The Desperate Diary of a Country Housewife (by Martha Mole)

This book was rescued from the bin by a good friend of mine. In her wondrous way she grabbed the book from the green mile and took a few things into account: Firstly – its a lovely looking book. Glorious brown hardback with a girly pink bookmark thing (that is currently frayed and getting everywhere, including inside my tea). Secondly – its about a family moving from the city to the country, which tenuously links to my own situation, as i live in the country, see? Thirdly – i write a diary. All the time.  So she sends it to me. To read, without reading it herself first. I believe, perhaps, had she read it first, she might have had second thoughts as to gifting it in my direction.

You see, this book is starkly candid. (Duh, its a diary!). But i have been spoiled in the ways of girly chick-lit with Jenny Colgan. So, sorry, i was expecting something of a similar ilk from this diary, which i believe is a true story, written by somebody called Martha Mole, i think. The diary segments accompany column pieces from the Sunday Times, and, hilairously there is even a bit when somebody (in reality) links the column to the protagonist herself.

However. Despite being full of delightfully human moments of narrative and prose; (i LOVE the late night drunken entry), this didn’t leave me with the lovely feeling i was wanting. The protagonist was unfaithful, the protagonists husband was unfaithful, and, ultimately, the diary is a collection of entries cataloguing the demise of what i would like to call the Country Dream, which is kinda like the American Dream. And therefore, obviously, only ever portrayed as dismal and dissapointing. Which, from experience, is NOT what living in the country is like!

I read a book by Jenny Colgan last year which had a (similar) plot, where a girl moves to the country. And ends up splitting up with her boyfriend, and falling in love with the Country Dream. This is my kind of girly book. Sugary, predictable and cheesy.

This wasn’t a bad read – it was a short one, to be fair – but it was a disappointment.