The Diary of Isabella M Smugge - Ruth Leigh

‘Part of my success is to stay humble and relatable’ Issy Smugge Says in her diary.  

Several times in different ways in fact. All the while absolutely missing the point that she is barely relatable at all to most of those in the country village she’s moved to from London with her City Banker husband and three children.  All of whom feature strongly in her #awardwinningblog and on her other prize-winning and hugely followed social media platforms.  Her private school education, enormous house, and staff - #soblessed - are just some of the things which are glaringly different from the other school mums.

But despite all her efforts, Isabella’s #perfectlife is not so perfect as she would like, and things are about to get a lot less perfect.  The mother she feels has never loved her comes to visit, oldest child Finn gets into trouble at school, Issy’s much-loved sister is far away in Hong Kong and their close bond is broken, and a childhood enemy re-appears with what seems a single aim – to destroy brand Isabella M Smugge. Is it possible for things to get any worse?  Well, yes, actually, it turns out that it is. #impendingdoom

 

I absolutely LOVED this book! It’s very wittily written with lots of pace and energy. There are some genuinely laugh out loud funny moments – and a few shocking ones. You can’t help warming to Isabella quite early on, even though she’s a frightful snob who makes a lot of quick and not very complimentary assumptions about many of the people in her new village. However she is generous, and keen to get to know people, even if at first her motives are a bit suspect. She finds out that those she is quick to dismiss have their own struggles and heartaches and that it’s wise not to judge on first impressions.  One of the great threads of the book is the friendship Isabella finds with Lauren and vicar’s wife Claire.  She is going to need #realfriends to get her through some very big challenges.

 

‘If you’d told me a year ago that I would find comfort and happiness in the company of a mumsy vicar’s wife in the wilds of Suffolk while stuffing my face with organic shortbread, I’d have laughed in your face.’

 

This is an easy read, and not as frothy as you might expect. There are lots of relatable elements, in fact.  ‘Issy’s’ writing is spikey, and she is far from perfect at various points of the book, which does make her more of a real person to the reader.  I enjoyed the changing relationships between Isabella and her children too. The faith elements are woven gently throughout but this is not at all a preachy novel and would be good for a non-Christian friend or for a reader who is wary of Christian fiction because they think it’s too implausible.  

 

I can’t wait for the next one. #comingsoon? #dyingtoread

(Oh, and I think Mr Fazakerley is a great name for a rocking horse…)

9781912726400, Instant Apostle, paperback, UK publication February 2021

Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.