A Risk Worth Taking

Many changes in life take time, they are slow and the person involved usually does not realize what is happening until it has been going on for a while. This book faces changes in a few lives, including Dan's, at a slow "real time" pace. This novel does not have a quick, to- the-point plot, but instead it is a story of daily normal domestic (some very humorous) situations lived by interesting characters going through changes in their lives and lifestyles and how these changes are molded by the decisions made in the course of the story. I did like this book a lot, I believe all of the characters are interesting and all of the secondary characters could have been a tad more enticing if their personalities had been developed a touch more. Nevertheless, what I loved the most is that while reading this book, I was permanently reminded of Fort William and I was amazed of how well the author has caught the daily rhythm of life of a Scottish highlands town. For me, it was like being there.

I thoroughly enjoyed Robin's first book when it first came out years ago, and I was happy to see this one on the shelf. I needed a quick read in between reading books for review ~~ and this one fit the bill. Dan Porter is unemployed and his wife is getting highly irritated with him as she has to work fulltime in her career and keep things going. His two daughters are upset with him because they couldn't go to their expensive private school where they were very happy. Dan Porter was living a life based nearly on depression ~~ ever since he got laid off just before 9/11. When he reads of an interview of this woman in Scotland who started up a clothing business right off the ground ~~ and that the business was for sale, he thought perhaps he should go check it out. His son, Josh, offered to come with him and together they started off on an adventure that changed their lives and outlook on life completely. It's a quick read and very entertaining. Some of the conversations can be wordy but that's what is so entertaining about them. This is just a brief glimpse into a life of a frustrated man who decided that working for fast money isn't just enough anymore. And yes, his wife is a stereotypical character, angry at him all the time ~~ but even there, the reasons for her affair are so flimsy and weak ~~ that is really the weakest part of the novel. But fortunately, she doesn't figure into the novel as much as Dan and Josh are. It's a comforting read. And I think it is fair to say that Robin will not be confused with his mom who is one of my favorite authors. He has a totally different style of writing and his way is just as interesting and engrossing ~~ with a modern flair to ages-old issues of love, infidelity and life. It's a good bet that his book won't be considered boring. 4-11-05

I didn't think that I would enjoy this book when I picked it up. And while reading it, I was amazed at how much I was getting into the story. I say this because it really lacks a driving plot. Maybe because I have read way to many mysteries and thrillers where its almost impossible to break the mold of tradition where you start in point x and end in point y that it was very enjoyable to be swept up in a story where you truly do not know what was going to happen next. The author, Pilcher also does a great job of second hand story telling. By this I mean he will have a character sit down say in a pub and tell an engrossing tale to another character which allows for the reader to be swept off on a tangent. I found that Pilcher really knows what he is doing when it comes to moving a story along and it was hard to put down this title because of that. Lastly, the only fault that I found here was that besides the main character 'Dan the Man,' the supporting cast was not fleshed out very well. I liked Dan and found him to be very human as he was undergoing a life transforming change. But the others in the book (his children, mother, wife, and acquaintances) were not pushed as far as they could have been. They change, but the change is too simple. I would highly recommend this book.

After two false starts, Robin Pilcher has come into his own with his newest novel, "A Risk Worth Taking."This is the story of Londoner Dan Porter, a dot-com wunderkind whose entire fairytale life falls apart on 9/11, when he loses several close and dear friends in New York, and is subsequently laid off (made redundant, as the Brits say) due to the crash of the dot-com industry. As the book opens, Dan is a house husband, dealing with his three surly teenagers and his equally surly wife Jackie, a high-powered executive in her own right who has no patience or sympathy with her husband's jobless condition.Dan is going in circles, both emotionally and professionally, when, on pure whim (unlike him completely), he suddenly decides to invest in a Scottish clothing company he has read about in a magazine. Dan's trip to Scotland, his subsequent reawakening, the friends he makes, and the unexpected turns he experiences, both in his own life, and that of his three children, change him, his marriage, his view of life, and his very soul forever.I could not turn the pages fast enough to finish this wonderful book, and I am thrilled that Robin Pilcher has finally found his way, free of his mother's formidible reputation and finally able, like Dan Porter, to stand on his own. Bravo, Robin! Well done indeed.

Dan Porter believes his life is near perfect as he has a wonderful job with a dot com firm, married to a loving wife for twenty years, and three precocious children. However, when his company hits bad times, the policy of last in first out leaves Dan unemployed. Meanwhile his wife Jackie is managing director of Rebecca Talworth Design Limited, but makes little money as profits are returned to the company.Dan fails to get a new job, which leads to a tear in his relationship with Jackie because she feels he has become complacent while their lifestyle slips. When he reads an article in Women's Weekly about a small Scottish firm Vagabonds needing help to expand, he races north while Jackie is on the continent on business. Though the makers of the popular "Vaggas" is not what Dan expected, he finds his life changes perhaps even more than when he lost his dot com job, but Jackie's resentment grows.This is an engaging character study of a person who once was riding the crest, but since has lost his self esteem. He begins to regain his confidence with his trip to Scotland, but the cost may prove too high. The cast is a delightful ensemble, especially Dan, his family, and the Turnbows (owners of Vagabonds). Robin Pilcher provides a deep look at what really counts as Dan reassess his values and how he has lived.Harriet Klausner