AT SEA by LAURIE GRAHAM

Most of the books I pick up are from recommendations of book bloggers. I faithfully write them out and when I come to Carnegie I try to find as many as possible from the library. Very often the very latest best sellers are always on order and I have to wait for my next time around to get to them. Some of the more "old fashioned" reads are never purchased by the libraries but that still gives me a lot of choice.

This book was a real tongue in the cheek humour. You never knew whether Enid was poking fun at her husband in an understated manner or whether she was downright annoyed. She did seem to have a lot of tolerance and forbearance definitely. I would have thrown something at him definitely!!!

Lady Enid (the title not strictly correct but she was from aristocracy) marries the very ordinary Bernard Finch who always aspires to the aristocracy himself and to anything other than the hoi polloi. He firmly believes that he is a cut above the "ordinary" and unfortunately does not keep this to himself but displays it to all and sundry making him obviously the most unpopular and disliked man around. People seem to be courteous in this book and do not cut him dead which would be what would have happened in normal life as he is obnoxious to a fault. Maybe Enid was such a nice person that they overlooked him!

Enid and Bernard embark on a cruise - he as a lecturer on this Aegean cruise. Bernard is knowledgeable in his subject and unknown to everyone else dependent on the income he earns from this line of work. On the cruise they encounter someone from Bernard's childhood and the whole episode blows Bernard's life apart as his carefully maintained facade starts crumbling. His nervousness and agitation at the discovery of his roots
sets off a train of events which were surprising. How Enid handles the whole situation is marvellous and does make for a very good book.

I liked the way the author handled Enid - how she developed through the story into becoming more confident and facing upto a sort of bullying husband. She was graceful and kind to all and came into her own very well. The description of life on a cruise with its bits of history was also very good reading.

Thoroughly enjoyed the book.

It is still chilly in Melbourne and rather strange. You will have a morning of bright sunshine with absolutely no warmth - I can never get this. For me the sun means hot, here the sun is out in full force but its cold!!!!