Review: Meeting Lydia by Linda MacDonald

Meeting Lydia by Linda MacDonald
Release Date: 22nd March 2018

Publisher: Matador

Genres: Women's Fiction

Meeting Lydia explores the very relevant topics of childhood bullying, midlife crises, the pros and cons of internet relationships, and how the psychological effects of these affect the main character and those around her. Readers will be gripped by the turbulent life of Marianne who navigates the onset of menopause, an empty nest, a suspected errant husband and a demanding new obsession that pulls her in deeper as the story unfolds. Those interested in the psychology of relationships will enjoy this novel, as well as those who delight in an enthralling story with relatable characters and the powerful question of what happens when the past catches up with the present. This second edition has reworked the early chapters of the first edition, making for a pacy and shorter version more in line with the audiobook.

 
Marianne comes home from work one day to find her husband talking to a glamorous woman in their kitchen. Old childhood insecurities resurface, stemming from a time back at school when she was bullied. Jealousy rears its head and her happy marriage begins to crumble. Desperate for a solution - and introduced by her daughter to social networking - she tries to track down her first schoolgirl crush, the enigmatic Edward Harvey. But Marianne is unprepared for the power of email relationships ...

Because Meeting Lydia is such a strong story, told with such compassion and insight I was thrilled to be a part of this latest tour for the book. This wonderful piece of writing by Linda MacDonald can be read over and over again and its one of my favourite books. This latest edition works very well with the audio version (which I can highly recommend) and the writing is much sharper and edgier than previous editions of the book and a great complement to the audio book.

Marianne is the wrong side of 40 and feeling like her life is slipping through her fingers as she fears the dreaded Menopause or the unspoken 'M' word! She is going through an emotional roller coaster and unsure of what is happening within her marriage. Just why is her husband spending more time at the pub, how much of a threat is the tarty Charmaine? And,why have her experiences of her time being bullied whilst attending prep school where girls were in the minority becoming all consuming memories no longer staying buried just below the surface where she had kept them for many years?

Marianne, determined to put the ghosts of her past to rest, seeks understanding and closure through tracking down Edward Harvey, a fellow pupil from prep school. He was a quiet and unassuming boy and never teased Marianne as the others had. So, through Friends Reunited, Marianne begins to try to understand her experiences through her contact with Edward. But, is she seeking something else from Edward?

This is a fantastically well written, thought provoking and intelligent book. Linda MacDonald writes with passion, empathy and sensitivity taking the reader through a whole host of emotions. The story explores the emotional scarring that occurs as a result of bullying and how it shapes a person long after the event, eating away at their confidence and self worth long into adulthood. The author's writing evokes such a strong response to what is happening to Marianne, getting a real feel for the characters and how they were affected by what was happening within the story.

The book delves into the complexities of human relationships and the tenuous threads by which long term relationships hang and how passions can be lost and found again. Modern life is further complicated by the use of technology such as the Internet, providing a new medium in which to establish new relationships and reignite long forgotten ones.

 

I'd highly recommend this book. It prompts you to think about difficult subjects long after you have closed the book. And, as someone on the wrong side of 40 myself, I can totally empathise with Lydia and her feelings of insecurity around her age. It's so refreshing to read a book where the main character isn't some busty, perfect size 0 heroine with the perfect job and brimming with self confidence. Meeting Lydia really depicts a true heroine.  Definitely a book that feeds the mind and soul and pulls at the heart strings! I loved it!

  

Linda MacDonald is the author of four novels: Meeting Lydia and the stand-alone sequels, A Meeting of a Different Kind, The Alone Alternative and The Man in the Needlecord Jacket. All Linda's books are contemporary adult fiction, multi-themed, but with a focus on relationship issues. 

After studying psychology at Goldsmiths', Linda trained as a secondary science and biology teacher. She taught these subjects for several years before moving to a sixth-form college to teach psychology. The first two novels took ten years in writing and publishing, using snatched moments in the evenings, weekends and holidays. In 2012, she gave up teaching to focus fully on writing. 

Linda was born and brought up in Cockermouth, Cumbria and now lives in Beckenham in Kent.

Follow her on Twitter @LindaMac1