Product Description

Rose Pendlebury has little in common with her Islington neighbours. Her street has been invaded by young confident, upwardly-mobile people without, it seems, a care in the world. She keeps herself to herself, and only her husband Stan is aware of her bubbling anger, her terrible prickleness and her ability to take offence. But, when Alica and Tony move in next door with their enchanting toddler, Amy, Mrs. Pendlebury begins to come out of her shell, as gradually her neighbours undermine her traditional, cautious privacy. Mrs. Pendlebury may not be ripe for transformation, or even happiness, but she is not too old to change.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #168959 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
' Beautifully written and a joy to read' Evening Standard

Synopsis
Rose Pendlebury has little in common with her Islington neighbours. Her street has been invaded by young confident, upwardly-mobile people without, it seems, a care in the world. She keeps herself to herself, and only her husband Stan is aware of her bubbling anger, her terrible prickleness and her ability to take offence. But, when Alica and Tony move in next door with their enchanting toddler, Amy, Mrs. Pendlebury begins to come out of her shell, as gradually her neighbours undermine her traditional, cautious privacy. Mrs. Pendlebury may not be ripe for transformation, or even happiness, but she is not too old to change.

From the Publisher
'Beautifully written and a joy to read' Evening Standard

Customer Reviews

Forster Reigns Supreme
Rose Pendlebury, a hypersensitive seventy year old woman, who makes snap judgments about people. Usually not favourable ones. She's very critical of all her newer younger neighbours in Rawlinson Road. Rose is tied to a code of ultra-polite behaviour, which ensures she has no friends. Her husband Stanley, is always going to do things tomorrow, consequently nothing ever gets done. Stanley is gregarious, lazy in the home and health obsessed, (mostly by piles and bowels). Alice Oram moves into the house next to the Pendlebury's. She has a child Amy, who takes to Rose, who gradually through her contact with Amy and Alice, becomes more outgoing. Alice thinks she understands Rose. However, Rose is a deeply insecure woman, with occasional violent mood swings.

Although Rose can be irascible and difficult, her problem lies in her past. Stanley for all he is dilatory, mostly knows how to pacify Rose. Over time her friendship with Alice is tested. Alice begins to weary of Rose and her complexities. There is humour in this story, Rose and Stanley's relationship is one of many compromises. It's the extent of their more ridiculous compromises, which bring hilarity. Is Rose a character one could feel sympathy for? Indeed, she is. If I tell you why, I would be giving away the core plot. When Rose and Alice are both disillusioned, ultimately it's Stanley who comes up trumps. For relationship novels with depth, Margaret Forster is one who reigns supreme.

A joy!
I adore this book. It is one of very few books I have bothered to read twice. It is funny, sweet, adorable and poignant.

Rose's phobias shape the lives of herself and her endlessly patient husband, Stanley. But they both have their own ways of dealing with them...

This may sound dull, but Ms Forster has a wonderfully dry and wry wit which makes made this book a total joy and surprise.

Compelling read
An insight into the life of the insular Rose Pendlebury - who exists, trapped in the past by her insecurities, with her retired husband Stanley. She is a curtain twitcher and reluctantly becomes involved with her new next door neighbours. Mrs Pen is a fabulous character, almost a caricature, but then you pinch yourself and empathise that there probably are elderly folk just like her in every respect. Stanley provides the foil to Mrs Pens ups and downs. The novel deals with the changing relationship between Mrs Pen and her neighbours, Alice & Tony, the barriers that are broken, then re-erected between the families.

Does this sound like an interesting book? No, I didn't think so either but I was very pleasantly surprised and would recommend it highly.