Hoping for Hope

by Lucy Clare

When Liddy's doctor tells her she is six months pregnant she is stunned. For Liddy is a few days off her fiftieth birthday, and hasn't had sex with her husband for at least five years . Shocked -- who wouldn't be? -- Liddy wonders how she is going to tell her grown-up family, who, it seems, need her more than ever. Laura, her eldest, a mother of three, longs for another baby. Miranda, her middle child, is desperate NOT to have a baby, even if it means losing her partner Richard. And Alex, her son, though happily living with his actor boyfriend Mungo, two dogs and various plants, is miserable in his dead-end job. And then there's Martin, her husband for over thirty will he be prepared to take on someone else's child? But the new baby, at first destined to split the family apart, draws it together in ways no one could have foreseen. Compassionate, humorous and knowing, HOPING FOR HOPE is a wonderful debut novel about a family going through a mid-life crisis and surviving -- scathed but stronger.

Genres: Roman, Fiction, Chick Lit

275 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

See also Lucy Woolley

Reviews

[Tittirossa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frizzante ma improbabile romanzetto su una tipa che si scopre incinta 3 giorni prima di compiere 50 anni (di un ragazzo di 25 anni, suo allievo) e contemporaneamente scopre che anche il marito la tradisce (da 5 anni vanno in bianco!).
Dopodichè succedono un po' di cose: l'adorata zia collassa e muore, lei si rompe una gamba (ma prima riesce a partorire con 5 settimane di anticipo), la figlia maggiore dà di matto perché vuole il 4° figlio, la figlia di mezzo dà di matto perché non vuole il 1° figlio, il figlio minore sembra l'unico pacificato, forse perché è gay, ma anche lui vuole un figlio! A proposito, la zia che muore è una lesbica 80enne che convive con la sua burbera compagna da 50 anni. Una trama decisamente assurda. Manca solo una nipote pornostar nell'empireo del politically correct!

[Trish at Between My Lines · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Caroline Southgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. All about different relationships and lives of a family.

[Novelle Novels · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 out of 5 stars
This is the story of liddy who just before her 50tg birthday goes to the doctors thinking she is starting the menopause only to find out she is 30 weeks pregnant. This is put into extra stressful situation as the baby isn’t her husbands but the result of an affair. On the back of the book you get the impression this will be about hope and liddy trying to get her husband to accept the baby but it took ages to get to that point. Yes it’s good that there is more to the story as you hear about liddys three grown up children who have their own problems but it was very standard. I felt I could predict a lot of of what was going to happen which to me is a pain but it did have some good points especially in the second half. This is a lovely gentle read but you need to be patient with it.

[Jess Van Dyne-Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this - it's not many books that talk about pregnancy when the woman is older. The story was engaging and convincing. The flaw I found was in some of the characters - they were almost caricatures. The gay son, for example, is as limp-wristed and tossing-head gay as any derisive portrayal can be - the daughter-that-has-it-all-together (but not really) is charming with a distinct whiff of somethings-not-right.

The characters are predictable, the story worth reading.

[Natasja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een mooie roman over een gezin dat dreigt uit elkaar te vallen.
Ieder huis heeft zijn kruisje maar zeker in dit boek merk je dat door verkeerde of geen communicatie alles uit elkaar kan vallen.

[Anne Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Hoping for Hope' by Lucy Clare. I've been having a big book sort-out and came across this one. I assumed I'd read it and consigned it to the charity bag. Then I checked - I try to remember to write down all the books I read - and it wasn't anywhere on my lists. I started to read through the beginning to see if I remembered it and none of it was familiar. I was a bit gripped though and ended up reading the whole thing over a couple of days. It's not the type of book I often read anymore - a bit chick-litty, though I still have quite a few like this on my shelves that I haven't read yet. Unlike the usual chick lit books which are usually about women in their 20s (or possibly their 30s) looking for love, this is about a woman about to turn 50, feeling menopausal, been married for decades, got three grown-up children and 3 grandchildren. She and her husband bumble along together assuming their marriage will last forever, despite not having had sex for 5 years and both having had affairs which the other partner doesn't know about. It all comes to a head when protagonist, Liddy, goes to the GP to ask about HRT and discovers her weight gain, tiredness and mood swings are actually because she's rather pregnant. The story starts with this and then builds over the next few weeks until she goes into early labour.
I did enjoy reading it and I'm glad I checked before getting rid of the book, but it's not one I'll probably read again, so it's back in the charity bag and hopefully someone else will also enjoy it.

[Ann Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of an older woman finding herself pregnant when she and her husband haven't had sex for 5 years. Which means she has nowhere to hide.

When her grown-up children find out what's happening they all take their positions and Libby has to navigate her relationship with them, her husband and the man she had the affair with. A really emotional and strong debut novel.

[Paulette Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of an older woman finding herself pregnant when she and her husband haven't had sex for 5 years. Which means she has nowhere to hide.

When her grown-up children find out what's happening they all take their positions and Libby has to navigate her relationship with them, her husband and the man she had the affair with. A really emotional and strong debut novel.

[Gladys Maina · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can easily dismiss the book after the first few pages not knowing that it'll get interesting along the way. It's a simple and easy read and it reminded me that we all need an Aunty Cyn in our lives!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable book based on a reasonably believable situation that Liddy, the lead character, finds herself in. The way the family are all affected by this in their own relationships is insightful and the story doesn't get incredible at any stage. An easy and pleasant read.

[Heske · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niet verkeerd, best origineel, aardige mix aan verschillende karakters (misschien wat erg aangedikt her en der). Wel erg jammer dat het tempo lange tijd laag lag en pas rond blz 225 gebeurde wat al ok de kaft stond. Wie verzint zoiets? Daarna ging opeens alles juist heel / te snel.

[Cath Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good characters. Very different to Lucy Clarke's other books set abroad. This time it's about a typical British family.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3.5***

[RJC · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trying to make the family too dysfunctional

[Gayle Scarratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It was a roller-coaster of emotion. Loved the dynamics of the characters and there stories.

[Hannah Pascoe]

Completely enthralled. A complex story of family life, middle ageness, marriage, complexities of love, and all else in between. Mixed with a gorgeous way of writing.
Brilliant.

[Fred Frisbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book from a great author. Tackling a unusual family situation with kids. Only downside is a think the character Fergus could have been explored more and made into a hero suitable for his name

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book on the library shelves. The tone of the jacket summary was so funny and unexpected that I had to see it through. Just past midnight, I finally saw it through to the end.

This is a good summer story when you are looking for relatively light and amusing drama. I enjoyed watching the main story line weave between Liddy and Martin. The Claver family turned out to be more dramatic than I expected, thanks to the three adult children who are an eclectic mix of an overachieving firstborn (Laura), a ridiculously self-absorbed and conflicted middle kid (Miranda) and a temperamental queen (Alex). All in all, it was like watching a soap opera unfold. The ending was sufficient - though I would have loved a couple more chapters following the funeral drama and the overly tidy wrap-up by Hope herself at the end. Perhaps it is a good sign of a book when you wake up the next day and want more answers.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very bizarre. I didn't think I'd end up liking it but I did. It's about a 49 year old woman Liddy is 7 months pregnant and didn't know it. Then add in that she hasn't had sex with her husband in 5 years. She had a brief affair with a 20something and of course her husband was cheating on her as well. She already has 3 grown children and is a grandmother.
In the first half of this book I was laughing because it seemed every time I turned the page a new character was being introduced. It was hard to keep up with who was who. In the end, I enjoyed it and it was a bit comical to see how her adult kids were acting.

[bumblethunderbeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is exactly what it claims to be. I'm surprised by others' low ratings. A middle aged woman loses her job, discovers her husband is having an affair and that she is pregnant from her own affair. The untangling that ensues as her 3 adult children, her husband and an aunt come to terms with that chaos leads to an emotional/relationship journey that is lighter than Bohjalian or Mitchard. Clare plunges the reader into some extreme situations, but the emotions and the struggles to love well will resonate with anyone. If you like Kinsella, try this.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well written book which made for easy reading with a nice fluid style of writing. The characters were believable and likeable each adding a different dimension to an amusing yet touching story. Cyn ultimately steals the show as the cantankerous old aunt with plenty to say - vitriolic and acerbic, but ultimately oh so wise. Worth reading, the sort of book that accompanies a nice cup of tea and a biscuit.

[D.A. Cairns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well told story. Multiple POV seemed a bit overdone particularly random Jake's view but Hope's cameo at the end was good. Good ending. So glad to have read a book and not been disappointed by the ending. Sharply drawn characters even if a little stronger/stereotypical than believable. Overall A surprisingly enjoyable read.

[Ilse · Rating 4 out of 5]

het boek heeft veel personages die allemaal goed uitgewerkt zijn, dat maakt dat het boek wat moeilijk op gang komt, omdat je al die mensen wat moet leren kennen.
maar eens je weet wie wie is, is het een aangenaam boek dat vlot wegleest, het is soms wat ver gezocht, maar dat maakt het net zo mooi om te lezen.

[Gökçe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Elinize aldıysanız hemen geri bırakın. Hiçbir şekilde önermiyorum. 1'den fazla aldığı puanlara da şaştım kaldım doğrusu. Sonunu zor getirdim. Bomboş bir kitaptı. Mantıksızdı ve okurken bir gram eğlenmedim. Ne yazık ki, başladım mı bitirme takıntım olduğu için kendimi epeyce zorlamak zorunda kaldım. Kitap bitince de ilk işim kitaplığımdan ve evimden çıkarmak oldu zaten.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well written and was very interesting. The writer did a wonderful job of trying to show all the characters feelings and thoughts on a family situtation that is becoming very common in today's world.

[Kingfan30 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mum passed me this book and it fits for the Lucia challenge. Not really my sort of thing, and the ending was a bit weak for me. Shows up the twists and turns of family life.

[Rebecca Wheeldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book 6 stars then I would.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite liked this easy to read story about a dysfunctional family trying to sort it all out.

[Amy]

I enjoyed this book. The story line and characters were interesting. The plot twists were a bit predictable but entertaining none the less.