Second Honeymoon by: Joanna Trollope

review by: Nicole Zepper '08

 This is an excellent read for all college students and for anyone else who finds themselves at a transitional point in their lives. Set in modern London, this novel explores the feelings and experiences of one family as each of its members adjusts, however reluctantly, to a new stage in their lives. As various characters deal with divorce, job-hunting, empty-nest syndrome, financial distress, pregnancy and more, they each have their understandable moments of wishing that things would go back to the way they once were. However, when a series of unexpected events essentially grants several characters this wish, they soon discover that, “Going on is hard, but going back would be a whole lot worse.”

This book is a great page-turner. The plot is always believable, yet seldom predictable. Joanna Trollope has a knack for piquing her reader’s interest just before a cliffhanger or shift in the plot. Also, her use of approximately eight or nine main characters in this novel keeps their intertwining plots moving with just the right amount of speed and complexity. All in all, a fun read — and a necessary one for anyone stuck making a tough transition of their own.