The Cactus
the New York bestselling debut soon to be a Netflix film starring Reese Witherspoon
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4.1 • 342 Ratings
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
SOON TO BE A NETFLIX ORIGINAL STARRING REESE WITHERSPOON
A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK
'I found myself laughing out loud at Susan's prickly character' Reese Witherspoon
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | SHORTLISTED FOR THE BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD | A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK
People aren't sure what to make of Susan Green. Family and colleagues find her prickly and hard to understand - but Susan makes perfect sense to herself. Age 45, she thinks her life is perfect. She has a London flat which is ideal for one; a steady job that suits her passion for logic; and a personal arrangement providing cultural and other, more intimate, benefits.
Yet suddenly faced with the loss of her mother and, implausibly, with the possibility of becoming a mother herself, Susan's greatest fear is being realised: she is losing control. And things can only get worse ... at least in Susan's eyes.
This sparkling debut is a breath of fresh air with real heart and a powerful emotional punch. In Susan we find a character as exasperating and delightful as The Rosie Project's Don Tillman. An uncompromising feminist and a fierce fighter, it's a joy to watch her bloom.
An ideal read for fans of Eleanor Oliphant, Bridget Jones and Maggie's Plan.
'Quirky, poignant and extremely readable' Sunday Mirror
'Brilliantly comic' The Lady
'Wonderfully funny and astute' Red
'Funny, compelling, well-written...for fans of Marian Keyes who demand a bit of grit in their comic writing' Emerald Street
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
What’s prickly, self-sufficient and in need of very little succor? In this particular case, it’s Susan Green, the single-girl heroine of Sarah Haywood’s unputdownable debut novel. The truth, quite frankly, is that Susan starts out as a pretty unlikable character. At 45, she’s a London lawyer turned civil servant whose self-imposed emotional isolation has made her no fun at all. But Haywood pulls off the delightful trick of bringing us over to Susan’s side through a gradual series of surprises, major life events, and personal awakenings. The Cactus made us cheer for the transformative power of love.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A cactus is the perfect metaphor for Haywood's hilarious and endearing debut about a prickly woman who thrives no matter her environment. Londoner Susan Green is a controlling single 45-year-old woman who is successful in both her professional life as a civil service worker and in her personal life with formally scheduled liaisons with Richard, a similarly organized and methodical businessman. Susan's disciplined life is rocked when her widowed mother dies and the will specifies that Susan's undeserving, ne'er-do-well younger brother, Edward, whom Susan despises and has little to do with for good reason, can inhabit the family's suburban home until he wants to sell it, at which time the proceeds will be evenly split. To make matters even more complicated, Susan discovers she is pregnant with Richard's child, whom she will raise alone because she doesn't want to be beholden to anyone. She intends to prove that her brother, now living in the house with his buddy, Rob, had undue influence on the content of their infirm mother's will. As Susan builds a case against her brother, she forms a dubious connection with Rob, hoping that will help her garner the truth about Edward's motives. What she eventually learns not only about her mother but also about herself thoroughly alters her approach to life, which Haywood lovingly and humorously demonstrates is actually a very good thing. The novel is consistently enjoyable, anchored by the splendid character of Susan.
Customer Reviews
Cactus
Great characters, read the book in a couple of days enjoyed the plot
Brilliant
Susan is a wonderful character - you find yourself eye rolling and rooting for her, simultaneously. The complexities of a family life are portrayed beautifully.
The cactus
Brilliant brilliant brilliant book!