A new start when you’re seventy…

Synopsis

Sun, Sangria and new starts, from the author of the bestselling Five French Hens.

Molly’s seventieth birthday comes as something of a shock. The woman in the mirror certainly looks every day of those seventy years, but inside Molly feels she still has so much more living left to do. Widowed and living alone with her cat Crumper, Molly fears she is slipping into a cliché of old age.

When Molly’s sister Nell appears on her doorstep, distraught that her husband of more than forty years, Phil, has left her for a younger lover, the women decide to seize the day. By the morning, flights are booked, bags are packed, and off they go for an adventure in Spain.

The sun, the sea, the new friends and the freedom are just the tonic for broken hearts and flagging souls. But even Spain isn’t enough to revive Molly’s spirit. A solo journey to Mexico is booked as Molly continues to chase the sun and to chase happiness. Will she find what she’s looking for in Mexico, or will she discover that true contentment can’t be found on a map, but it might just be found in a new flame. 

Judy Leigh is back, with her trademark spirit of joie de vivre, fun, warmth and timeless lessons in how to live.

My review

After her seventieth birthday, Molly feels like she has been missing out. being widowed and living with just her cat Crumper was not how she imagined life would be. When suddenly her sister Nell appears on Molly’s doorstep after Nell’s husband left her for a younger woman, they both decide it’s time to be adventurous again.
So the both pack their bags and are ready for a whole new adventure in Spain.
Enjoying the sun, the sea and making new friends is enough for Nell, but Molly still feels it’s not enough. So for Molly it’s again time to pack and leave for Mexico this time.
Will Molly’s free spirit find the required peace in Mexico? And is Nell truly ready for a new relationship?
What is more in store for these two sisters who have different ideas for their trip?

What I truly liked about this story, is that even if the main characters are all of a certain age, their adventures could be applicable to anyone. It’s not a typical story about realizing the best of your life has already passed and making the best of what’s left.

Molly is someone I quickly felt sympathy for. She is this free spirit feeling that something is missing. I admired her courage to just pack her bags and leave for this big adventure in Spain, together with her sister.
And even if the place in Spain is not what they both thought, she keeps this positive attitude, not letting the bad thoughts take over.
She is quick in making new acquaintances and is not afraid to discover new things.
Even when she feels like not belonging anywhere, she is ready to just leave and look for what she is searching for somewhere else, and why not, even in Mexico!

I found Nell a harder nut to crack… of course it’s terrible that her husband left her after being married for so long. So it’s obvious I pitied her. Bu her behaviour in Spain and towards Molly was not always something I understood.
I understand that she is ready to put the past behind her, but I didn’t like how she easily put her own desires first, without really taking Molly feelings in account. Once she has found a new love interest, Molly is being pushed aside.
And when it benefits Nell, it’s just being the two sisters again. And that was something very selfish and made me dislike her a bit.

But even if I didn’t understand Nell motivations all the time, I loved reading about these two women, rediscovering themselves, bonding again and ready for new adventures they never thought about.
I loved Molly’s passion and curiosity. The way she just adapts in a new place, making easily friends and allowing herself to put herself out there, is something admirable.
I also liked Nell’s sense of protectiveness. In her own way, she doesn’t want Molly getting hurt.

I found this a lovely story that shows us that age is truly just a number. You are never too old for a new adventure, starting all over again and find somewhere you belong. And feeling home does not mean finding an actual place, but being surrounded by the right people. Friendships can be made even if you’re living in different countries, the bond that has been created won’t be broken by country borders.
And that you have to dare to put yourself out there, because you’ll never know what you’ll find…