Moving to The Big Apple, a dream coming true… or not?

Synopsis

When her husband David announces he’s been offered a job in New York, Saoirse is thrilled. The glamour of the big city, the shopping, the culture, not to mention the free Manhattan apartment and business class air fare – what’s not to like? There’s just the small matter of making it work for their daughter, five-year-old Anna, who isn’t so keen to leave her friends and school behind.

The Big Apple in the middle of summer isn’t quite the holiday Saoirse envisaged, and with David away with work, New York apartment sizes on the miniscule side, and the pace of life faster than the sleepy London suburbs, solo ex-pat parenting pushes Saoirse to her limits. 

And as the pressure builds and ‘faking it till she makes it’ isn’t cutting it, there’s only one thing for it – Saoirse and Anna need a new plan, and ‘Winging It’ might be their best option…

Emma Murray returns with this laugh-out-loud funny, compulsively page-turning adventure about parenting, travelling, and finding your tribe – on both sides of the pond.

My review

Saoirse is over the moon that her husband David has been finally offered a new job. And not just any job, but a job in New York! Doesn’t everyone dream of living in New York, with all that glamour, shopping, famous places to visit? And even if their five – year – old Anna is sad for leaving her friends and school behind, she shows how flexible she is and sees the move as a big adventure.
But quickly Saoirse realizes that their move isn’t exactly how she envisioned their year in New York. Not only is their apartment way too small for the three of them, the pace New York works, is too fast for Saoirse to keep up. And so Saoirse feels herself abandoned in the Big Apple, with no friends around, and David being away with work, and her limits are quickly being reached.
Saoirse knows that this is the opportunity of a lifetime for David, but just faking it for a whole year suddenly seems an impossible mission…

What I like about the books from this author, is that the story she tells, is always genuine.
And again with the next chapter in Saoirse’s life, it’s not a wonderful adventure we set to. But it’s filled with everything that normal people like us would encounter.

I think that most of us, when we think about living in New York, we see that perfect life in front of us. We imagine walking in Central Park, walking into famous shops and have some crazy moments in there.
And that is also a bit what Saoirse imagines her stay there.
But the truth is the total opposite…

Ooh how I pitied Saoirse… Being stuck in a too small apartment, sharing beds with Anna, a concierge who should learn about customer service and the list is endless…
However, how bad her own situation is, I admired her determination, because she knows that this is David’s moment. And she knows how hard he is working and doesn’t want to add extra stress.
But how far can someone keep up the pretence without crashing completely?

So I was very happy that with a little help from her friends, she finally finds a new place, more like her own place in London, where the too fast pace of New York is not existing.
and the funny thing is, no matter where you are, London, New York or Chakamaka (in case this is a word only used in Belgium, it’s a non – existing, far place), life is everywhere the same. Everywhere you go, you have like – minded people, you have obnoxious people and you have people – pleasers, like Saoirse.

Yes, of course, I had many laughs during my reading session and I didn’t expect anything less as I have already read the previous parts (but you can read this as a standalone, but why would you only read one when you can read more???).
But there were some serious twists that I didn’t see coming at all, but then twist after twist they were marvellous!

I loved reading about the real issues a move can bring, and the struggles someone has when you cannot acclimatize in a whole different lifestyle. But this story is also filled with determination, good intentions, love and friendship.
A real treat to read!