Tuesday, 22 May 2018
Release Date: 22nd March 2018
Publisher: Matador
Genres: Women's Fiction
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 ...
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.
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
Thanks so much for this fabulous Blog Tour support x