An innocent diversion (by Kathleen Rowntree)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s a bit of a shock to realise that it’s twenty-four years since I first read Kathleen Rowntree’s novel ‘An innocent diversion’. So it was more than time to reread. I had, unsurprisingly, forgotten everything about it - all the people and storylines felt entirely new to me. I quite like that feeling, knowing that I did enjoy the book first time around.

There are two main characters, and the author succeeds in making them quite distinct. Fran is the one I related to the most. She’s in her fifties, and married to a farmer. She looks after the house, cooks for whoever needs meals, and also does some of the farm chores. Her husband, Steve, is a decade older than she is, and a very likeable man. The two are still close. 

Fran has some bad days, particularly the anniversaries of events from her teenage years which are still poignant to her. It’s fairly soon clear what has made her depressed at the start of the novel, though we don’t get the details until much later in the book. But Steve is understanding, and kind; and Fran appreciates him. They have two daughters: Heather, who works in an upmarket shoe shop, and Janie, who is in her mid-teens and rather geeky. Heather and Janie are totally unalike, and don’t get along. 

The other main character is Sonia. She’s more of a caricature - she’s a bit older than Fran, but makes every effort to look after her appearance. She lives alone, supported by her ex-husband David who travels widely and is very wealthy. David not only gives her financial independence - sufficient to buy expensive new clothes regularly - but emotional support, too. Their friends find their relationship rather odd, and I did too. But Sonia likes being an ex-wife a lot more than she liked being married. 

Sonia also has days when she wakes up feeling miserable, but she never has a lie-in. She likes to keep up appearances; she goes out with friends, or goes on a shopping spree if she feels really low. Other times she works in the garden or cleans her already spotless house.  Sonia knows Heather because she likes her shop; Heather is a very helpful, observant worker. 

Into the picture comes a bank worker called Jason, who had an unhappy childhood but is building his own life after graduating from university. He’s bought himself an elderly car, and lives in a small bedsit. And one day, Sonia - struggling with new shoes - bumps her expensive new car into the back of Jason’s car. It’s totally her fault, and she insists on taking him to her garage, paying for everything herself, without involving insurance companies. 

Then he offers to do some work in her garden, and she invites him for a meal…and a friendship begins. But it’s not an equal one, and she has no idea that Jason has subconsciously been looking for a mother figure to spend time with. 

Just to complete the circle, Heather has got to know Jason as they sometimes eat in the same place for lunch. She’s rather keen on him and would like to be more than friends. But any time she suggests something, he backs off, as he keeps hoping for a phone call from Sonia.

It’s cleverly written, following the two main characters in their daily lives, seeing them deal with those around them. Sonia’s really rather a thoughtless person who likes to be seen as generous. She also dislikes boredom, and Jason is an interesting young man. Fran has a lot more depth. 

I did wonder if there was going to be a huge coincidental discovery late in the book; I think the author was trying to lead the readers on to this possibility. But I had no memory of whether or not it was going to happen. I also wondered if Fran and Sonia would ever meet.

The writing is excellent, the characters three-dimensional, even if most are a tad caricatured. I liked Fran’s annoying father-in-law Hal, who constantly repeats stories, and I liked her moody teenager Janie, though Janie is really very rude to Heather at times. 

It’s not exactly a village saga; we don’t get to know neighbours or take part in village activities; it’s more a town saga, I suppose. Entirely character-driven, really, and exactly the kind of novel I enjoy reading.

I just hope it won’t be another twenty-four years before I read this again…

Recommended if you like women’s fiction with some light-hearted sections and some that are decidedly poignant.  Sadly Kathleen Rowntree's books are long out of print, but they can sometimes be found second-hand at reasonable cost. 

Review copyright 2026 Sue's Book Reviews