Beach books have a special appeal because readers can bask in the sun, read, doze off and begin reading again without having to worry about missing out on a nuance in the plot.”The Undomestic Goddess” is a light-hearted, easy read novel that rises above the normal beach book fluff because Sophie Kinsella is a skilled author who created a believable protagonist, Samantha Sweeting. Then, she had the genius to allow the character to do exactly what every beach book reader is attempting to do – escape.Sweeting is a workaholic whose life is consumed by the demands of a high-power law firm in London, where her time is billed in six-minute chunks. Six wasted minutes equals £50 (about $95) that the firm will not collect. She prefers to think she thrives under pressure rather than acknowledge the toll that stress is taking on her life. Kinsella makes the story relevant to most readers on the first page of the novel and evokes laughter as Sweeting fudges her responses on a stress survey.With a mother who is a barrister and a brother who is the head of an investment firm, Sweeting grew up believing a career is the only measurement of a person’s worth. Devoting 14 hours a day to her work is only a necessary requirement to reaching her ultimate goal of becoming a partner at the Carter Spink law firm. Once she achieved that goal, her life disintegrates because of one mistake: a colossal error that costs the firm £50,000,000 – about $95 million.She reacts to the devastating consequences of forgetting to file a form on time in a very human manner. Sweeting runs away from the problem, finding herself on a train heading for some unknown destination. After absorbing three gin and tonics, she gets off the train unaware of the name of the town or where she is going next. This leads her to ring the bell of a home in an expensive neighborhood in hopes of getting a glass of water, an aspirin and directions back to London. Instead, she is mistaken as an applicant for a housekeeping position.While it becomes a stretch to picture a lawyer who has never cooked or cleaned in her life as a housekeeper, this is, after all, a summer fantasy, complete with a handsome gardener who makes Sweeting’s life worth living.Of course, no one gets to run away forever. Life has a way of catching up with you. But in the interim, Sweeting finds that success in life can be measured by more than the amount of money you make or a prestigious title. Life, even as a housekeeper, can be full of fun and love.Which is a good thing to remember on a summer, autumn, winter or spring day when you have a few hours to read a book – one that lets the reader escape into a world where a tedious existence is transformed by a great sex life, good food and characters who judge people by standards that have nothing to do with the balance in their checkbook.”The Undomestic Goddess” is a fun read.Note: The Falcon Book Club will meet on Thursday, Sept. 28, at 6:30 p.m. and discuss Tony Hillerman’s novel, “A Thief of Time.” Stop by Espresso Stratfords and join in the conversation.
