Sophie Duffy

Some years ago I read Sophie Duffy’s debut novel, The Generation Game, and loved it for its nostalgic feel and social references. I’ve long been meaning to read another of her books, and in particular Betsy and Lilibet with its royal connection as I am a huge fan of royal fiction.

Betsy Sunshine and Elizabeth Windsor were born on the same day in 1926. Of course, we know that one was born a princess and went onto be a queen. Betsy was born an undertaker’s daughter and went onto be an undertaker herself, taking over the family business when there were no sons as heirs to Sunshine & Sons. Over the course of their lives Betsy and Elizabeth meet three times. This is very much Betsy’s story though, with the royal link being more of a background feature, and a series of cleverly written parallels.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I love a story of one person or family that spans a long period and this book follows Betsy from her birth until 2016 when she’s in a residential home. It’s dual timeline with alternating chapters set in 2016 and then throughout Betsy’s life, looking back to key events. Duffy’s sharp wit is in evidence and I laughed out loud so many times. She has a way of describing things that is steeped in dry humour and Betsy’s own acerbic manner just added to that. With any family comes the highs and the lows and Betsy has her share of bad fortune. Her strength and stoicism kept her going and she's a brilliantly drawn character.

Betsy and Lilibet is a wonderful novel, one for any fans of 20th century historical events. Alongside Betsy I witnessed the war years, the VE day celebrations, the royal wedding, the coronation and then later, IRA bombings, HIV and AIDS, and the death of a princess. Having Betsy be an undertaker was such a great move too, giving a sense of the passage of life that we all must take, and it made her a sympathetic character, putting on a good show no matter what. This book also reminded me of all that I liked about Duffy’s writing in The Generation Game and I now want to make sure I read her other books as well.… (plus d'informations)

I didn't really know what to expect from The Generation Game and I think, because I had no preconceptions, that it turned out to be a wonderful trip down memory lane and a heart-wrenching story to boot.

Philippa Smith reminisces about her life as she welcomes her new baby into the world in 2006. Philippa is an older mother and refuses to see her husband in the hospital, so I was immediately intrigued. With no other visitors coming to see her, we look back over Philippa's very colourful life with amazing references to tv game shows, both in the chapter titles and hidden within the prose.

You can't help but feel sorry for young Philippa as she is dragged from pillar to post with her mum, Helena. Helena isn't very maternal and is happy to leave Philippa with sweet shop owner, Bob, when she has the opportunity to move to Canada with her new man. As Bob becomes both mother and father to Philippa, he is helped by hilarious neighbour, Wink, who is addicted to game shows in particular The Generation Game. Bob and Wink become more of a family to Philippa than Helena has ever been.

Funny, sad and unbelievably nostalgic, The Generation Game is a love letter to the 1980's; beautifully written, if I wasn't smiling I was struggling to hold back tears whilst reading it. It reminded me that appearances can be deceptive and there is often a reason for people behaving the way they do. Nobody knows what private anguish is going on behind a person's public facade and there are always two sides to every story. You can read Philippa's full story in The Generation Game whilst reminiscing about some of the key moments from the past 40 years.

The Generation Game is like a little British history lesson in a nutshell, with the bonus of also being a superb examination of how complicated family life can sometimes be. A beautifully simple but tremendously clever debut from Sophie Duffy.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (plus d'informations)

Generation Game by Sophie Duffy is a highly recommended family drama. My review copy is a re-release of the novel originally published in 2011.

The novel opens in 2006 with Philippa Smith, who is in her forties, giving birth to her baby girl. Her husband has left her for someone more exciting and she is alone. She and her daughter are being kept in the hospital a bit longer. She is very concerned about her daughter, but, also deciding that there will be no secrets, she begins to tell her life story, starting from her birth in 1965. At this point the chapters alternate between her childhood and growing up, and her present concerns with her newborn.

Written from Philippa's first person point-of-view, we are introduced to her mother, Helena, and their life together. They leave London after her birth and move to Torquay. Helena is a single parent too, so their life isn't easy. Eventually they live in Bob's Sweet shop where Helena works - until she abandons Philippa to live with Bob. The chapters in the 1960s and on are all giving the names of British TV programs that relate in some way to Philippa's life during those years.

With incredible writing, that is at various times touching, funny, sweet, and sad, Duffy reminds us that family consists of those who care about you, whether you are related by blood or not. The chapters covering Philippa's childhood set in the 1960's and 70's are exceptional. Philippa is well developed as a character in her childhood and after that the time seemed to move a bit more quickly, but perhaps that was done purposefully in order to mirror time passing by faster as you get older. There are also a couple of surprising secrets Philippa reveals or is told at the end of the novel. The secrets do show why Philippa is telling her whole story, beginning to present day, as events happened and with no secrets.

It was engaging for me to recall where I was, my age, and what was happening during those years for me as Philippa discusses the news worthy events during her life. (As I was born before her it was no great stretch to do this unless the pop culture reference was distinctly British.)

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of the Legend Times Group.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2018/06/generation-game.html… (plus d'informations)