Product Description
Lizzie Buckley has a life many women dream of – a gorgeous husband, a beautiful home and darling (when they’re not fighting) three-year-old twins. But ever since the birth of her children, she’s had a fantasy about locking herself in her bedroom for twenty-four hours with a good book and a box of chocolates. Unfortunately, her husband James doesn’t understand her feelings. And when Lizzie unburdens herself in a flaming email to her sister Janie, then hits send at t… More >>
Your Roots Are Showing
Posted by admin on February 7th, 2010
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Lizzie and James Buckley seem to have the perfect life as they raise their three year old twins in love and affluence. However, though Lizzie loves her stay at home mommy role on their country estate, she also can use some time out with a box of chocolates. She suffers from postpartum depression that has only grown worse as James remains unsympathetic while she mopes and gains weight.
In a frustrated rage, she types an e-mail ripping her dear husband for his lack of understanding. However instead of her sister, she accidentally forwards it to James. He is livid upon reading her diatribe and angrily tells her he is filing for divorce before walking out on her. Stunned Lizzie takes their kids and leaves. Although she misses her beloved James, but not Mill House, Lizzie realizes she suffers from depression and starts running as a means of releasing her stress with the motive that James will come back for her.
Lizzie makes this deep English character study work as she struggles with being a mommy only. The support cast from her spouse to their “martinet” kids to the neighbors at Back Lane Cottage enhances the deep look at a woman suffering from postpartum depression that has gotten worse over the three plus years since she gave birth. Although limited action and a bit too tidy of a wrap-up, contemporary fiction fans will appreciate this fine tale of an individual whose self esteem went with the afterbirth.
Harriet Klausner
Rating: 4 / 5
This remarkably realistic account of one woman’s journey through postpartum depression, addiction, motherhood and divorce is the debut novel of Elise Chidley. The characterization of the main character, Lizzie is so true to life. She has all these imperfections, or more accurately, what she believes to be imperfections. All of theses flaws add up to make Lizzie who she is. She didn’t have that unattainable perfection that makes so many characters unrelatable. I am only that true appreciates when I can connect with a character like I did with Lizzie.
Another thing about this novel that pleased me was the setting. I was expecting it to be set in Middle Town USA and to my surprise it was set in Bloody England. We all know how much I Bloody love England! The author has spent much of her life in England before moving with her family to Connecticut. So she knows first hand all the foods, places, sayings and mannerisms that she has put into this book.
I really loved this novel and it will have a prominent place in my top twenty books for the year. Not only was the setting and the characterization wonderful but the plot was brilliant. It kept me guessing and just when I was getting comfortable it through me for a loop.
Rating: 5 / 5
Lizzie Buckley has what appears to be a perfectly wonderful life: a lovely home, a handsome husband and two beautiful twin toddlers. But, as so often happens to tired young mothers, she suffers from exhaustion, some depression and a decreased desire for sex. She writes an email to her sister, venting about her frustrations and, unfortunately, sends it to her husband by mistake.
What follows is a charming novel about life and love, and family and friends, and what happens when two people who really love each other forget how to communicate. After her husband leaves, Lizzie must pick up the pieces of her life and put it back together. As she does this, she finds herself again.
A funny, enthralling novel set in contemporary England. Lizzie’s voice rings true and while you both cringe and laugh at her antics and misjudgments, you cry with her frustrations.
Elise Chidley captures what it’s like to be a wife and mother. A terrific debut novel. I can’t wait for more.
Rating: 4 / 5
This started out sort of slow for me, but once it picked up, I couldn’t put the book down until I was done. This is a really good book for anyone involved in a serious relationship. This couple’s problems boiled down to a lack of communication. Even aspects of her depression could have been alleviated with better communication between the two. It’s a wonderful example of why so many marriages fail. It’s fine to try and figure things out in your own head initially, but eventually you need to involve the person sleeping next to you. Not your mom, sister or best friend…your partner. This couple had so many incorrect assumptions about each other that it’s amazing they were able to keep the lid on as long as they did.
Sadly, it’s not just fiction. I’ve been in this totally avoidable situation before and this author accurately nailed exactly how it plays out. I love that just when you think you have the ending figured out, she introduces something else that makes you second guess yourself. I waffled back and forth until the very end.
Rating: 4 / 5
Your Roots Are Showing for me was an intriguing title with a wonderful double entendre, it turned out. Being from the UK, we would call what Lizzie had postnatal depression. But whatever it’s called, many mothers can relate to it–and, more often than not, are unaware they have it at the time, despising themselves for their inability to cope mentally, physically, and be the perfect multitasking mother they think they should be.
Underlying her depression (and Lord knows who wouldn’t be somewhat weighed down after giving birth to twins!) it becomes clear that Lizzie has probably always had a poor body image, exacerbated by her awfully snooty mother-in-law, who clearly only tolerates Lizzie with her lowly background, and works at making Lizzie feel more self-conscious. Treating her like a sitting tenant in her own house goes a long way to making Lizzie feel not quite good enough or beautiful enough for the gorgeous James. We can’t fault James here, it has to be said. That he loved her from outset is clear.
Thus droopy-eyed and dragged down by domesticity and motherhood, Lizzie mistakenly sends the dreaded email (perfectly believable, by the way. I’ve done it myself!). What Elise Chidley does magnificently is make us believe why James reacts so drastically. I won’t say more on that, except that we go from suspicion to understanding the man. Ahhhh.
Slightly shell-shocked, Lizzie moves out, temporarily, she thinks. James will surely come to his senses. But, horror, James doesn’t, for reasons that become clear. Her run down cottage might become her permanent abode. It does. Not quite roses around the door, but getting there, eventually, as Lizzie starts to pick up the threads and stand on her own feet. Run on them, actually. And that for me is the abiding memory. Again, very believable. I ran every step of the way of that last race with her, as Lizzie pounded, perspiring and determined towards what life had in store. I can almost see James tugging his shirt off, feel his heart hammering beside her.
Enough! Can you tell I thoroughly enjoyed this book? I would highly recommend it, to mothers and non-mothers alike. Witty and heart-wrenching at times, it’s a must read. Well done, Ms Chidley!
Rating: 5 / 5