A Risk Worth Taking

Many changes in life take time, they are slow and the person involved usually does not realize what is happening until it has been going on for a while. This book faces changes in a few lives, including Dans, at a slow real time pace. This novel does not have a quick, to- the-point plot, but instead it is a story of daily normal domestic (some very humorous) situations lived by interesting characters going through changes in their lives and lifestyles and how these changes are molded by the decisions made in the course of the story. I did like this book a lot, I believe all of the characters are interesting and all of the secondary characters could have been a tad more enticing if their personalities had been developed a touch more. Nevertheless, what I loved the most is that while reading this book, I was permanently reminded of Fort William and I was amazed of how well the author has caught the daily rhythm of life of a Scottish highlands town. For me, it was like being there.

This is a delightfully, well written story. The characters feel like friends and caring about their lives is easy and thought provoking. Thanks for a great book. Didnt want it to end.

I read the book, but was disappointed. The characters were not well developed and the movement was choppy. It would probably make a great TV movie, though. So far none of Robins books I have read are as good as his mothers. But Ill keep on reading and hoping.

I didnt think that I would enjoy this book when I picked it up. And while reading it, I was amazed at how much I was getting into the story. I say this because it really lacks a driving plot. Maybe because I have read way to many mysteries and thrillers where its almost impossible to break the mold of tradition where you start in point x and end in point y that it was very enjoyable to be swept up in a story where you truly do not know what was going to happen next. The author, Pilcher also does a great job of second hand story telling. By this I mean he will have a character sit down say in a pub and tell an engrossing tale to another character which allows for the reader to be swept off on a tangent. I found that Pilcher really knows what he is doing when it comes to moving a story along and it was hard to put down this title because of that. Lastly, the only fault that I found here was that besides the main character Dan the Man, the supporting cast was not fleshed out very well. I liked Dan and found him to be very human as he was undergoing a life transforming change. But the others in the book (his children, mother, wife, and acquaintances) were not pushed as far as they could have been. They change, but the change is too simple. I would highly recommend this book.

Dan Porter lives in suburban London with his wife and three children. As a two-income family, Dan and his wife Rebecca were basically living in the dream world they expected to create for themselves. But Dan lost his job months ago and now the initial welcome felt by a wife and children in having a stay-at-home husband and father while he looked for work has worn off. As Dan begins to sort through his own feelings of guilt in not finding employment he also begins to question what type of work he really wants to pursue. Rebeccas feelings change as her resentment builds as the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner begins to overpower any other emotions. As the children have changes in their lives, Dans encouragement to them is over-shadowed by the change they see in his confidence and they begin to see his part in their lives as intrusion. This story is not an action-packed, suspenseful thriller. But it is a page-turning novel as an intimate portrayal of the changes in a family as the dynamics of a two-income family that has always had a level of financial security changes to multiple unknowns. The initial setting of London could be any major city around the world. However, as the job opportunity for Dan changes there could only be one location that could be so lovingly portrayed and so unique to the outcome of the story as in the corner of the world in Scotland portrayed by Robin Pilcher. It is a story about a family in crisis that is thoughtfully written with care to express all of the human emotions of family dynamics (i.e. husband/wife, wife/husband, parent/child, mother/children, father/children, husband/son, husband/mother, wife/mother-in-law). The story also portrays how easily a man and a woman in the same relationship and having the same daily experiences can and sometimes do view things so very differently. It is a story of parental love, the nurturing love between parent and child and from child to parent. It is also a story of resilience and the daily choices that each individual faces on their life journey.

Pilcher introduces us to a man who at a prime time in his life decides there must be more. From prestigious home in the suburbs of London he travels to a frigid region in northern Scotland to explore a new job opportunity there. Something that would give more meaning to his life. Yearning for change and examining our life is a task that most of us experience several times during a lifetime. Finding the courage to make the changes was a primary point Pilcher was striving to get across. A thought provoking read.

I really enjoyed this book of second chances. First the father got reinvigorated by a change of scene, then the son and finally the daughters got to see that things other than material things mattered. And maybe Im mistaken, but I seem to recall reading the story of the young couple who bought the clothing business. Id appreciate any help locating it.

I enjoyed this book, as I do all of Robin Pilchers books. However, the ending was not a surprise. I knew what was coming, even before I read it.