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First I would like to thank you all for your patience. My life hit fast forward. I have had one of those months where everything happens at once.


I do wonder about Sylvie's father. She seems to have him on a pedestal.Poor Dan can't seem to compare. It will be intresting to see what happens.


One of the things that got me laughing was Sylvie's realaztion that she would be having sex with only one person for the rest of her life.


It made me realize how I have changed. In my "courting" years this would have saddened me. Now I can't imagine being with anyone buy my husband. It was all a lot of work for little reward,


I guess that falls under TMI but it is one of the things the book got me thinking about. Just putting it out there for everyone to think about.


I want to think if I had realized this I would have made the same choices. The me I am now would, but I am not swo sure about younger me.LOL

No worries, Renee. Life happens. It's uncontrollable at times.

I think there's something fishy about Sylvie's father. There are occasional remarks about his anger. I think at the time she witnessed these, she was too young to understand the significance of whatever was going on and she was afterwards given treats, which is what she remembers. She's glossing over something.
Her father is definitely on a pedestal. No one can live up to an image like that.

Something is weird with Sylvie's mom, too. Is she truly grieving so much? Is there something else happening? (ie: something to do with the anger in her father at times?)

Renee, if I were to go back, I would hope to change a few of my younger choices. However, on the whole, I wouldn't. They were good experiences and they taught me insights and such that made me the person I am today. So going back and changing things to suit my Today Self, would make my Today Self a different person by removing the experiences that shaped Today Self. I like Today Self, so I have to make many of the same choices, at least the significant ones.

I second what Petra said, Renee, NO WORRIES about being behind. I have had a ton of things hit here in my life too, so admit I am also behind, and only half done with this section of reading! We can take all summer to finish if you would like! :-)

I'm almost finished but will be here for the discussion as it progresses.
I'm listening to this during my jogs and find that this story is a perfect pace for that activity. I think one or two more jogs and I'll be finished. I'm in Chapter 16.

I finished listening to this today. I enjoyed this story.

I had a laugh when Sophie was talking about what she remembered. She knew the words to the pepper pig song.


I used to know what plays were coming, what was on at the opera ect,ect.


Now I can tell you the names of all the bachelors and who is in big brother's house.


I know this because my kids watch and discuss them. If I want to talk to them I need to know.



Am I the only one this has happened to?

Okay, I have finished this section. Does anyone else think it is silly how overboard these two went on the first day with making surprises? I mean, they are doing this suprise thing because they are going to live and be married for decades, yet on the first day they both come up with mulitiple "suprises" that mostly end up being fiascos.

Why did she not tell him also that the friend he set up the reunion with was the wrong woman? That would have been good for a laugh. Why go along with the mistake? The only surprise she was happy about was the one that wasn't a suprise, the sweater she picked herself through her friend.

I did find that section of surprises over the top. I think it shows that the solid, strong marriage that Sylvie thinks she has may have some issues. These two are not as "in tune" with themselves as Sylvie thinks they are.
I also agree about the lack of pre-planning which brought about the situation of Surprise overload that day.
Who orders such an exotic breakfast and doesn't know what they are ordering?! Maybe add one exotic, unknown dish.....but all of them?!!! That's bound to lean towards disastrous.

Where are we all in our reading? Please comment when you can. I'm finished and don't want to say anything until it's down here, so that I don't give away spoilers.

I am on chapter 10

I have to agree with the past comments about Sophie's father. The idolization of this is a bit weird. Him being the focus of their wedding video, how Sophie talks about him all the time, and the mom who is a bit overbearing.

Sheila, I'm glad you mentioned the wedding video. That was almost creepy. I kept thinking that Daddy & Mummy think that this behavior is "normal" and that he should be the center of attention at their daughter's wedding. That seemed so bizarre to me. Who focuses on themselves on such an occasion?

Mummy is deranged, almost, in her admiration for her husband. It made me wonder about her past and how this sort of adulation started.

I agree Petra. I'm plowing through this book and will probably finish tonight. Things are getting...weird.

The ending is interesting. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

I am a terrible discussion leader. I just cant seem to get posts in a timely fashion. Between family and flooding basements I never seem to be here. Is it okay if we just open this to a whole book sicussion?

Yes please, lets just open this up to a total book discussion. I have finished, and I believe Petra has as well. :-)

Yes, I finished awhile back.

I did really like this book. I felt the author used humor to show many things. I loved the way how we found out that Sylvie's husband was the true hero.

Her Dad was all about appearance. Sylvie idolized him. Her poor husband was cleaning up all the messes.

Their were so many layers in the book. The whole thing at her work place. The museum was so interesting.

I think my final take is that Sylvie needed to start thinking for herself. Her father belittles her hisband but her husband was the better man

I agree there were may layers to this story, and the ending was not what I was expecting.

In the end I think that Sylvie and her husband need to just start being more honest and open with each other. There were so many secrets, which just led to more problems. Honesty from the beginning would have done them all well.

I agree Shelia. If her husband had told her what her how her father was treating her Sophie may have had her eyes opened sooner.