Instructions for a Heatwave

Tijdens een hittegolf gaat de man des huizes een krant kopen, en komt niet meer terug. Zijn vrouw, hypochonder en gelovig, bezweert dat ze niet weet waarheen en waarom hij opeens verdwenen is. Haar drie kinderen komen terug naar het ouderlijk huis op zoek naar hun vader en antwoorden.

“Their mother has always had what a neighbour once politely referred to as ‘a very clear speaking voice'. His mother's voice has blighted his life from an early age. He was six, possibly seven, in the lead at a school sports day sack race when he heard Gretta relating that Michael Francis still wet the bed. Needless to say, he did not win that particular race.“

“But Monica hadn't wanted to become a champion or to enter the competitions. I hate it, she'd whisper, I hate it when everyone looks at you, when the judges write things down. She'd always been so fearful, so cautious, so backwards in coming forwards. Was it Gretta's fault, or were children born like that? Hard to know.“

I wanted to put down the book several times during the first 60 pages or so ... I didn't like or relate to the main character, or the way the book took me through each character's story, separately, hinting at things I knew I'd learn later on but in such a way as it was irritating ... pointing out to me there was something interesting I'd learn at some point but leaving me to struggle on with yet another character's story before I would have a chance to start figuring it out. I stuck with it because the book store owner had recommended it and I trusted her recommendation. At some point midway through I began to be interested in at least the youngest daughter in the story and finally, by the end, was sympathetic to them all and, in the end, glad I had gotten through the first part and stuck with it. Reminds you that people can be most judgmental about the things they hate most about themselves, and why won't we learn that holding in a secret is almost always the worst thing to do.