Writers and Lovers by Lily King
Casey is first and foremost a writer but in the wake of her mother’s death and the end of a tumultuous relationship she feels lost and untethered. Unsure of herself, her life and her career, she meets two very different men who offer her very different paths.
Oscar is a successful author who lost his wife and is now raising their two young boys. Then there is Silas, who is also a writer but struggling with his career like Casey. He is kind, intelligent and handsome but battling his own demons. Caught between two men, Casey slowly starts to how she is living her live and the choices that brought her to where she is. Slowly she begins to take ownership of her life.
As the title suggests, this is a book about love and writing. The book club was pretty divided on this one with some loving it and some really disliking it. But as usual we had a brilliant discussion and really unpacked the book and what it meant to us.
Certain experiences depicted in the book really resonated with a number of Brunch Book Clubbers. That feeling of ‘What am I doing with my life?’ and ‘What does it all mean?’ rang true for a lot of us. Whereas others found Casey’s struggles with adulthood irritating and hard to believe but that may be an indication of how brilliant some members of Brunch Book Club are at adulting.
The struggle of being caught between choosing two very different men was fun and an interesting storyline to unpack. Oscar and Silas represent two different futures and perhaps even people Casey could be. Seeing her grow and ultimately choose a life for herself without any other influence was an ending many were happy with.
Overall, an easy read that goes perfectly with the autumnal air, a pumpkin spiced latte and a healthy dose of existential dread.
