How bitter and unwelcome could truth be at times? All of us at some point of time would have felt like just waving a magic wand and undoing some mistakes that we had committed... Be it professional life or personal life.
Samantha, 29, a lawyer associated with a top level firm in London, leads the life of a typical workaholic. Her private life is almost non-existent. Living alone, she gets back home daily to find either a note from her maid querying why she had kept cartons of food well past the use-by date or to be mocked by her nosy neighbour of her inability to attend to any of her domestic work. But Samantha has her goals set clear, her dream is to become a partner in the firm that she works, and nothing else matters for her. That her mother is also a leading lawyer, only adds to her resolve.
The day her dream is about to be realised, she's struck by a sudden catastrophe. Much to her dismay, she comes to know that there's a file unnoticed in her clumsy desk, which had cost a client a whopping £50 million. Faced with the "fight or flight" syndrome, she decides to flee from the first ever mistake that she had ever committed.
She could only possibly run away from facing the reality.. Her fame and 7 years of hard work just goes down th drain, and her reputation gets tainted, moreso because of her unprofeesional behaviour of running away.
Samantha lands in the countryside of Britain, in an opulent couples' house, who mistaker her to be a housekeeper. Not having a shoulder to cry on, she decides to stay on under the guise of a housekeeper. For a person who knows nothing more than switching on the kettle when it comes to housework, cooking, hoovering and washing is just about impossible. But Samantha has the fortune of learning chores from Iris, mother of the gardener Nathaniel. And amid hilarious turn of events, she is transformed into a full fledged housekeeper. And there is this love blossoming between Nathaniel and Samantha as well.
She doesn't just learn to cook and clean, but also learns what "living" actually is. Just when she gradually starts loving this no-pressure environment, her original high flying career beckons her. To know how, why and what she does subsequently, you've got to read the book.
However, there are certain parts in the book which looks like forcefully included :-
=> Nathaniel is an owner of 3 pubs in the village and gardening is his passion and hence he's working for the rich couple. Now, this is not quite believable. Though his mom insists that he looks after the family business (running the pub) she ain't against him running a nursery of plants to give shape to his ambition. It almost looks like Nathaniel was fitted into the scene as gardener just to make Samantha fall for him and confuse her decision making (career or love).
=> The rich couple who mistake Samantha for a housekeeper are literally sketched as DUMB IDIOTS. I mean how difficult is it for a woman to differentiate between a brand new set of clothes (say 20 tops) from her own washed laundry?? Samantha spoils and stains her employer's clothing while washing, and hurriedly throws them off and replaces all of them with new ones. And the lady of the house pats her back for washing them so well that they look like new!! hello, excuseme?? I was only reminded of how many shops I had to ransack to find JUST ONE TOP, which was supposed to be trendy at some point of time.
There are some more, but they're spoilers.
Irrespective of some such obviously unbelievable parts, the book makes for a quick and funny read. I found myself nodding in agreement in some places and felt a sense of deja vu when Samantha is just not able to forget her work. The witty humour would make you laugh out loud quite a few times. A must read for workaholics AND for people (esply women) who'd have to make tough choices at some point of time. If for nothing else, one could read it for the humour. Though about stress and pressure, the book would serve as a stress buster!
I would give 3/5.
I'm now gonna try reading one of the author's shopaholic series :D
