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A Life Of Her Own
When knowledge gives you the power to change your life ...
Alice Hamilton loved being a mature-age student, but now she's finished her university degree she needs to find herself a career. But the job market is tough and it doesn't help that her partner David keeps reminding her about their sizeable mortgage. When she's offered a role in a major real estate agency, she jumps at the opportunity. David is excited by her prospects in the thriving Melbourne housing market, and Alice is pleased that she'll be utilising her exceptional people skills.
But Alice quickly realises all is not as it seems. What is she doing wrong to be so out of sync with her energetic boss, Carmel Gold, agent extraordinaire? Alice is determined to make it work, but how much will it affect her values?
As everything starts to fall apart, a sudden visit home to the country town Alice escaped years ago provides an unexpected opportunity to get some perspective. Surrounded by people who aren't what they seem, or have their own agendas, can Alice learn to ask for what she really wants ... on her own terms?
From Australia's master storyteller comes an inspiring story about standing up for yourself, making difficult choices and chasing your dreams.
416 pages, Paperback
Published March 18, 2019
59 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
Fiona McCallum
22 books275 followers** Please be aware Fiona is not active on this site. She can be best found on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fionamccallu... **
Fiona McCallum spent her childhood years on the family cereal and wool farm outside the small town of Cleve on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
Fiona now lives in Adelaide and works full-time as a novelist. She writes "heart-warming journey of self-discovery stories" - often with a rural setting, sometimes with a romantic thread and sometimes without. Her tales tie together her love of animals and fascination with the journey people go on to find what really makes their heart sing and then follow their true passions to find happiness, even if it means taking risks and facing seemingly impossible obstacles. It's a storyline very close to Fiona's heart because it reflects her own life.
Fiona now has nine Australian bestsellers to her name: 'Paycheque', 'Nowhere Else', 'Wattle Creek', 'Saving Grace' (Book one of The Button Jar series), 'Time Will Tell' (Book two of The Button Jar series) and 'Meant To Be' (Book three (and at this stage final) in The Button Jar series), 'Leap of Faith', 'Standing Strong' (a sequel to Wattle Creek), and 'Finding Hannah'. Her tenth book, 'Making Peace' has just been released (late March 2018).
Fiona is proof dreams can come true...
Please note, Fiona isn't active here. She only signed up to try and get books by authors of the same name removed from her listing. (Note, this Fiona McCallum is not the clairvoyant and author of "Dear Fiona". Nor is she the Scottish academic who writes about Christianity in the Middle East.) She's too busy writing to be on multiple social media platforms and only does Facebook. She can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/fionamccallu...
Fiona McCallum spent her childhood years on the family cereal and wool farm outside the small town of Cleve on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
Fiona now lives in Adelaide and works full-time as a novelist. She writes "heart-warming journey of self-discovery stories" - often with a rural setting, sometimes with a romantic thread and sometimes without. Her tales tie together her love of animals and fascination with the journey people go on to find what really makes their heart sing and then follow their true passions to find happiness, even if it means taking risks and facing seemingly impossible obstacles. It's a storyline very close to Fiona's heart because it reflects her own life.
Fiona now has nine Australian bestsellers to her name: 'Paycheque', 'Nowhere Else', 'Wattle Creek', 'Saving Grace' (Book one of The Button Jar series), 'Time Will Tell' (Book two of The Button Jar series) and 'Meant To Be' (Book three (and at this stage final) in The Button Jar series), 'Leap of Faith', 'Standing Strong' (a sequel to Wattle Creek), and 'Finding Hannah'. Her tenth book, 'Making Peace' has just been released (late March 2018).
Fiona is proof dreams can come true...
Please note, Fiona isn't active here. She only signed up to try and get books by authors of the same name removed from her listing. (Note, this Fiona McCallum is not the clairvoyant and author of "Dear Fiona". Nor is she the Scottish academic who writes about Christianity in the Middle East.) She's too busy writing to be on multiple social media platforms and only does Facebook. She can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/fionamccallu...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
May 28, 2019
After finishing her university degree, Alice Hamilton now needs a career, but that sounds a great deal easier than it is. And with her partner, David reminding her constantly about their big mortgage Alice is beginning to feel the pressure.
Alice can’t believe her luck when she is offered a job in a major real estate office in Melbourne. David couldn’t be happier as he knows how strong the housing market is and this will be a fantastic opportunity for Alice, or will it. Alice is full of enthusiasm and knows with her skills she will be an asset to the company.
It doesn’t take Alice long to figure out this job is not for her and working for Carmel Gold is starting to turn into a nightmare. Stressed and unhappy, Alice is stuck between a rock and a hard place, because she knows she needs this job, but she can’t bare to face Carmel another day.
Alice feels like everything is falling apart around her and she’s uncertain how to put the pieces back together or if she even can. An unexpected quick trip back to her hometown will hopefully give her some time to make some much needed decisions about her future.
The first part of this book reminded me of the movie called The Devil Wears Prada which had a similar story line about a woman who worked in a company and no matter how hard or fast she worked it was never enough.
This was a heartfelt story which had me feeling sorry for Alice so much so that I wanted to reach out and give her a hug. But as for her husband, David I wanted to reach out and do the opposite he made me so furious.
When a book has you feeling all these emotions, you know it’s more than a good book, it’s a fabulous book which you want to recommend to everyone and that’s precisely how I felt once I’d finished it. Aussie author Fiona McCallum has written a fantastic story and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
With thanks to Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.
Alice can’t believe her luck when she is offered a job in a major real estate office in Melbourne. David couldn’t be happier as he knows how strong the housing market is and this will be a fantastic opportunity for Alice, or will it. Alice is full of enthusiasm and knows with her skills she will be an asset to the company.
It doesn’t take Alice long to figure out this job is not for her and working for Carmel Gold is starting to turn into a nightmare. Stressed and unhappy, Alice is stuck between a rock and a hard place, because she knows she needs this job, but she can’t bare to face Carmel another day.
Alice feels like everything is falling apart around her and she’s uncertain how to put the pieces back together or if she even can. An unexpected quick trip back to her hometown will hopefully give her some time to make some much needed decisions about her future.
The first part of this book reminded me of the movie called The Devil Wears Prada which had a similar story line about a woman who worked in a company and no matter how hard or fast she worked it was never enough.
This was a heartfelt story which had me feeling sorry for Alice so much so that I wanted to reach out and give her a hug. But as for her husband, David I wanted to reach out and do the opposite he made me so furious.
When a book has you feeling all these emotions, you know it’s more than a good book, it’s a fabulous book which you want to recommend to everyone and that’s precisely how I felt once I’d finished it. Aussie author Fiona McCallum has written a fantastic story and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
With thanks to Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.
March 8, 2019
The new home that Alice Hamilton and her partner David had moved into wasn’t Alice’s first choice, but David liked it and it fell in with what he thought would match his career. His job meant he travelled a lot and with Alice’s university degree finished, she was at a loose end. David kept on at her to get a good job to help with the mortgage payments. But it wasn’t that easy. The position offered by David’s friend wasn’t something she wanted to do…
When Alice received a phone call from a well-known real estate agency, with an offer for her as a PA to Carmel Gold, one of the partners, Alice was ecstatic. She felt this was the career she’d been waiting for and she loved the thought of matching new homes with people. But gradually Alice lost her confidence while her brain felt scrambled. She couldn’t work out what was going wrong. And the way Carmel was with Alice had her dreading each day’s work. What could Alice do? Her best friend Lauren was her sounding board – but Alice’s unhappiness was the catalyst.
A Life of her Own is another heartfelt and poignant novel by Aussie author Fiona McCallum which I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s set in Melbourne and shows sides of people we don’t often see, but also unfortunately, sides we do see far too often. Bullying, manipulation, intimidation, narcissism – all found a place in A Life of her Own. But there was also kindness, caring and support as well. An excellent novel, A Life of her Own is one I have no hesitation in recommending. And I love the cover 😊
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
When Alice received a phone call from a well-known real estate agency, with an offer for her as a PA to Carmel Gold, one of the partners, Alice was ecstatic. She felt this was the career she’d been waiting for and she loved the thought of matching new homes with people. But gradually Alice lost her confidence while her brain felt scrambled. She couldn’t work out what was going wrong. And the way Carmel was with Alice had her dreading each day’s work. What could Alice do? Her best friend Lauren was her sounding board – but Alice’s unhappiness was the catalyst.
A Life of her Own is another heartfelt and poignant novel by Aussie author Fiona McCallum which I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s set in Melbourne and shows sides of people we don’t often see, but also unfortunately, sides we do see far too often. Bullying, manipulation, intimidation, narcissism – all found a place in A Life of her Own. But there was also kindness, caring and support as well. An excellent novel, A Life of her Own is one I have no hesitation in recommending. And I love the cover 😊
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 4, 2019
*https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
‘It’s hard when it feels like the whole world is against you.’
A Life of Her Own is a heart-felt story of a woman with low self esteem, from years of mental abuse, and how she gets her life back on track.
I didn’t like Alice at all and then I felt bad for not liking her. She’d had a bad upbringing, always put down by her mother, always being told she was not good enough and her dreams were a stupid waste of time. Alice seemed to attract bullies and I feel that may be the way with people with low self esteem; they are an easy target.
McCallum did an excellent job of portraying how a narcissist works. There were a lot of relevant issues explored in the book. Narcissism and gas lighting are real and I think those involved need to be called out on their behaviour.
I don’t think the development of Alice’s character was well executed. We never did get to see the happy Alice she says she was before the bullying by her new boss. All we got was a confused person that didn’t like anyone. She didn’t like her mother or sister, she didn’t like her first husband, she didn’t like her present partner, she didn’t want the well paying job offered to her, she had no respect for her brother-in-law, she liked her step-father but couldn’t understand why he was so stupid to stay with her mother, she didn’t like Helen (even though she never took the time to get to know here) and the list goes on. If you always focus on the negative, life will be negative.
Lauren was the shining light in this story. She was a true and loyal friend to Alice. Always calling her and checking if she was ok. Dropping in to lend a shoulder to cry on and listen to Alice’s problems. Lauren is the one to eventually encouraged Alice to follow her dreams and supported her in ways only a true friend would.
It took a while for Alice to find herself and work out exactly what she wanted in life and to be responsible for her own happiness. Alice’s final chosen career was a surprise. I think she will need to toughen up to get through it though.
As much as I didn’t connect with Alice the story still grabbed me. I couldn’t stop reading. I picked the book up whenever I had a spare minute. And isn’t that what a great story is all about?
My thanks to the publisher for my copy to read
‘It’s hard when it feels like the whole world is against you.’
A Life of Her Own is a heart-felt story of a woman with low self esteem, from years of mental abuse, and how she gets her life back on track.
I didn’t like Alice at all and then I felt bad for not liking her. She’d had a bad upbringing, always put down by her mother, always being told she was not good enough and her dreams were a stupid waste of time. Alice seemed to attract bullies and I feel that may be the way with people with low self esteem; they are an easy target.
McCallum did an excellent job of portraying how a narcissist works. There were a lot of relevant issues explored in the book. Narcissism and gas lighting are real and I think those involved need to be called out on their behaviour.
I don’t think the development of Alice’s character was well executed. We never did get to see the happy Alice she says she was before the bullying by her new boss. All we got was a confused person that didn’t like anyone. She didn’t like her mother or sister, she didn’t like her first husband, she didn’t like her present partner, she didn’t want the well paying job offered to her, she had no respect for her brother-in-law, she liked her step-father but couldn’t understand why he was so stupid to stay with her mother, she didn’t like Helen (even though she never took the time to get to know here) and the list goes on. If you always focus on the negative, life will be negative.
Lauren was the shining light in this story. She was a true and loyal friend to Alice. Always calling her and checking if she was ok. Dropping in to lend a shoulder to cry on and listen to Alice’s problems. Lauren is the one to eventually encouraged Alice to follow her dreams and supported her in ways only a true friend would.
It took a while for Alice to find herself and work out exactly what she wanted in life and to be responsible for her own happiness. Alice’s final chosen career was a surprise. I think she will need to toughen up to get through it though.
As much as I didn’t connect with Alice the story still grabbed me. I couldn’t stop reading. I picked the book up whenever I had a spare minute. And isn’t that what a great story is all about?
My thanks to the publisher for my copy to read
June 8, 2020
Two and a half stars.
Alice Hamilton, a mature aged student, has finished her Arts degree course. Now that Uni is done she needs to get started on a career, especially since David her partner keeps dropping less than subtle hints about their sizeable mortgage and the need for a good income. Offered a position at a real estate agency, Alice is quick to take it. But it turns out to be nothing like she expects. Her boss Carmel Gold seems to have unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved and has Alice running around trying to keep up. Can she persist? And why does David not seem to understand the pressure she is under? Then the death of a dear friend who has over the years been like a mother figure for Alice, sends Alice back to the country town of Hope Springs where she was raised. Alice encounters criticism and biting sarcasm from family members but has good friends she met at Uni prepared to try and help her. What does life hold for Alice? Will she ever be able to stand up to those that constantly put her down?
This had all the earmarks of a great story. Yet there were times I struggled to keep reading. I found Alice annoying and the chracters very one dimensional. Some of the dialogue did not ring true to me. It sounded artificial. Spurred on by an industrious library user who wrote inside in beautifully formed pink script, it was ‘a lovely book.’ I continued to read. Only to find another conscientious library user had gone through and in blue ink obliterated every use of the f word in the book. Then I started to find comments from this reader scattered throughout. What interested me was there were other instances of swearing and profanity but the writer felt no kneed to obliterate them. At one stage she writes, ’Leave David. He is a pig! Another time she calls him an ‘Idiot!’ In the end I was reading waiting for the next editorial comment from my unknown library reader. Obviously this reader was fully engaged with the characters and the story. Unfortunately I couldn’t say the same. I found much of it repetitive about character of Carmel and lack of support from David as well as the repetitive focus on the traits of narcissist personality.
I know from a few reviews I read prior to reading this book that others have loved it. So it could be just me, but I found it just an okay read. A shame, as I did love the cover on this one and the initial story line. Others may enjoy it a lot more than I did. So try it and see for yourself.
Alice Hamilton, a mature aged student, has finished her Arts degree course. Now that Uni is done she needs to get started on a career, especially since David her partner keeps dropping less than subtle hints about their sizeable mortgage and the need for a good income. Offered a position at a real estate agency, Alice is quick to take it. But it turns out to be nothing like she expects. Her boss Carmel Gold seems to have unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved and has Alice running around trying to keep up. Can she persist? And why does David not seem to understand the pressure she is under? Then the death of a dear friend who has over the years been like a mother figure for Alice, sends Alice back to the country town of Hope Springs where she was raised. Alice encounters criticism and biting sarcasm from family members but has good friends she met at Uni prepared to try and help her. What does life hold for Alice? Will she ever be able to stand up to those that constantly put her down?
This had all the earmarks of a great story. Yet there were times I struggled to keep reading. I found Alice annoying and the chracters very one dimensional. Some of the dialogue did not ring true to me. It sounded artificial. Spurred on by an industrious library user who wrote inside in beautifully formed pink script, it was ‘a lovely book.’ I continued to read. Only to find another conscientious library user had gone through and in blue ink obliterated every use of the f word in the book. Then I started to find comments from this reader scattered throughout. What interested me was there were other instances of swearing and profanity but the writer felt no kneed to obliterate them. At one stage she writes, ’Leave David. He is a pig! Another time she calls him an ‘Idiot!’ In the end I was reading waiting for the next editorial comment from my unknown library reader. Obviously this reader was fully engaged with the characters and the story. Unfortunately I couldn’t say the same. I found much of it repetitive about character of Carmel and lack of support from David as well as the repetitive focus on the traits of narcissist personality.
I know from a few reviews I read prior to reading this book that others have loved it. So it could be just me, but I found it just an okay read. A shame, as I did love the cover on this one and the initial story line. Others may enjoy it a lot more than I did. So try it and see for yourself.
June 30, 2019
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**2.5 stars**
A Life Of Her Own by Fiona McCallum. (2019).
Alice loved being a mature-age student but now that she's finished her degree and she needs to get a career. But the job market is tough and her partner David is not helping by pushing her about contributing to the mortgage. Then Alice is offered a role at a major real estate agency. She quickly realises it's not what it seems and doesn't understand what she's doing wrong in relation to her boss Carmel. As everything starts to fall apart, Alice has a sudden visit home to her country town and has an opportunity to get some perspective. When she is surrounded by people who aren't what they seem, can Alice learn to ask for what she really wants?
I was quite disappointed to find I didn't really get into this book. I did like the meaningful messages in the novel which I interpreted as being that it's important to stand up for yourself and also do what you enjoy, which is in relation to both career and personal lives. Bill the dog is pretty cute. However on the flip side....I found the main character Alice super annoying. The things that happened to her were definitely not nice but I struggled to feel any sympathy or empathy towards her as I just didn't like her. I also thought there was quite a lot of repetition throughout the book; multiple times it's mentioned that Alice's partner is "not romantic or sensitive" (apparently it takes Alice four years to decide this is an issue) and at about the halfway point in the book Alice discovers the word narcissistic and from that point 'narcissistic people' and 'narcissism' is mentioned constantly and I just felt totally over it by the end.
With the majority of reviews being very positive, it's worth a read if you like the sound of the synopsis.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**2.5 stars**
A Life Of Her Own by Fiona McCallum. (2019).
Alice loved being a mature-age student but now that she's finished her degree and she needs to get a career. But the job market is tough and her partner David is not helping by pushing her about contributing to the mortgage. Then Alice is offered a role at a major real estate agency. She quickly realises it's not what it seems and doesn't understand what she's doing wrong in relation to her boss Carmel. As everything starts to fall apart, Alice has a sudden visit home to her country town and has an opportunity to get some perspective. When she is surrounded by people who aren't what they seem, can Alice learn to ask for what she really wants?
I was quite disappointed to find I didn't really get into this book. I did like the meaningful messages in the novel which I interpreted as being that it's important to stand up for yourself and also do what you enjoy, which is in relation to both career and personal lives. Bill the dog is pretty cute. However on the flip side....I found the main character Alice super annoying. The things that happened to her were definitely not nice but I struggled to feel any sympathy or empathy towards her as I just didn't like her. I also thought there was quite a lot of repetition throughout the book; multiple times it's mentioned that Alice's partner is "not romantic or sensitive" (apparently it takes Alice four years to decide this is an issue) and at about the halfway point in the book Alice discovers the word narcissistic and from that point 'narcissistic people' and 'narcissism' is mentioned constantly and I just felt totally over it by the end.
With the majority of reviews being very positive, it's worth a read if you like the sound of the synopsis.
May 7, 2019
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
‘He’d seen her change, watched as her wings had unfurled.’
A butterfly about to take flight adorns the front cover Fiona McCallum’s latest piece of domestic fiction, A Life of Her Own. This butterfly is a symbol for the journey of self realisation and discovery undertaken by the main protagonist of this tale, Alice Hamilton. The stunning bouquet of flowers that accompany the butterfly image on the front cover also reminds us that life is not all hearts and roses. Life can be tough, we face obstacles that we must overcome at many points in our lives. Alice Hamilton is one thirty-something woman who must negotiate all life throws at her.
A Life of Her Own carefully considers how education and up-skilling yourself can have powerful implications for the direction you take in life. Gaining an education as a mature age student has given Alice Hamilton, the central protagonist of Fiona McCallum’s A Life of Her Own, a changed mindset. Alice has a clear thirst for knowledge, but she now feels she owes it to her partner David to contribute to the household expenses. Alice enters the job market, earning a position as a PA at a top level real estate agency. At last Alice feels like she is pulling her weight, helping to contribute to the mortgage she shares with David. However, as quickly as Alice settles into her new job, things take a nosedive. Alice’s boss shows her true colours and soon Alice begins to question the glossy veneer her boss likes to project. As her new career struggles to take off, Alice is faced with a personal crisis. Alice makes the trek home, without the support of David. For Alice, home is a place of emotional trauma and pain. But Alice hopes the trip home will give her strength and determination to move on towards a more fulfilling and happier life.
Domestic fiction or life lit seems to be a very popular sub genre of late. Many of my favourite Australian novelists are heading in this direction. A Life of Her Own is a clear example of a contemporary life focussed novel. A Life of Her Own also offers a personal slant from the author, Fiona McCallum. McCallum’s eleventh book reflects parts of her own life experiences. Fiona changed her life for the better, by embarking on a course of further education. It gave Fiona the confidence, as well as motivation, to take charge of her life. This is an inspiring tale of empowerment, which I can see reflected in many facets of A Life of Her Own.
Alice Hamilton, McCallum’s lead protagonist, is a figurehead for many Australian women. She is plagued by self doubt and she constantly grapples with putting her dreams and aspirations ahead of her duty as a spouse. I felt incredibly sorry for Alice, it did seem like bad luck seemed to follow her. Knocked down by a failed marriage, a loveless family unit, an emotionally detached partner, a best friend who commits the ultimate act of betrayal and a boss who takes bullying to the extreme, Alice has faced it all. The negativity and constant stream of difficult binds seemed like it was following a relentless cycle and I wasn’t sure when or how Alice was going to break free. However, I had faith in both Alice and Fiona McCallum’s writing. Eventually, after some soul searching, Alice takes flight and shows us all what she is made of!
A Life of Her Own is an important novel in a sense. It does give a voice to those who may be struggling to be heard. With themes of oppression, emotional abuse, manipulation, betrayal, control, blackmail, power struggles and bullying, I am sure many can relate to experiencing these issues at some point in their lives. A Life of Her Own explores the journey, the steps and the toolkit employed to rise above these challenges and work to control your own destiny. McCallum’s realistic, no-holds-back approach to both her plot and characters adds a good dose of reality for the reader, working to draw the audience completely in.
I did have some doubts when I was entering the latter stages of this novel if it was going to wrap up and how it was going to conclude. I appreciated playing an active part in how Alice puts her life back on track and I was completely engaged in the process of witnessing how Alice puts the broken pieces of her life back together. I did get the feeling that our time with Alice isn’t completely over, I am curious about the next chapter in her life. I hope McCallum invites us along for the next stage in Alice’s life.
A story told directly from the heart, A Life of Her Own is the moving journey of one woman’s struggle to gain the upper hand over her life and to live it how she wishes, instead of following the expectations of others. Inspiring and doused with plenty of realism, A Life of Her Own is a must read for all contemporary fiction lovers.
*I wish to thank Harper Collins Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
A Life of her Own is book #59 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
‘He’d seen her change, watched as her wings had unfurled.’
A butterfly about to take flight adorns the front cover Fiona McCallum’s latest piece of domestic fiction, A Life of Her Own. This butterfly is a symbol for the journey of self realisation and discovery undertaken by the main protagonist of this tale, Alice Hamilton. The stunning bouquet of flowers that accompany the butterfly image on the front cover also reminds us that life is not all hearts and roses. Life can be tough, we face obstacles that we must overcome at many points in our lives. Alice Hamilton is one thirty-something woman who must negotiate all life throws at her.
A Life of Her Own carefully considers how education and up-skilling yourself can have powerful implications for the direction you take in life. Gaining an education as a mature age student has given Alice Hamilton, the central protagonist of Fiona McCallum’s A Life of Her Own, a changed mindset. Alice has a clear thirst for knowledge, but she now feels she owes it to her partner David to contribute to the household expenses. Alice enters the job market, earning a position as a PA at a top level real estate agency. At last Alice feels like she is pulling her weight, helping to contribute to the mortgage she shares with David. However, as quickly as Alice settles into her new job, things take a nosedive. Alice’s boss shows her true colours and soon Alice begins to question the glossy veneer her boss likes to project. As her new career struggles to take off, Alice is faced with a personal crisis. Alice makes the trek home, without the support of David. For Alice, home is a place of emotional trauma and pain. But Alice hopes the trip home will give her strength and determination to move on towards a more fulfilling and happier life.
Domestic fiction or life lit seems to be a very popular sub genre of late. Many of my favourite Australian novelists are heading in this direction. A Life of Her Own is a clear example of a contemporary life focussed novel. A Life of Her Own also offers a personal slant from the author, Fiona McCallum. McCallum’s eleventh book reflects parts of her own life experiences. Fiona changed her life for the better, by embarking on a course of further education. It gave Fiona the confidence, as well as motivation, to take charge of her life. This is an inspiring tale of empowerment, which I can see reflected in many facets of A Life of Her Own.
Alice Hamilton, McCallum’s lead protagonist, is a figurehead for many Australian women. She is plagued by self doubt and she constantly grapples with putting her dreams and aspirations ahead of her duty as a spouse. I felt incredibly sorry for Alice, it did seem like bad luck seemed to follow her. Knocked down by a failed marriage, a loveless family unit, an emotionally detached partner, a best friend who commits the ultimate act of betrayal and a boss who takes bullying to the extreme, Alice has faced it all. The negativity and constant stream of difficult binds seemed like it was following a relentless cycle and I wasn’t sure when or how Alice was going to break free. However, I had faith in both Alice and Fiona McCallum’s writing. Eventually, after some soul searching, Alice takes flight and shows us all what she is made of!
A Life of Her Own is an important novel in a sense. It does give a voice to those who may be struggling to be heard. With themes of oppression, emotional abuse, manipulation, betrayal, control, blackmail, power struggles and bullying, I am sure many can relate to experiencing these issues at some point in their lives. A Life of Her Own explores the journey, the steps and the toolkit employed to rise above these challenges and work to control your own destiny. McCallum’s realistic, no-holds-back approach to both her plot and characters adds a good dose of reality for the reader, working to draw the audience completely in.
I did have some doubts when I was entering the latter stages of this novel if it was going to wrap up and how it was going to conclude. I appreciated playing an active part in how Alice puts her life back on track and I was completely engaged in the process of witnessing how Alice puts the broken pieces of her life back together. I did get the feeling that our time with Alice isn’t completely over, I am curious about the next chapter in her life. I hope McCallum invites us along for the next stage in Alice’s life.
A story told directly from the heart, A Life of Her Own is the moving journey of one woman’s struggle to gain the upper hand over her life and to live it how she wishes, instead of following the expectations of others. Inspiring and doused with plenty of realism, A Life of Her Own is a must read for all contemporary fiction lovers.
*I wish to thank Harper Collins Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
A Life of her Own is book #59 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
November 17, 2025
3.5 ⭐️s
This was a smooth and pleasant read.
Audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Jennifer Vuletic
Duration: 10 hrs 30 min. 1.50x Speed
This was a smooth and pleasant read.
Audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Jennifer Vuletic
Duration: 10 hrs 30 min. 1.50x Speed
April 6, 2019
I found this book to be boring and repetitive. I struggled to finish it. The first book for Fiona McCallum's that I have not enjoyed.
March 4, 2020
I found this book did not keep my interest, in fact I sent it back early, I couldn’t warm to Alice or David. I usually like Fiona McCallum books but not this one. The first 8 chapters I read just bored me, mundane arguments all the time
April 11, 2019
A Fiona McCallum book will always provide you with a good dose of reality tied together with an emotional plot line. On this occasion, there is Alice who, after a failed marriage and undertaking studies as a mature age student, tries to find a place in the workforce to help her partner with the payment of their new home in Melbourne. Sadly, however, she doesn’t enjoy her work and longs for a fulfilling life. Thus begins a journey of self discovery, of picking up the pieces and finding the courage to try and start anew. Can Alice make ‘A Life of Her Own’?
There are many hurdles and hoops for Alice to jump over and work her way through in this book ... so many, in fact, that it becomes somewhat dull. There is the sad upbringing, unsupportive family, failed marriage, the domineering and uncaring partner, the vicious boss .... the list is long. So with little support, Alice understandably starts to fall apart, crying regularly and often. Unfortunately the overkill makes me blase regarding her plight as it all gets a bit repetitive.
Yet for those readers who can relate to one, or all, of the sad scenarios, then Fiona’s writing will undoubtedly speak to you. There are many emotionally charged pages as you hope Alice will indeed find the courage to forge ‘a life of her own’ in this heartfelt tale; that she will overcome life’s hurdles and find the strength to create a brighter future for herself.
‘In not too long you’ll be in a much better place and you’ll look back on this time and laugh at how hopeless it all seemed. Meanwhile, I think you need to relax, ease up on yourself, not expect to have all the answers–that’s the universe’s job. Put it out there and ask for help. That’s what I do.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release
There are many hurdles and hoops for Alice to jump over and work her way through in this book ... so many, in fact, that it becomes somewhat dull. There is the sad upbringing, unsupportive family, failed marriage, the domineering and uncaring partner, the vicious boss .... the list is long. So with little support, Alice understandably starts to fall apart, crying regularly and often. Unfortunately the overkill makes me blase regarding her plight as it all gets a bit repetitive.
Yet for those readers who can relate to one, or all, of the sad scenarios, then Fiona’s writing will undoubtedly speak to you. There are many emotionally charged pages as you hope Alice will indeed find the courage to forge ‘a life of her own’ in this heartfelt tale; that she will overcome life’s hurdles and find the strength to create a brighter future for herself.
‘In not too long you’ll be in a much better place and you’ll look back on this time and laugh at how hopeless it all seemed. Meanwhile, I think you need to relax, ease up on yourself, not expect to have all the answers–that’s the universe’s job. Put it out there and ask for help. That’s what I do.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release
April 10, 2019
Fiona McCallum has hit yet another jackpot with A Life of Her Own!
Alice is in the prime of her life and thinking all is right for her. She’s just completed a history degree that is all her passion; just bought a lovely new home; and has a wonderful fiancé, David. Alice thinks things couldn’t much better when she’s offered an amazing job in real estate. Unfortunately her boss has other plans.
Alice finds herself in the midst of a working hell for an overachieving boss and she begins to question all she thought was good. She quickly discovers her boss is a narcissist and that it may be a sad pattern for her.
She’d moved from Adelaide to Melbourne with high hopes and dreams of making a good life for herself. She escaped a fractured family and was well in her way to making her life her own. Yet this boss has sent her reeling and she finds herself in a vicious cycle of herself playing the role of victim.
Luckily Alice has an amazing circle of friends who help her come to terms with her life and make some positive changes to achieve her dreams.
A Life if Her Own is another of Fiona McCallum’s fantastic tales of the power of friendship and love. She has a terrific way of portraying females, even while struggling, finding those who truly want nothing but the best for them. Her stories always leave a smile on my face!!
My only criticism is...Ms. McCallum, PLEASE write faster!!!
Alice is in the prime of her life and thinking all is right for her. She’s just completed a history degree that is all her passion; just bought a lovely new home; and has a wonderful fiancé, David. Alice thinks things couldn’t much better when she’s offered an amazing job in real estate. Unfortunately her boss has other plans.
Alice finds herself in the midst of a working hell for an overachieving boss and she begins to question all she thought was good. She quickly discovers her boss is a narcissist and that it may be a sad pattern for her.
She’d moved from Adelaide to Melbourne with high hopes and dreams of making a good life for herself. She escaped a fractured family and was well in her way to making her life her own. Yet this boss has sent her reeling and she finds herself in a vicious cycle of herself playing the role of victim.
Luckily Alice has an amazing circle of friends who help her come to terms with her life and make some positive changes to achieve her dreams.
A Life if Her Own is another of Fiona McCallum’s fantastic tales of the power of friendship and love. She has a terrific way of portraying females, even while struggling, finding those who truly want nothing but the best for them. Her stories always leave a smile on my face!!
My only criticism is...Ms. McCallum, PLEASE write faster!!!
April 19, 2019
A Life Of Her Own
A Life Of Her Own is the story of Alice who is in her thirties, married and seems to not really know where she is heading in her life. Alice then lands her dream job, working for a major real estate agency.
As Alice settles into her new role she comes to realise she has a narcissist boss. Life then spirals downhill leading onto an unfortunate cycle of events in Alice’s life.
I enjoyed this tale about the life of Alice Hamilton and her challenges, the book was well written and an easy read.
A Life Of Her Own is the story of Alice who is in her thirties, married and seems to not really know where she is heading in her life. Alice then lands her dream job, working for a major real estate agency.
As Alice settles into her new role she comes to realise she has a narcissist boss. Life then spirals downhill leading onto an unfortunate cycle of events in Alice’s life.
I enjoyed this tale about the life of Alice Hamilton and her challenges, the book was well written and an easy read.
July 11, 2021
I quite enjoyed this book. It was a nice change to read a fiction book that focused more on the career instead of the romance side. Her difficulties working for a boss who was extremely demanding and hard to please. Her decisions that follow that eventually lead her to finding the right career for her and being happy within her life without needing a man.
April 23, 2020
What a brilliant story! Can't wait for more!!
April 8, 2019
A nice enough story, easy to read but predictable and I wanted to punch the main character in the face for most of the book.
June 28, 2022
Right, David was a douche. Just throwing that out there with no apologies. This story was good although not great (4 star) or phenomenal (5 star). At times it felt quite slow, the characters without development, and the need to psychopathologise people behaviour irritating. I felt the workplace incident was lacking buildup, tension, ‘excitement’. Not given the time and development needed to have made it at all memorable. I did enjoy the last quarter of the book, alice and her friends, and David’s demise. Suck it David 🫶
May 25, 2019
From Fiona McCallum, beloved Australian author, comes her next novel, A Life Of Her Own. McCallum’s eleventh novel is a standalone with a gorgeous cover that immediately captured my interest. A myriad of contemporary themes that readers can relate to are explored through protagonist Alice Hamilton as she goes about daily life in Melbourne, Victoria.
Alice is a passionate woman who wears many hats. At 30 years old, she is a divorced, mature age student who is in a relationship with David. On the job hunting scene, Alice has had difficulty finding a job in her field of expertise and end up working in a real estate office. Here, McCallum explores work place bullying and narcissism. Her research is clear as she delves into a common problem that many people are experiencing without a real solution. After four weeks, the toll on Alice’s physical and mental health is clear, forcing her to make the only decision possible. Close to both her family and friends, particularly her best friend Lauren, Alice leans on them for support. The most important person in her life though, is not there when she needs him most.
David is the opposite of Alice in many ways. A workaholic who travel excessively, he is emotionally unsupportive when Alice needs him most. Though there were aspects of David’s personality I did not like, there were many times when I thought Alice’s expectations were too high and unrealistic. Her work situation forces Lauren to take a closer look at their relationship and examine what she needs from her partner. Whether it was David or not, I thought Alice would struggle in the future in finding a man who could meet her expectations.
A Life Of Her Own is a gentle reminder to not settle for second best and follow your heart.
Alice is a passionate woman who wears many hats. At 30 years old, she is a divorced, mature age student who is in a relationship with David. On the job hunting scene, Alice has had difficulty finding a job in her field of expertise and end up working in a real estate office. Here, McCallum explores work place bullying and narcissism. Her research is clear as she delves into a common problem that many people are experiencing without a real solution. After four weeks, the toll on Alice’s physical and mental health is clear, forcing her to make the only decision possible. Close to both her family and friends, particularly her best friend Lauren, Alice leans on them for support. The most important person in her life though, is not there when she needs him most.
David is the opposite of Alice in many ways. A workaholic who travel excessively, he is emotionally unsupportive when Alice needs him most. Though there were aspects of David’s personality I did not like, there were many times when I thought Alice’s expectations were too high and unrealistic. Her work situation forces Lauren to take a closer look at their relationship and examine what she needs from her partner. Whether it was David or not, I thought Alice would struggle in the future in finding a man who could meet her expectations.
A Life Of Her Own is a gentle reminder to not settle for second best and follow your heart.
October 2, 2019
I found this book to be the slowest I have read by Fiona McCallum. The ongoing feeling sorry for herself story of the main character became quite tedious to keep motivated to read.
I have loved all other books by Fiona McCallum and I hope the next one is more motivating and mysterious like the Button Series.
I would not recommend this book if you have others in your list to read.
I have loved all other books by Fiona McCallum and I hope the next one is more motivating and mysterious like the Button Series.
I would not recommend this book if you have others in your list to read.
July 16, 2019
I found this book really hard to get into and felt there could have been more of a storyline. A lot of the time the main character I found to be annoying. Carmel was a piece of work though...no one should have to put up with that. Was nice to see Alice find her way in the end.
January 21, 2021
I finished it but did not enjoy it. The main character is intensely annoying. Not recommended.
Read
March 31, 202010 minutes ago I shelved 'A Life of Her Own' by Fiona McCallum. For the past three...or four days, I've been reading in every spare moment, often staying up too late in order to get that little bit more read.
I stated in my initial post about this book that I loathed the character's name- let's face it, we all know a horrible person, and whenever we hear or see their name, we cringe. However, I didn't let this prevent me from forming a possible connection to the character. I'll admit, though, that she annoyed me. In many cases, I wanted to scream at her, to tell her to stand up for herself. However, by the third time, I realised something. I realised that it's true what they say when saying that what you don't like in someone else is what you don't like about yourself. The character put up with more then she should....from work, family and, hahaha, her relationship. The man that she was with was an absolute controlling SOB who was obviously not capable of love- he didn't even know what real love was. All he seemed to care about was money, and what HE brought to the relationship. I found myself identifying with a lot of that.
And I think that's why I enjoy Fiona's books. Sometimes they are hard to read, but I got to thinking that maybe the reason why they can be hard to read is because they are more relatable then a lot of other books that I have read. I'm not saying Fiona's are better, because all of the books I have read excel in one area or another. What I am saying is that all of her books feel more real, in the way that they are written, the pace in which the story is played out and the way the character development is shaped. I feel like Fiona is well connected to her characters, and seems to take a huge effort in getting to know them. Her characters are often flawed, something that the reader gets to see, and it is perhaps because of this that they are so relatable.
Now that I have finished, I find myself torn between reading the next in the series (The Long Road Home, for anyone interested) or taking a break and reading something pretty unrealistic, like a romance. Hmmm, I'm yet to re-read Talk of the Town. Yet, I think I want to wait until closer to the time the sequel comes out, which I think is later next month. Hmm....what to read, what to read????
I stated in my initial post about this book that I loathed the character's name- let's face it, we all know a horrible person, and whenever we hear or see their name, we cringe. However, I didn't let this prevent me from forming a possible connection to the character. I'll admit, though, that she annoyed me. In many cases, I wanted to scream at her, to tell her to stand up for herself. However, by the third time, I realised something. I realised that it's true what they say when saying that what you don't like in someone else is what you don't like about yourself. The character put up with more then she should....from work, family and, hahaha, her relationship. The man that she was with was an absolute controlling SOB who was obviously not capable of love- he didn't even know what real love was. All he seemed to care about was money, and what HE brought to the relationship. I found myself identifying with a lot of that.
And I think that's why I enjoy Fiona's books. Sometimes they are hard to read, but I got to thinking that maybe the reason why they can be hard to read is because they are more relatable then a lot of other books that I have read. I'm not saying Fiona's are better, because all of the books I have read excel in one area or another. What I am saying is that all of her books feel more real, in the way that they are written, the pace in which the story is played out and the way the character development is shaped. I feel like Fiona is well connected to her characters, and seems to take a huge effort in getting to know them. Her characters are often flawed, something that the reader gets to see, and it is perhaps because of this that they are so relatable.
Now that I have finished, I find myself torn between reading the next in the series (The Long Road Home, for anyone interested) or taking a break and reading something pretty unrealistic, like a romance. Hmmm, I'm yet to re-read Talk of the Town. Yet, I think I want to wait until closer to the time the sequel comes out, which I think is later next month. Hmm....what to read, what to read????
February 9, 2023
I enjoy Fiona's books very much. I can lose myself in them and feel I am actually there in the world of the imaginary people. I found she wrote a similar feeling in this book for her character Alice who read her friend Lauren's manuscript for a short story.
This book was in line with her genre of women who beat the odds so to speak. It was great to read how Alice reacted to many situations in her life. Heck, who doesn't know the feeling of sweaty palms and armpits when going for an interview! Who has never been unable to sleep due to stress? I was totally enthralled with Alice's character. She may sound a bit soft and a bit over the top if it were real life, but believe me, I know that the narcissism spoken about in the book personally and none of her reactions did not resonate with me. From high highs, to low lows, I get it.
I was very pleased to see the subject of narcissism explained in the real way of it. No, it is not all about the selfcentered influencers. Many people use the word as a throw away for someone they know being self important. Narcissism sneaks up on you, you will never realise how abuse you are being exposed to till it is almost too late. The characters in Alice's life are so very typical of the real word. I have had this experience with family members, and two exes. It is insidious and really does your head in when you start to think something must be wrong with you if you can not please the other person, or you hang on to the crumbs of affection believing it is all you deserve.
That was a little off the review for the book, but very important to know in advance how to make sense of this story if you have never been involved with a narcissist. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. terrific read for a lazy summer's day.
This book was in line with her genre of women who beat the odds so to speak. It was great to read how Alice reacted to many situations in her life. Heck, who doesn't know the feeling of sweaty palms and armpits when going for an interview! Who has never been unable to sleep due to stress? I was totally enthralled with Alice's character. She may sound a bit soft and a bit over the top if it were real life, but believe me, I know that the narcissism spoken about in the book personally and none of her reactions did not resonate with me. From high highs, to low lows, I get it.
I was very pleased to see the subject of narcissism explained in the real way of it. No, it is not all about the selfcentered influencers. Many people use the word as a throw away for someone they know being self important. Narcissism sneaks up on you, you will never realise how abuse you are being exposed to till it is almost too late. The characters in Alice's life are so very typical of the real word. I have had this experience with family members, and two exes. It is insidious and really does your head in when you start to think something must be wrong with you if you can not please the other person, or you hang on to the crumbs of affection believing it is all you deserve.
That was a little off the review for the book, but very important to know in advance how to make sense of this story if you have never been involved with a narcissist. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could not put it down. terrific read for a lazy summer's day.
September 13, 2020
After reading a Frederik Backman novel, I wanted something that was light and airy, and thought I’d chosen well when stumbling across this one.
The opening was innocuous enough; Alice, installed in a brand new house with her 4-year partner David, is looking for a job longing for something related to History and museums. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and partially estranged from her family.
The story gets unbearably tedious from then onwards. Alice simply keeps feeling sorry for herself in nearly all the chapters I managed to read (about 18) - with her Dad’s death (the only one who supported her), her mom who keeps constantly disappointing her, her sister who is supposedly the ‘golden’ child, an ex-husband who slept with her ex-best friend Shannon, her current partner David, her job, her Boss, her state of joblessness….you get the picture? Everything is a disappointment or a letdown as far as she is concerned - and how much can a reader sympathise with a character?
The story is very one-sided - the only point of view given is that of Alice, and you already know the tint of sunglasses she uses to view the world. Everyone is against her, she doesn’t know what to do with her life, and decisions she makes are blamed on others because they suggested it when not knowing what else to say.
Needless to say, I didn't finish it - Alice was an entirely unlikeable character and I couldn't stomach the level of negativity and self absorption in the book. A book becomes interesting when multiple point of views are interspersed with the main character’s, instead of having the readers living in Alice’s head. Books are meant to be a escape from our own heads - we live enough in our own heads, and it isn’t fair force us to do that even when reading.
The opening was innocuous enough; Alice, installed in a brand new house with her 4-year partner David, is looking for a job longing for something related to History and museums. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and partially estranged from her family.
The story gets unbearably tedious from then onwards. Alice simply keeps feeling sorry for herself in nearly all the chapters I managed to read (about 18) - with her Dad’s death (the only one who supported her), her mom who keeps constantly disappointing her, her sister who is supposedly the ‘golden’ child, an ex-husband who slept with her ex-best friend Shannon, her current partner David, her job, her Boss, her state of joblessness….you get the picture? Everything is a disappointment or a letdown as far as she is concerned - and how much can a reader sympathise with a character?
The story is very one-sided - the only point of view given is that of Alice, and you already know the tint of sunglasses she uses to view the world. Everyone is against her, she doesn’t know what to do with her life, and decisions she makes are blamed on others because they suggested it when not knowing what else to say.
Needless to say, I didn't finish it - Alice was an entirely unlikeable character and I couldn't stomach the level of negativity and self absorption in the book. A book becomes interesting when multiple point of views are interspersed with the main character’s, instead of having the readers living in Alice’s head. Books are meant to be a escape from our own heads - we live enough in our own heads, and it isn’t fair force us to do that even when reading.
April 18, 2019
In her latest novel, Australian author Fiona McCallum tackles something I can relate to – a woman in her thirties who isn’t sure what she wants to do with her life. After the breakdown of her first marriage in her small hometown, a chance meeting led Alice Hamilton to undertake the university degree she’d never gotten the chance to do when she was younger. She discovered that she really loved study and now armed with her bachelor, she is interested in going further. But partner David has ambitions and he needs Alice in the workforce to pay down the large mortgage they’ve just undertaken, buying a house in Melbourne.
Alice struggles with really finding something that she’s greatly passionate about. She applies for jobs but nothing about them really excite her, although when she secures one as an assistant to a mover and shaker real estate agent, she’s determined to do her best at it. But I can relate to Alice’s struggle to find that thing that speaks to her. When I was in high school (forever ago now) I thought I’d have that magic moment where I’d come across the career I was ‘meant’ to do. A couple of university experiences later, I still haven’t found it and probably never will. I don’t think it works like that for a lot of people – work is necessary to pay the bills and sometimes you don’t have the luxury of waiting for that dream opportunity to come along. You take what is on offer and under pressure from David to contribute to the household, Alice does just that. She lands what sounds like a great job – but the red flags present early and it isn’t long before the job is stripping any confidence she had in her abilities and leaving her dreading it.
I enjoyed the story of this book but I think there were a couple of things that threw it off for me – the first is the pacing. It’s a bit uneven, the situation at Alice’s new job seems to escalate really quickly in a way that I think would’ve been much more impactful if it’d been over a longer period and really showed the gaslighting that can take place by people in positions of money and influence who are enabled in their bad behaviour. Also David is quite obviously a dill from the first page but Alice either cannot or does not see it for far too long and then when things do happen, it’s again, at a really rapid pace and things fall into place in this magical way that does not really seem to reflect how difficult it can be to start over on your own and uproot and change your entire life. Basically, Alice experiences a lot of horrible people doing horrible things to her, from her mother and sister in childhood, to her first husband, to her best friend, to her partner, to her boss, and she tolerates this for a long time and honestly, it got a bit wearying at times, like here is another person making things difficult for her.
But this is a journey – and Alice I suppose, has to learn how to stand up for herself and put herself and her self worth first. Firstly with her professional life, figuring out what she wants to do and also facing her fears and the terrible experiences she had and learning from them, addressing them and being able to move on from them so that she can basically be ‘at peace’. And also in her personal life, not tolerating being unhappy because someone else is pressuring her about something she isn’t particularly invested in. It’s quite obvious that Alice isn’t happy for quite a long time and that her and her partner have two very different outlooks on life and desires for their future but it can still be quite difficult to make that break. So in that case, everything Alice experiences here becomes part of who she is and how she decides to shape her future. She’s lucky in that she has a supportive friend, who actually turns out to be rather helpful in more than one way but apart from that and a kind stepfather who does his best, Alice does not have the largest circle, which I think she needs to perhaps work on (there’s evidence of this at the end of the book, so I think she’s on the right track). I appreciated the overall arc of Alice’s journey and I feel as though I could definitely relate to her because of that search for who she is and what she wants to do.
I had the feeling on finishing this, that it was set up for a sequel. Alice has made some decisions, but she hasn’t really begun living them yet and there’s obviously plenty left for her to do and experience. I’m actually quite curious about what happens next and how she gets to where she has decided she wants to be.
***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
Alice struggles with really finding something that she’s greatly passionate about. She applies for jobs but nothing about them really excite her, although when she secures one as an assistant to a mover and shaker real estate agent, she’s determined to do her best at it. But I can relate to Alice’s struggle to find that thing that speaks to her. When I was in high school (forever ago now) I thought I’d have that magic moment where I’d come across the career I was ‘meant’ to do. A couple of university experiences later, I still haven’t found it and probably never will. I don’t think it works like that for a lot of people – work is necessary to pay the bills and sometimes you don’t have the luxury of waiting for that dream opportunity to come along. You take what is on offer and under pressure from David to contribute to the household, Alice does just that. She lands what sounds like a great job – but the red flags present early and it isn’t long before the job is stripping any confidence she had in her abilities and leaving her dreading it.
I enjoyed the story of this book but I think there were a couple of things that threw it off for me – the first is the pacing. It’s a bit uneven, the situation at Alice’s new job seems to escalate really quickly in a way that I think would’ve been much more impactful if it’d been over a longer period and really showed the gaslighting that can take place by people in positions of money and influence who are enabled in their bad behaviour. Also David is quite obviously a dill from the first page but Alice either cannot or does not see it for far too long and then when things do happen, it’s again, at a really rapid pace and things fall into place in this magical way that does not really seem to reflect how difficult it can be to start over on your own and uproot and change your entire life. Basically, Alice experiences a lot of horrible people doing horrible things to her, from her mother and sister in childhood, to her first husband, to her best friend, to her partner, to her boss, and she tolerates this for a long time and honestly, it got a bit wearying at times, like here is another person making things difficult for her.
But this is a journey – and Alice I suppose, has to learn how to stand up for herself and put herself and her self worth first. Firstly with her professional life, figuring out what she wants to do and also facing her fears and the terrible experiences she had and learning from them, addressing them and being able to move on from them so that she can basically be ‘at peace’. And also in her personal life, not tolerating being unhappy because someone else is pressuring her about something she isn’t particularly invested in. It’s quite obvious that Alice isn’t happy for quite a long time and that her and her partner have two very different outlooks on life and desires for their future but it can still be quite difficult to make that break. So in that case, everything Alice experiences here becomes part of who she is and how she decides to shape her future. She’s lucky in that she has a supportive friend, who actually turns out to be rather helpful in more than one way but apart from that and a kind stepfather who does his best, Alice does not have the largest circle, which I think she needs to perhaps work on (there’s evidence of this at the end of the book, so I think she’s on the right track). I appreciated the overall arc of Alice’s journey and I feel as though I could definitely relate to her because of that search for who she is and what she wants to do.
I had the feeling on finishing this, that it was set up for a sequel. Alice has made some decisions, but she hasn’t really begun living them yet and there’s obviously plenty left for her to do and experience. I’m actually quite curious about what happens next and how she gets to where she has decided she wants to be.
***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
May 8, 2022
I feel like the universe sent me this book just as I needed to read it. I like the author and randomly chose one of her available titles. This was just the context I needed to read. The book deals with vital themes in a sophisticated manner - workplace bullying, value-based dissonance, power imbalance, careers, life balance, personal purpose, supportive friendships, grieving, relationships…. I have already recommended this book to others and will re-read. As always there is room for improvement. At times, the conversation and character development feel a little stilted and contrived. But overall, an important and compelling read.
April 19, 2019
This book is perfect for anyone struggling to break free and achieve (ehm) a life of their own. I really connected with this book and Alice's struggle to identify what she wants, where she should be, and who she should spend her life with. Alice's journey to discover these things was gripping and very inspirational as she learned to stand up for herself, identify and overcome the people who were holding her back, and find herself in the process.
I loved this book. It's my favourite of Fiona's to date. And I hope there will be the opportunity to continue on Alice's journey in the future.
I loved this book. It's my favourite of Fiona's to date. And I hope there will be the opportunity to continue on Alice's journey in the future.
August 3, 2020
Alice is a beautiful but ordinary person whose encounters with bullies, manipulators and narcissists leave her damaged. She eventually comes to understand herself, and with the support of friends moves to Ballarat to start a new life.
Friends are more helpful and supportive than family in this personal epic, with one of Alice's friends acknowledging that he had been unable to move forward until cutting himself off from his relations.
This is light reading, fun as it's set in Australia. It's a perfect book for when you wake up at an inconvenient hour.
Friends are more helpful and supportive than family in this personal epic, with one of Alice's friends acknowledging that he had been unable to move forward until cutting himself off from his relations.
This is light reading, fun as it's set in Australia. It's a perfect book for when you wake up at an inconvenient hour.
July 12, 2019
This was an uplifting read for females that have dominant people in their lives, who tell them what to do instead of support what they want to do with their lives. Alice Hamilton had lots of people in her life that shaped her and she realised that she wasn't happy with that life. Learning from bad experiences, she started making changes in her life to make it the best it could be and what she wanted it to be. A life of her own!
June 2, 2020
Fiona McCallum presents a novel that informs, advises and moves. Through the story of the main character Alice, we learn about how the child of a narcissistic parent can battle with making their own way in life. Through the interaction of the characters that Alice encounters in her life we learn how individuals can make their own way in life. Through her depiction of Alice’s emotional responses to life experiences we are moved too.
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