Elizabeth Buchan

Despite some strange sounding titles, I have been surprised by how much I have enjoyed Elizabeth Buchan’s writing. I first saw Revenge of the Middle Aged Woman and wondered what on earth it could be about. I’ve learnt you can’t always rely what you read on the cover or flyleaf, so the only way to find out was to read it. I was pleasantly surprised with a thoughtful character development that evoked sympathy and admiration for the main character. I was expecting more melodrama, but found instead a story many could relate to, without being stereotypical, we witness the main character grow into a new stage of her life.

After enjoying this novel, I was then interested in The Good Wife Strikes Back. Again I felt the title did not do justice to the content. It was later I found out Elizabeth Buchan maintains a website http://www.elizabethbuchan.com/ , where she has created separate sites for her U.K. and U.S. readers. I must have British inclinations as The Good Wife Strikes Back is just The Good Wife in the UK. This was another well written tale about the complexities of a marriage with realistic character development.

According to various blurbs, Elizabeth Buchan is a ‘New York Times bestselling author’. While very sceptical of the marketing she employs, I found her work to be better than expected and the books I have read left me pondering about her characters. The stories had a depth I had not anticipated, creating an involvement that lasted after the book was finished. I have since sort out further titles by Buchan and enjoyed them as well. Her works would be great for book group discussion.

- Fran.