Baggage

by Emily Barr

Inseparable throughout high school, Sophie and Daisy are best friends, until Daisy is accused of murder, stages her own death, and escapes to Australia, where ten years later she is reunited accidentally with Sophie, a meeting that leads intense publicity about Daisy and a new investigation into her case. Original.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Travel, Australia, Romance, Suspense, Novels

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Emily Barr worked as a journalist in London, but always hankered after a quiet room and a book to write. She went travelling for a year, writing a column in the Guardian about it as she went, and it was there that she had an idea for a novel set in the world of backpackers in Asia. This became Backpack, which won the WH Smith New Talent Award. She has since written eleven more adult novels published in the UK and around the world, and a novella, Blackout, for the Quick Reads series. Her twelfth novel, The Sleeper, is a psychological thriller set on the London to Cornwall sleeper train.
In 2013 she went to Svalbard with the idea of setting a thriller in the Arctic. The book that came out of it was The One Memory of Flora Banks, a thriller for young adults, which attracted universal interest from publishers before being bought pre-emptively by Penguin earlier this year. It will be published globally in January 2017.
She lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children.

Reviews

[C!NDY L00 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Emily Barr's previous best selling novel Backpack. Therefore, I looked forward to reading Baggage. Baggage did start out very promising, but started floundering miserably toward the middle.

The story is about Daisy or Lina (as she is now known) who has been a fugitive for 10 years from England, but now living in Australia with her husband (of three years) and her 10 year old son. Lina is pregnant and living a fairly good life in Ozzyland up until the day she runs into her former best friend Sophie from the UK, who is backpacking through Australia. When her friend recognizes Lina as Daisy, Lina naturally denies being Daisy. But she doesn't fool Sophie who goes back to England to inform her journalist boyfriend, Jerry that she had run into the notorious Daisy on her trip. He of course knows what this story would do for his career

I was thinking of the many possibilities of how this story could have developed. Unfortunately, by the time I got to the middle of the novel I began to wonder whether or not the author had lost all her enthusiasm for writing it. I know I was losing my enthusiasm in reading it. I sensed no direction with a lot of unnecessary false twists and turns, which only annoyed and frustrated me. Furthermore, there could have been more character development. It would have been nice to know a little more about the dynamics of Daisy's family in England and Lina's new family in Australia. I felt nothing for these people and had very little sympathy for Lina/Daisy throughout. For example, I got confusing messages about her love for her husband Tony. I eventually came away with the thought that he was just a safe and convenient cover from her criminal past. In addition, the author never explained why she had such a contentious relationship with her family in England. We never really get to know these people or much about Daisy other than the crime she committed.

The book has two principal narrators which I generally dislike in a novel, especially when one of the main characters are so unlikable as that creepy reporter, Larry. I had no interest in his love or sexual life either. I felt his private life added nothing to the storyline. nevertheless, I carried on hoping perhaps there would be some unexpected developments. But, in my opinion, that never really happens. In fact, when I read the last page I was sure the book gremlins had made off with the last few chapters of my copy. For me, this is a story with no meaningful conclusion.

Moreover, I felt the author didn't really care for the story or the characters in the end and suspected her readers wouldn't either. On the strength of her best selling first novel, she might have signed on with her publisher to pump out X number of new books to fulfill a contract. However, whenever this happens the results are usually disastrous as I felt this story eventually and sadly turned out to be.

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. It was rather boring. It was nice learning about the Australian outback and that the place MC was staying in, the houses had to be underground. I thought that was cool.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lina Pritchett's life is centered around hiding her new pregnancy from her husband's family until they are ready to tell, her son Red, and her mother-in-law Margot, as well as her career as a teacher in a tiny town on the Australian Outback. One of her former students has run off with her best friend's husband, the big scandal in town. At a wedding for the two, Lina is started to run into Sophie, a backpacker from England who is sure she knows Lina as her old pal Daisy from ballet school back in Devon. Ten years earlier, Daisy was accused of a terrible crime and committed suicide in the midst of the ensuing media melee. Or did she?

This was a really great women's suspense type of book. Written in such a way that you know that Lina is Daisy and that she was not entirely guilty (one of those shades of gray type of deals), the suspense centers around her getting caught, and what will happen to the life she's so carefully protected for the last ten years. Can a person be rehabilitated, and is forgiveness possible? I loved that it wasn't grisly, that it was very human, and exposed the frailties we're all vulnerable to as thoughtless careless youths (granted, we aren't all mildly responsible for poisoning four of our best friends). How Daisy deals with being discovered and how it affects the people around her makes for compelling reading.

[Emily Hemmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Barr is a fantastic writer and Backpack is one of my favorite chick-lits of all time. I loved the suspense element of Baggage, and her secondary characters are as vivid and engaging as ever, but it felt like the end of the book was rushed and as a reader, I was hoping for a different outcome. That being said, the writing is beautiful, the setting is rich in detail, and all in all, this is a great read.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping read.

[Tamara Van dishoeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sophie is 18 als haar beste vriendin zelfmoord pleegt. tien jaar later gaat ze op vakantie na Australie en ziet daar Lina waarvan ze weet dat het haar vroegere vriendin Daisy is. ze gaat terug naar Engeland maar iets daarna weer terug na Australie met haar vriend Larry op zoek naar Daisy, alleen Larry heeft een andere reden om op zoek naar Daisy te gaan want ze heeft een groot geheim. je volgt niet alleen Sophie maar ook Daisy/Lina en ook Larry. je komt er achter waarom ze haar zelfmoord gefaket heeft en waarom ze gevlucht is. een ontroerend boek wat ook wel spannend was.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the idea for this book - especially considering I'm from Adelaide in Australia, which isnt too far from where she sets up her new life!
I also enjoyed the fact that there were two narratives to the book, and that at least one of them wasn't whom you would have guessed! (normally its told from the 'main characters' point of view, and one of the narrators to me, isn't one of the two major characters.

Whilst I enjoyed this book, and definitely praise Emily Barrs writing style (every one of her books I've read I haven't been able to put down, always wanting to 'know whats next'!) but the content of the book feel a bit short for me. Some things I felt were missing a little (For example, I would have liked more explanation of Daisys background incident to be honest - yes it was explained, but I wanted more!)... and the 'what happens next' part felt like it was left open ready for a sequel, but from what I can tell there isn't one which is a bit upsetting (I know why authors do this, to leave it up to the imagination, but at some point that feels more like a cop out for an unfinished story - which is how I feel about this). I also felt there was a lot more room for further character development - would have love to have known more about Tony, Sophie and Red for example :)

I know thats a lot of negative feedback, but it wasn't all bad. The writing style was great, and it was a great idea, I liked the characters (other than Larry and Christie!), I loved the mental images I got, and as always I love getting a story from different perspectives :)

There was also a bit towards the end of the book that REALLY took it down a notch or two for me... considering its on the last few pages, it does container a spoiler!! So don't read if you haven't read the book yet.
What happened to Lawrence at the end? SERIOUSLY NOT OKAY! I get if they just wanted to threaten him, scare him etc. Larry was CLEARLY not a good guy at any stretch of the imagination! But they basically murdered him, right? And thats worse than what Daisy did, and she ran away for it, and instead everyone was all like "oh yeah, this is totally fine, he deserved it." UMM NO, THIS IS NOT A THING. Murder shouldn't be celebrated or condoned line that. AGH.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lina is living in a small Australian town,pregnant to husband Tony and enjoying life in the outback despite dreading going to the wedding of her best friend's ex-husband to her 17 year old student.It is at the wedding she comes face to face with a backpacker called Sophie who recognises her as her old friend Daisy,who everyone thought was dead.Daisy fled England before her trial for her part in the drugs deaths of 4 people.When Sophie tells her boyfriend back home,his reporter side kicks in and Lina finds the media camped out at her home.Life will never be the same again.
It wasn't really my kind of book.It was decent in some parts but most of it just dragged along with obnoxious characters all trying to get the big scoop.Too much of the fighting and journalist's sex life but not enough of Daisy's back story to keep me interested.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was thoroughly engrossing. I was captivated by the premise of the story and could not put it down.
The story was mainly character-driven, but the Australian settings were vividly, albeit briefly described. I have not read many books set in Australia, something I should rectify.
The characters were very diverse. I got a good chuckle at Lawrence's lists at the beginning of his chapters, for example, How to upset your girlfriend, listing several possible ways, one being - introduce an element of infidelity into the relationship - no kidding Larry.
This is a story that had me rooting for the "bad" guy, the letter written one year later as the last chapter tied up all the loose ends, which was nice as there were many.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was something about how the book was written and how the events unfold that made me not want to stop reading. I could go on reading for hours and still want to flip the pages. Aside from a touching life revelation by Lina, I think this is also one book that journalists should consider reading. How our jobs affect other people's lives. Minus 1 star, though, because it was too hanging. Not that kind of hanging ending that you'll still be satisfied despite the lack of a proper closure. This one just ended abruptly and many questions weren't answered. I wonder if there's a sequel for this.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. It was a fun read, not too taxing, with a little bit of mystery and scandal thrown in. I liked how all the characters related to one another, and I enjoyed how Lina/Daisy and Sophie regained their friendship. The only part I didn't really like was the ending. I thought the device of using a letter to explain all the loose ends was sort of a cop-out, and tied things up too tidily. Not perfect, but enjoyable.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very interesting, but at the end, it seemed like the author had to finish it by a certain date and just threw it all together...

[Kate]

I enjoyed it right up until the end of the book only to find there is no real ending!! That sucked - what is the point of buying a book if you have to make up your own ending :(

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ten years ago, Sophie's best friend Daisy was awaiting trial for the death of four of her friends, when she vanished, apparently after taking her own life. But when Sophie goes on holiday to Australia, she meets a woman who is identical to Daisy. 'Lina' has a husband and 10-year-old son and is expecting a second child, and she claims to have never even heard of Daisy Fraser, but Sophie is convinced she is lying. Back home in England, Sophie shares her story with her ambitious and selfish boyfriend Lawrence, and sets in train a series of events that will reshape several lives.

I had mixed reactions to this book. I loved the central themes of escape and reinvention and the questions they raised about how much of our past we can leave behind and how much we carry within ourselves. I loved the descriptions of the outback, and while I didn't particularly warm to Lina, I felt that she was very realistically portrayed. I also felt it was a brave choice to split the narrative between two of the least sympathetic characters in the book, Lina and Lawrence, and this certainly gave their characters more depth, and made Lawrence something more than a two-dimensional storybook villain.

Things I was less keen on: The side-plot of Lawrence's sexuality was frankly bizarre - it didn't seem to have any connection to the rest of the story (unless the author is suggesting that his sexuality made him more prone to behave unethically?!!) and it was a huge distraction from the main storyline. I felt that the book was quite sloppily written in some parts, with characters acting in very inconsistent or improbable ways. I found it difficult to believe that anyone as intelligent as Sophie would believe that a hard-nosed journalist like Lawrence would keep his promise not to betray Lina when a story about her would be a career-making scoop for him. And while it's understandable that Lina claims to be a first-time mother, since she is pretending that Red is adopted, she sometimes behaves like this even when she is on her own. It's almost as if Barr forgot that Lina was only pretending not to have given birth before. Red came across as much younger than 10 - it seems that Barr was aware of this, since she throws in a comment at one point about how young he is for his age, but it isn't enough to make him realistic.

I think I would have preferred a more definite end, but I was ok with making my own mind up about what happened after the final page. But what I really hated was Lawrence's ending. Yes, he was a totally horrible and obnoxious character, but he still didn't deserve to be dumped in the desert to die of dehydration. I really dislike books that present murder as justifiable.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping read, a lot of twists and turns, the main focus on Daisy and what became of her following a mysterious event in her youth. Her good friend Sophie has never forgotten Daisy and attempts to track her down, along with her journalist boyfriend Lawrence.

She is in Australia with Laurence when she thinks she has spotted her long lost friend. From there on it soon becomes apparent that Lawrence is an unpleasant character, as he is on the hunt for a good story. All of the characters, good or bad are well rounded and it is easy to sympathise with their decisions, however misguided they may be, and to suspend judgement.

Can there be a happy ending to this tale, read on to find out..... there is a lot of ambiguity and its not at all straightforward. I enjoyed reading this book, got more into it as I read on and can recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery and an exploration of human nature.

[Kim Roger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Feeling underwhelmed. Emily Barr is a bit of a hit or a miss I find. This was definitely a miss.

There was so much potential to this storyline and yet it was like the author got distracted halfway through but decided to finish it anyway without much thought or passion.

With the exception of Sophie who seems like a lovely, supportive girl I didn't really care about any of the characters. I felt like some of the sub-plots were kind of random (Larry's in particular) and it was all just a bit of a yawn fest for me.

[Delilah Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy Baggage quite a lot, it's one of those books that you get really engrossed in whilst not being that impressed by the writing style etc. I did think the ending was very rushed though, and I wish it didn't have to end on such a cliffhanger... I suppose one has to make one's own assumptions as to what happens to Daisy/Lina at the end. I think it would be great for a bookclub because then you'd be able to discuss it!
Overall, though, I did enjoy it and it's subject matter grabbed me. I'll be looking into buying more from this author for sure :)

[Tnrg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Met moeite uitgelezen in ruim 5 maanden... Het boek ervoor las ik nog in 5 dagen. Laatste boek dat ik van Emily Barr ga lezen. Backpack was geweldig maar de andere boeken waren matig met dit als dieptepunt. Tot de helft was het nog wel aardig omdat nog niet duidelijk was wat er nu gebeurd was. Daarna waren de stukjes met Lawrence nog wel aardig maar het laatste kwart was bijna niet meer door te komen.

[Eleonora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Con molto dispiacere ho dato un 3/5. Il libro è stato molto bello, i personaggi era interessanti e mi ha tenuto incollata per sapere che fine avrebbe fatto Lina/Daisy ma ahimè questa fine nonn è mai avvenuta. Ci sono rimasta molto male. Un libro intero per poi non sapere com’è andata alla fine. È stata arrestata? A potuto vedere i bambini? Sophie è rimasta con loro? Il suo matrimonio con Tony? Ecc… ecc…

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first part of the book was enjoyable. I liked the description of the Australian outback and the concept of reinventing yourself. However, the story got lost from the middle and by the end, disappointing.

[Beth P · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was confusing to start (or maybe a bit annoying) but turned into a good tale. The story started spinning and I found myself wondering what was happening t the main character - what "baggage" she was carrying around that only she knew about. recommended for a light read.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it-a little slow in the beginning but then began picking up pace-ending surprising the way things worked out.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t finish this book. Just wasn’t grabbing and holding my attention.

[Bonita Keza · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a work of art. It’s moving and touching. And a true page turner

[Ilse Morris-Boonstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, I have been in Australia so that gives it extra special. Start to finish on the end of your seat suspense. Really enjoyed it

[Claudia Harflett]

A good read. Did think that the journalist Larry was typedcasted as a pantomime villain though!

[Noaelisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

….crazy

[Ape · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read this because I had a copy in the house and I am on a mission this year to read as many of my to-be-read books as I can. But it's my third Barr book and I just don't like her anymore. The first book I read was also her first, Backpack, which I actually rather enjoyed. Then I read the Cuban Heels one, which suffered from the same problem I had with this one. I get the impression Barr's gone through a few years of pumping out children, whilst she's been writing these books, and has decided to put lashings of these experiences into her books. I picked her books up because I thought they were light summer reads with travel and slight mysteries. I don't enjoy books about women bleating on and on about being pregnant or living with babies. Funny really, because the tag line on the front of the copy says "Too much? Just dump it...". Indeed!

This is light fluff chicklit with best-friend chats and as mentioned before, lashings of pregnancy stuff. It's "travel" because it's set in the Australian outback and people travel to get there and it's a sort of human dilemma mystery. All the Australians in this book are portrayed as raging alcoholics. Having never been down under, I don't know what it's like out there. The story is about pregnant Lina, a wife and mother living in a tiny place called Craggy Rock in the outback. A backpacker, Sophie, turns up, and is convinced that Lina is actually Daisy, her old best friend from the UK who committed suicide over 10 years ago (body never found). And guess what - she's right!

Unfortunately for all concerned, Daisy fled her old life because she was facing prison. And Sophie's boyfriend is a journalist who has the morals and ethics of... well, he doesn't have any. So as soon as he's on the scene, he has no scruples about dumping Sophie and flogging his story to the papers back home. Which then brings in the media circus, which is rather horrific, but realistic in how the affected people are treated. So there are plenty of selfish, arrogant characters in this book.

I can't say I liked it or enjoyed it that much really.

[Vera_leest · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leuk geschreven maar langdradig.. op een gegeven moment is de spanning wel beetje verdwenen en is einde redelijk voorspelbaar.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was her second novel after the brilliant Backpack. It has many of the same similarities as the other two novels I have read of Barr’s – Backpack and Cuban Heels. In none of her novels do I particularly warm to the main character. Yes they have their issues and problems but they come across as quite harsh, albeit strong, characters. But on saying this, it doesn’t matter at all to the enjoyment of the books, in general the thrilling storylines and the blend of supporting characters more than makes up for my lack of empathy for the protagonists.
Baggage follows Lina, who was once a professional dancer but who got caught up in a scandal as some drugs she purchased for her friends turned out to be less than pure and two of them died. Rather than face the consequences, she panicked, faking her own suicide and she fled to the other side of the world – a remote Ozzie opal mining town in the outback called Craggy Rock. Here she has forged herself a new life with a son, husband and another baby on the way. But as we all know, the past never stays hidden, and Lina’s best friend from back in London bumps into her on a backpacking trip. This kicks off all manner of problems as her friend’s boyfriend is a journalist – and an unscrupulous one at that – and he tricks both his girlfriend and Lina. He is a despicable character and not caring about anyone’s feelings but his own, he is hell bent on getting the story of the year. The narrative flits back and forth between characters and time frames a lot and as this is not seamlessly perfected it does break up the flow a little. The hiding out from journalists parts does seem to drag a little and I feel this is not Barr’s best, but nevertheless it is an entertaining little novel written in Barr’s recognisable style. The ending is left a little ambiguous and may not be to everyone’s cup of tea if you like things neatly wrapped up.