The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 19 August 2022
by Nick Hornby
We live in our own peculiar moment of awareness. Call it "Woke" if you will, but that term has sadly become another point of division and derision. We want to be aware of our differences, tolerant of our differences, but not to point out our differences too strongly. Right? Maybe. If you're going to set out to write a novel set in this peculiar moment, you're going to need to take this conversation into account, at least on some level. And as an author, you should expect people to take note of how you handle that cultural environment, as well. It is a bit of a minefield. Nick Hornby, with wit and style, has been able to navigate this social environment pretty well.
So, we have a woman in her forties, white, two kids and separated (but not divorced), who engages in a relationship with a young Black man, half her age, who works down at the local butcher shop. And that is really all this story is about. It stands on its own as a quiet little romance that gently skirts that aforementioned minefield. And why not? And so, the romance, which Lucy and Joseph keep in the down-low, proceeds nicely for the two of them, navigating the racial and chronological differences with grace. Hornby manages to squeeze in the drama of the time (2016), with talk of Brexit, the Amercian presidential election travesty, and modern expectations of career and relationship. The romance proceeds as the secrets are slowly revealed to those around our protagonists, with its expected ups and downs, but Hornby isn't weaving a great tragedy or giddy fairytale. It comes out as we've noted already, as a quiet book set in its time and in its place, making small political points but not pushing it too hard. Nevertheless, this kind of low-key story-telling is part of Hornby's talent, and it gives us the needed acceptance and context by which we accept the things that have changed in our world.
Also by Hornby: [About a Boy] [How to be Good] [High Fidelity]