A story of mix-ups, mess-ups, and making the most of second chances, this is the new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes, author of ‘Me Before You’ and ‘The Giver of Stars.’
This is a very straightforward story. You are introduced to the characters, and then everything goes to hell in a handbasket. You will negotiate tangents, mental breakdowns, wealthy attitudes that turn you grey, committing murder, then you can add a dash of humility with a good dose of compassion, and you have all the ingredients of a good yarn. I’m not saying there is icing on the cake, nope, not saying, but you now have the bones of this story. And don’t forget the humor, it keeps you afloat on the sea of life. You can now plunge into this tale well-armed and determined to walk the walk.
The story’s premise is very clever, and you have to understand you’re being allowed to enter the lives of people who have spent their entire existence keeping you out. The landscape is working-class London, and it’s presented very well. The contrast is between the lives of the rich and famous and the plight of the workers who serve them. A posh hotel serves as the story’s backdrop.
Nisha Cantor is the wife of Carl, a very wealthy man, who announces divorce and literally cuts her off in this hotel. She is denied access to her funds, clothes, and passport. She is American but has no friends who would dare to help her, but she is one tough cookie. Her nemesis is Carl, who is ruthless in his attempt to bring her to heel. What he wants from her are the Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes she was wearing. Said shoes were placed inside Nisha’s gym bag that was accidentally taken by Sam Kemp while she was in the gym, and she has no idea where they now reside.
Jasmine is a hotel worker who sees Nisha outside the back of the hotel and mistakes her for a migrant worker. No papers, no money, she is a pitiful sight. Nisha agrees that she is looking for work and, as a result, enters an entirely different world than the one she is used to. And so the story unfolds. We have Nisha, Jasmine, Sam, and Andrea. Each woman has her own story, they cope with their own universe of need, work, and hunger.
Author Jojo Moyes blends their lives together in a very good way. The story touches on subjects we all try not to think about; death, depression, betrayal, the harm done to us, and the harm we give back. With humor lighting their lives with a sliver that glows, they find that dark cloud has a hole in it and that they will survive.
In Bookstores February 7th
