One day, after 20 years of marriage, Connie tells Douglas that she thinks the marriage is over. Their son is leaving the nest and it’s time to make a change. Unfortunately, (or fortunately as the hopeful Douglas thinks) they have just booked a Grand Tour of Europe. All the tickets have been bought and the hotels are booked. Perhaps the trip will change things. What could possible go wrong?
This is a simple poignant tale that is completely narrated by Douglas and is the kind of book that you will either love or hate. Either you will enjoy the rather blind devotion that this rather sad soulful grey man has towards his glamorous and creative wife, or you will be ready to throw him off the train. To be honest I was a bit annoyed by how wrong Douglas was always made to feel by everyone around him. Even if he is very Britishly unassuming and apologetic in his narration, it still seemed unfair that he should always be the one at fault. It’s a humorous book with some laugh-out-loud moments, which does give it a lighthearted feel. And if you have been in cities like Paris, Amsterdam, and Venice, you will recognize the atmosphere of each place so well.
Because the book has gotten very high praise and lots of good reviews, and because I really did enjoy reading it, I would recommend that you give it a go, especially if you liked his previous best-seller One Day, but don’t go out and buy it, pick it up from the library just in case.
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