I’m not entirely sure why I picked up this book. But it may have had something to do with being cheap, me not having anything to read at the precise moment, and being near the hated Tesco.
Zoe Heller is one of those newspaper columnists that on the whole I can’t abide. So why then did I pick up this book? Well it was the best of a bad lot certainly, but it did get shortlisted for the Booker, so it’s worth giving a shot.
The story is told from the point of view of a middle aged schoolteacher and details the actions of her younger (but not that much) colleague, Sheba. Sheba has had an affair with a schoolboy and the story is out. We hear the story and pick up more than maybe our protagonist would want to let on.
Although the novel is slight, the subject is dealt with in a real manner, and is sensitively and truthfully handled. I read it in about two sittings which probably says quite a lot for it. It certainly wasn’t what I was expecting.