Second Chance: A Novel

by Siân James

A warm, spirited, and intelligent novel about the complexities of family life... Having returned home to deal with her mother's funeral, Kate Rivers is taking stock of her life. Though she has enjoyed some success in her acting career, her life isn't all she hoped it would be. She never married nor had the children she always wanted. And being an unofficial stepmother to her lover's twin daughters has not seemed the same, especially since Paul's girls have never given her a chance. Now, tragedy has also struck Paul's family, and just when Kate needs him most, it is he who needs a shoulder to cry on... Unable to find any emotional support, Kate looks further afield for comfort and finds herself falling for a beautiful-and married-cousin, Rhydian. But is her affair a second chance at happiness, or just a dangerous infatuation? And then there is Paul to consider. He may still be in love with his first wife, but can Kate turn her back on him now? In Second Chance, Sian James brings the signature stylistic panache and humor that won her much praise for Two Loves. With a keen eye and warm sensibility, she compellingly explores the troubles and rewards of modern family life.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2001

About the author

Siân James was a Welsh novelist who wrote in English.

James attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. She was a Fellow of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Glamorgan. She was a Fellow of the Welsh Academy. She twice won the Yorkshire Post Prize, and her third novel, A Small Country, has come to be regarded as a classic of Anglo-Welsh literature. In 2006, A Small Country was made into a Welsh-language TV series (Calon Gaeth), which won the 2007 Bafta Cymru award for Best Drama/Drama Serial for Television.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Marianna Sharktooth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Θέλω για λίγο να σταθώ στα βιβλία των εκδόσεων Ωκεανίδα. Ότι έχω διαβάσει είναι ξεχωριστό, βαθιές ιστορίες από αξιόλογους συγγραφείς.
Και τώρα στο βιβλίο μας. Μου άρεσε πολύ. Σίγουρα δεν είχε τα πυροτεχνήματα και την σαγηνευτική πλοκή που μπορεί να βρεθεί σε άλλα βιβλία, αλλά τα συνασθήματα της Κέιτ, ο χαρακτήρας της, σχεδόν από την γέννησή της, γίνονται στον αναγνώστη κατανοητά και εξηγούν πως φτάνει να ερωτευτεί, να εργαστεί, να σχετιστεί, και πως πραγματικά η ζωή της δίνει μια δεύτερη ευκαιρία.
Σε ένα σημείο του βιβλίου, περιγράφει το πως νιώθει, ότι δεν είχε ερωτευτεί ποτέ στη ζωή της, και φτάνει στα 43 της να το ζήσει τόσο ολοκληρωτικά.
Λίγο στενάχωρο όλο το σκηνικό, ο θάνατος της μητέρας της, που είναι το πλαίσιο μέσα στο οποίο καταφέρνει να δώσει στον εαυτό της μια δεύτερη ευκαιρία. Αγάπησα το ουαλικό χωριό και το σπιτάκι της. Εξαιρετική η Siân James, μακάρι να βρεθούν στα χέρια μου κι αλλα βιβλία της.

[Re · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ihre Bücher fühlen sich an wie eine perfekte Serie zu bingen 🥹

[Sarah Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This quirky novel about a Welsh woman with an acting career and a long-time partner (it's hard to call him a "lover") who returns to her hometown after her mother's death is focused on the culture of Wales in the twenty-first century. The main character is plausible, but the many tragedies that pile up clutter the story a bit with secondary characters and events that are difficult to warm up to. The romance at the heart of the story is, well, odd (I won't say more to avoid a spoiler), but it's certainly not a run-of-the-mill love story. The settings and tertiary characters (like the poor minister!) make this a very enjoyable read. http://sarahkennedybooks.com

[Georgina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A second chance at happiness or a dangerous infatuation? Witty, intelligent and very readable: Sian James get my vote!

[JenniferB]

Nice book to read. Cliched in parts.