Fifty is not a Four Letter Word

Title: Fifty is not a Four Letter Word
Author: Linda Kelsey
Type: Paperback
Read: 22nd August - 27th August
Rating: 4/5
Published: 1st July 2007 by Hodder & Stoughton

Life begins at 50.. Well, it certainly does for Hope, though not at all as she had planned. She reluctantly hits her half-century on New Year's Day and within weeks her career, her marriage and her self-esteme are in free-fall. But Hope has guts - and a sense of humor. By the end of her annus horribilis, she has aquired a taste for designer underware, climbing mountains - and the memory of one perfect night in Paris. A funny, wise and touching look at all the issues closest to our hearts. The novel grown-up girls have been waiting for.

Meet Hope, she's due to turn 50 on new years day and doesnt' like it one bit. 50 means she's a half a century, she's getting old and everything is changing, she can deal with that, slightly, if she ignores it. But at least she has her family, her devoted husband Jack, her typically moody eighteen year old son Olly and a successful job as editor of a magazine. Turning 50, she can ignore because everything around her is fine.

So what happens, when it's not? Suddenly turning 50 is the worse thing in the world, Hopes family falls apart and she's made redundant from her job in favour of someone younger and more fresher. Hope has no idea what to do. Not being in control is something Hope doesnt' know how to deal with. She's used to being busy, planning, and doing. Not sitting and waiting. Then her mother falls ill, her best friend falls out with her, can anything else go wrong?

This book is probably aimed more at those who are of the mature age, however as someone in their thirties i throughly enjoyed it. It had me laughing in places and cringing in others. I was with Hope all the way through the good times and the bad and the just plain crazy times.

I loved the change we see of Hope, from being compelety in control of her life and possibly everyones around her, to suddenly having no-one rely on her was a huge step. The fact Hope after mourning her loss decided to try things that weren't of her normal activites, made me smile, from going to Paris on her own, to the encounter there with the lovely but sleazy Dan, to trecking across moutians, Hope gave it her all.

It's not to say Hope was perfect or a warming character at first, no, she was a pain in the bottom. Everyone was expected to tend to her at times, she had to be the centre of attention and her rift with her mother wound me up. But it's typical life. It's what everyone goes through at times. And i think for Hope especially she had to learn the hard way to really truely appreicate what she had and who she had around her.

The ending was nice, although a little not what i was expecting. I think the author left it up to us to decide what we think happens between Hope and Jack in the end. But i think she's better off on her own now.

Overall a wonderful book. I'd recommend everyone to read but possibly the mature ones will understand it more.

Go get it from: Amazon UK | Book Depository | Waterstones