Running Away

by Titia Sutherland

It was October when Laura Snow decided to run away. She had a near-perfect husband, two teenage daughters, and a languid and easy life style. Richard protected her from every possible stress, dissuaded her from taking a job, was a better cook and manager than she was, and bore, with amused condescension, her efforts to write. Laura felt she was gradually being stifled to death.She made her plans very carefully--two, or perhaps three weeks--no more--away from the family, from people, in which to savour peace and isolation and try to write.The small cottage, hugging the side of a Cornish cliff, was perfect for her solitary desires, but almost at once she became involved in real and more besetting problems than her own need for identity. Two men began to dominate her Joe, the sad, sick boy desperately needing her help, and Mark, the scholarly neighbour, still mourning the death of his wife. For Laura, running away proved to be both emotive and deeply disturbing.

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant book revolving around a thirty-something woman called Laura. She's happily married with a teenager daughter and slightly older stepdaughter, both of whom she adores. Her husband is loving, gentle and kind... and very over-protective.

Laura decides to take a break from her family for a couple of weeks. The novel follows her experiences as she finds that a remote cottage in Cornwall is not as peaceful or quiet as she had hoped. We also see how her family copes as they learn to do without her for a while.

Some thought-provoking scenes, and a nicely written novel which I enjoyed re-reading as much as I liked it the first time, nearly twenty years earlier.

Longer review: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...

[Jayne Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoughtfully written book, a bit restrained perhaps. Felt like a first novel. I liked the bit about the teenager's bedroom with the footprints across the ceiling - tempted to try this when redecorating my own kids' bedrooms!