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The main character is a very likeable women in her early sixties called Louisae. She’s driving home on a beautiful spring day, feeling as if, perhaps, there might be something to look forward to. She’s been struggling for a couple of months, trying to stay strong. Her husband of nearly forty years announced just after Christmas that he was leaving her for a much younger woman.
Up to that point she had thought Kip was the perfect husband. He was kind, responsible, good with the children - and their two small granddaughters - and she loved him. She was looking forward to spending more time with him as their retirement years approached. Now the future seems bleak. But nothing prepares her for the shock of seeing a ‘for sale’ board in front of their home.
Over the years, Louisa has lavished a lot of care and creativity into their cottage, where they raised their three children. She loves to bake and to entertain, and has hosted innumerable family gatherings, as well as dinners for friends. She was aware that the house would probably have to be sold as an asset in the divorce proceedings that Kip has initiated, but she didn’t think it would be this soon. Nor that he would go ahead and put it on the market without letting her know.
It’s a dramatic, poignant start to a book that takes place over the course of a year. Erica James has an excellent skill with characterisation, and I felt as if all the people were realistic, and easily distinguishable. Kip and Louisa have twins, Ashley and Arabella, and a younger son, Angus. Ashley is married to Caro, who seems - to this quite bohemian and very close family - a bit too organised and sensible, but they clearly adore each other. They have a toddler daughter called Peggy. Arabella is married to Giles, who seems a bit controlling; they also have a toddler daughter, Heidi. The young cousins are very fond of each other, and they get together as often as possible.
Angus is not so close to either of his siblings; he’s a bit geeky, and works in IT. He’s probably the closest to his mother, and the most angry with his father. This is partly because Zoe, his father’s new girlfriend, was originally Angus’s girlfriend.
So the family dynamics change over the course of the year. Each chapter is told from one person’s point of view; I lost track of how many in all, but certainly Louisa, Kip and their three offspring have viewpoint chapters. It works extremely well, and doesn’t feel jarring at all. Having said that, I didn’t feel that I got to know Ashley or Arabella very well. They have a strong bond as twins, which can sometimes exclude others. But I liked Angus very much, as well as Louisa and the two toddlers.
Kip is a complex, rather confused character whom I found difficult to understand. Perhaps that’s because he doesn’t really understand himself. Inevitably, after the first flush of passion, he and Zoe discover differences in their attitudes and desires, in part due to their significant age difference. And Kip, who has always been a highly responsible person, makes mistake after mistake before eventually going to therapy.
I didn’t know where the plot was going - it’s not as if there’s a lot of excitement, but there’s plenty of poignancy and tense situations when people misunderstand each other, or miscommunicate. I thought it was all very well done. Having said that, I felt that perhaps Louisa was almost too perfect to be true in the later chapters; the ending sections of the book are satisfying and tie up a lot of loose ends, but I suspect are not likely to happen in real life, in this kind of situation.
I didn't think that this book was one of the author's best. My absolute favourite of her novels is still 'Precious time', which I absolutely love. Still, I thought 'An ideal husband' made a good light read. Recommended if you like this kind of character-based women’s fiction.
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