Book Synopsis:
There is a piece of cod-wisdom regularly dispensed to single women: romance will arrive when you least expect it. I had assumed it would also make its own travel arrangements too.
Emma John is in her 40s; she is neither married, nor partnered, with child or planning to be.
In her hilarious and unflinching memoir, Self Contained, she asks why the world only views a woman as complete when she is no longer a single figure and addresses what it means to be alone when everyone else isn’t.
In her book, she captures what it is to be single in your forties, from sharing a twin room with someone you’ve never met on a group holiday (because the couples have all the doubles with ensuite) to coming to the realisation that maybe your singleness isn’t a temporary arrangement, that maybe you aren’t pre-married at all, and in fact you are self-contained.
The book is an exploration of being lifelong single and what happens if you don’t meet the right person, don’t settle down with the wrong person and realise the biggest commitment is to yourself.
Self Contained is out now in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the links below.
My Review:
Self Contained is a moving and honest account of the author’s experiences of being single in a world that still expects women to partner off.
Firstly I had heard a lot about this book before reading so I was very intrigued by it. I did wonder though, as a married mother with three kids, whether I would enjoy the book. I need not have worried though as the author writes in a way that will appeal to everyone and quickly drew me into the story.
I really enjoyed how the author recounts her stories with honesty but never preaches at the reader. I found myself laughing out loud one moment and then sobbing the next as I read. I loved her message in this book that women have the right to live the life they want and not what others expect from them.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely be recommending it to others. I think it is a book that everyone should read as it has an important message at its heart. For that reason it would also make a great book club read as I there would be lots to discuss.
Huge thanks to Charlotte from Love Reading for inviting me onto the book buzz and to Octopus for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Over The Rainbow Blog 