I loved Kathleen Tessaro’s first novel, Elegance, and haven’t been disappointed by this, her second, Innocence.
Evie Garlick leaves smalltown Ohio at the age of eighteen to follow her dream. She travels across the Atlantic to London, to study acting and soon finds herself best friends with fellow American actress wannabes Robbie and Imogene.
The three girls live together, study together and get drunk together until a man comes into Evie’s world and pulls her friendships apart.
Jack is the struggling rock musician who captures Evie’s heart, making her forget about her boyfriend and plans back in America, and when Evie’s career threatens to take her away from him he comes up with a radical plan and her lifestyle changes again.
Fast forward 15 years and Evie is a single mother teaching drama and poetry to mature students – a far cry from her childhood dreams of acting.
What has bought her to this? Is it her responsibilities as a single mother, or is she just too scared to grab life and live it as she should?
This is a beautiful story told in real time and flash back of a woman who wasted her 20s and finally finds the true meaning of her life in her 30s.
Rating: 4/5
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