Reviewed by Chun Yin Wah
After hugely enjoying No Strings Attached, my first book by Clare Dowling, I sent my husband on a pilgrimage to several bookstores in search of her other titles. Only partly successful, he returned with My Fabulous Divorce (2006, Headline Review, 458 pages). At the first chance, I sat down with it, ready for a good read.
Behind the cover, I met Jackie Ball, who owns a flower store with her best friend Emma. For about six months, Jackie has dated Dan Lewis. Dan entered her life as a jogger, stopping to help her with car problems.
When Dan asks Jackie to marry him, she's caught by surprise and says “yes” without thinking because she's reluctant to disappoint him. Once they fix a wedding date, Jackie realizes that she's legally married already, having abandoned her mate, Henry, after an anniversary dinner two years earlier. She'd written “goodbye” and left without explaining.
A newspaper food-critic, Henry holds the power to send restaurants spiraling out of business. Along the way, he attracts a few hate-letters from restaurateurs. Although prone to depression, he still strives to offer honest opinions.
Secretly, Henry pines to be a poet. At home, he closed doors to nurture poetic moods. Unaware of this, his wife had deemed him moody and distant. After hearing him talk into the telephone, saying “You are beautifully beautiful”, she decided to walk. After she went, Henry didn't pursue her.
To remarry, Jackie must contact Henry for a divorce. The legal papers allege that Henry had failed to participate fully in family life and to commit emotionally to their marriage. But Henry refuses to sign, wanting a “fair and accurate portrayal” of their relationship. Upset by this hitch, Dan sends his pals to punish Henry, but that prompts Jackie to abandon him too.
Could this chaos somehow lead to a happy ending? This may be an ideal book for readers wanting amusement without needing to contemplate the details.
Approval rating: 70 per cent.
For more information: www.claredowling.co.uk
(August 28, 2008)
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