Book review #1

Book: The undomestic goddess
Author: Sophie Kinsella

Summary:

This is a story of a girl who needs to slow down. To find herself, and to get a life. The “goddess” in question is Samantha Sweeting, a high-powered lawyer with one ambition in mind: becoming partner at the prestigious law firm—Carter Spink. Although Samantha loves her job and thrives under the pressure and adrenalin, she has no social life to speak of and is stressed out beyond belief. Just as she’s about to achieve her biggest goal, she made a little mistake that cost her client fifty million pounds.

In a panic, Samantha rushes out of the office, takes a train to a small suburb of London, lost and terrified. Wanting a place to lodge for the night, she ends up at the doorstep of Trish and Eddie Geiger, who mistake her for a housekeeper coming to apply for a job. Despite the fact that she can't cook, launder or do anything else remotely domesticated, Samantha takes the job. The Geigers however, have no idea they've hired a Cambridge-educated lawyer with an IQ of 158.

Eventually, she begins with learning cleaning and cooking skills, and falls in love with her new life in a wholly unexpected way. She has her weekends off, and enjoys her free and easy life. Her 'family', the Geigers, are caring and took painstaking effort to throw a party for her, leaving her touched and moved to tears. Slowly, from the stressed live of a workaholic, Sam had changed into a simple and innocent girl with no worries in life and finally, she begins to realise the meaning to life.

The story continues where Sam's old life caught up with her, leaving her to make the tough decision in her life—a housekeeper or a lawyer.

Reflection:

The character of Samantha Sweeting is smart, gutsy and easy to root for. It’s easy to see why the gardener ends up falling for her, and their chemistry works beautifully throughout the book.

However, I find the storyline is quite unbelievable and ridiculous. It’s difficult to be convinced that a high-powered lawyer would blunder her way into a job as a housekeeper and someone who couldn’t boil an egg at first, learns how to cook gourmet meals in just a few weeks! At the beginning, I had a reverent view on Samantha Sweeting as a high-powered and competent lawyer who has everything under control. But one mistake causes her to flee away and shrink away from her responsibility. Within moments, we have a complete change in personality.

However, it would be great book to read if you don’t take the story too seriously, you wouldn’t mind these unrealistic bits and instead focus on the great characters and funny situations.

Rachel