17 May 2012
How It All Began
by Penelope Lively
(Penguin, £8.99)
An old lady, Charlotte, is mugged, and things happen as a consequence. Charlotte’s daughter, Rose, steps in to help. But this means Rose, who normally looks after an old chap, Henry, can’t. So Henry’s niece, Marion, who is having an affair with a married man called Jeremy, is pressed into action. Now she can’t meet Jeremy, so sends him a text, which his wife sees. The wife dumps Jeremy, who calls Marion, who is flustered, which affects Henry, who is about to make a speech; without his notes, Henry blows it. And so on, very readably.
