Take the Late Train
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
Stephen Ketley's life goes off the rails on the night of his tenth wedding anniversary. Suddenly, his marriage to Sarah is not quite as secure as it seems. Meanwhile, his stepdaughter Emma relies on him to mediate between her warring parents, his sister refuses to speak to him, and Audrey his mother drinks too much and shouts too loud. As his certainties fragment, Stephen recalls an idyllic summer in Florence with his first love, Giuliana. Forced to choose between career and love, authenticity and conformity, how can he make a decision when nothing is certain, least of all himself?
Funny and wise, intelligent and disturbing, Take the Late Train is a memorable journey into the heart of life, love and memory.
'Canny and observant – a sharp and eloquent meditation on finding one's truth. Simply wonderful.' Ginger Bensman
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Messenger (Farewell Olympus) delivers a thoughtful, impressive story of work and marriage as seen through the eyes of an increasingly unmoored English lit professor. Stephen Ketley and his wife, Sarah, have been married 10 years, but Sarah has become distant while working on her latest academic treatise. This isn't really surprising to Stephen, because he's also an academic, and he has been distracted by his own scholarly pursuits at a university in Nottingham. However, after the couple celebrates their 10th anniversary with friends rather than alone Stephen senses something is amiss. As he moves through his days, he explores his feelings about his wife and work and spends time with his college-bound stepdaughter, his quirky mother, and his wayward sister. Feeling out of sorts, Stephen notices that he's losing an alarming amount of weight, and questions of physical and mental health and his search for contentment threaten to drive him to distraction. The highlight of the book is the fluid narration, as it moves through Stephen's thoughts on everything from his empathy for Hamlet's troubles to his genuine concern for his stepdaughter's well-being. This ruminative story will satisfy those seeking a deep dive into meaning in life and how to pursue it. (BookLife)
