode of communication with each other and expressing themselves is not refined but heartfelt. It was easy to actually see the events unfolding in reality. None of the people are perfect, some more annoying than others but overall they are a family. I recommend this to people who enjoy seeing family dynamics at work and like reading character-driven tales.