Everything She Thought She Wanted

I see there are some mixed reviews for ESTSW, but I loved it. I like how the author told two stories at once. Each chapter was titled either Siena or Barbara, depending on who the chapter was about. I was trying to figure out why the author was telling the story this way and you eventually figure it out at the end. And ... it's not just that, there are other things that make you reflect upon the similarities between these two different women across the decades. Elizabeth Buchan is still a top author and story-teller in my book!

This book is worth the full price I paid for it, and I will recommend it to my friends, with the caveat that they must read the dust jacket flap first. I let several weeks elapse between reading the reviews and reading the book. I was confused by the switching back and forth until I reread the flap, refreshing my memory of the idea Buchan had in mind. Buchan is good at presenting her characters' feminism, without making them less feminine. The women are neither too strong nor too weak. Buchan's style is well-paced and her supporting characters are portrayed realistically. Neither Charlie nor Ryder is written as being an overbearing or demanding husband, or as being unreasonable in his demands. They are both likeable people. Ryder is the product of the era in which he lives. Charlie is fighting for what he wants and needs in his life, even though they are things his wife isn't sure she wants. I liked REVENGE OF THE MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN and THE GOOD WIFE STRIKES BACK better than this book. Nevertheless, EVERYTHING SHE THOUGHT SHE WANTED is a welcome addition to my personal library.

The above is the original title for the book as it was printed in the UK. I am on a hunt for this author's UK titles that have yet to make it "over the pond". I do think the English title is more evocative of the novel itself and the characters in the novel. Others have stated what this book is about, I just want to encourage you to give this author your time. Provocative, textured read.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly, perhaps even more than "Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman." This novel is a tale of two women: Barbara (in 1959) and Siena (in modern times). Both live in England, and struggle with surprisingly similar issues. Barbara is married to a former fighter pilot who still has nightmares about the war. They have two children. Enter Alexander, the young, handsome, Freud scholar and new boarder at her friend Bunty's house. Suddenly Barbara is questioning everything it took her years to build. Siena is a career woman, a successful fashion consultant who overhauls people's wardrobes and self-esteem. Her husband, a legal aid lawyer, badly wants children. But Siena has seen too many women, in particular her friend Manda, beaten down by running after toddlers. Although these are not the most original issues, they are timeless, and you really feel for the characters. They seem like real people. As in "Revenge," Buchan's writing is smooth, delicate, and poetic. The ending is understated but poignant. The intertwining of past and present reminded me of A.S. Byatt's "Possession," but more readable. A pleasure to read.

I enjoyed this book. I have to say I really felt for both of the characters featured. First, you have a woman approaching her twilight years in the fifties in a small town outside of London. She partially reminisces about her marriage, raising her children, and she also gets into a new 'friendship' with a young boarder in town. The other narrative is in the voice of a young woman who is deciding whether she should have children with her husband. These are unique storylines to me-- albeit for a quick read-- about women who are working on issues that aren't just about fashion and being single (though I do love Bridget Jones and Sophie Kinsella's books). So it had a nice combination of thought provoking issues along with the delicious thrill of decisions and new romances and fashion (the modern-day narrative character is a fashion consultant). I was impressed with this author, and am eagerly awaiting my next read of hers! She has a good eye for details (the older character maintaining her house, the apple shed, the nuances of her marriage). While I was a little confused at some of the conflict in the younger character, I ahve to say that the author approached her character's problem with a sensitivity and gentleness that I really admired.