Casting Off

by Libby Purves

What makes a wife and mother, pillar of the community and partner in a cosy tea-shop (The Bun in the Oven) suddenly run away to sea, alone?Joanna Gurney hardly knows herself. But as she moves along the rocky, dangerous coast of Britain, evading police and press, Joanna meets other cast-off and washed-up individuals in 1990s Britain, and finds that she can also make a voyage into her own past. And, in the end, find her solution.

Genres: Fiction

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 1995

About the author

Libby Purves is a journalist and author who has been writing for The Times since 1982. A previous columnist of the year and author of 12 novels and non-fiction books, she was for 40 years a BBC Radio 4 broadcaster after becoming the Today programme’s first woman and youngest presenter.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light-hearted novel which begins with a mother of two teenagers taking off on impulse in the family's boat. Realistic sea-faring descriptions and unlikely scenarios combine to make a fast-paced, often humorous book which covers some quite serious issues too.

Enjoyed just as much on third re-reading. Four and a half stars, really.

Full review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...

[Louise Culmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

AFter a row with her husband, Joanna sails off in their boat in a temper. SHe is bored with her life running a teashop with her best friend, and wants to do something different. Her abrupt departure sets off a train of events that involves several other people, her husband, children, best friend, and several strangers she encounters. And she is not the only person hankering for change. There are some amusing situations, and some quite lyrical descriptions of the joys of sailing. The thing that amused me most about this book though is the fact that in recent years there has been a positive flood of books about women who yearn to open a cafe, teashop, bakery, sweet shop, chocolate shop, or something similar, so it is quite funny to read about two women who already have a cafe and can't wait to get rid of it.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11232109

An okay read even though it stretches the boundaries of credulity and sometimes seems to be trying too hard for a laugh. I've read all of Libby Purves fiction and enjoyed them all but up until now hadn't come across this one which was her first novel. I think if I had read this first I may not have gone on to read her subsequent novels which would have been a shame.

[Trudie · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Things like this don’t happen.”

No. No, they don’t. Credulity was already stretched perilously thin by the time I reached the preposterous end of chapter 16; at that point, I happily jumped ship.

[Mrs B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant waterside adventure. Bored middle aged wife Joanna Gurney, fed up with her dutiful role as tea-shop owner, flings caution to the wind and unpredictably sets off alone in the small family yacht. Brave Joanna faces storms and sensationalist media coverage, whilst her decent-but-hapless husband Keith holds the fort back home.

There are up-beat happy endings for all the characters, and some fun and random amusing adventures, some more credible than others (would an escort girl who jumps onto Joanna’s boat suddenly hook up with one of Joanna’s soiled exes to take off to the wilds of Ireland?). But overall it’s an enjoyable and light hearted nautical-themed ride.

[Tarquilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from one of my favourite authors. A good story, full characters and breathtaking descriptions of life on a boat taken from her years of sailing experience.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good comfort read. I enjoyed the book but would have enjoyed it more if I’d been a yacht lover as there is a lot of sailing vocabulary that I just glossed over.

[Keren Lilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping & funny read - I loved the central character and incidentally learnt so much about yachting!

[LaDawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the bits about sailing especially how you discover yourself when it's just you, the wind, the water, and a boat. But I found the other characters caricatures and the plot profoundly condescending. But it will do a light hearted holiday read particularly if you are headed to the south coast of Devon.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What makes a wife and mother, pillar of the community and partner in a cosy tea shop (The Bun in the Oven) suddenly run away to sea alone?"

Amusing and enjoyable.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book to read will traveling in the Caribbean and seeing all the yachts in the harbors.

[Terry Parris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book to be enjoyed by lovers of boats and yachting. The writing is humorous, engaging and warm with the warmth of family life.

[Marie’s Book Boutique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the storyline but will say that I didn't understand the boat talk!