Wednesday 28 November 2018

Mavis and Dot by Angela Petch #BlogTour #Review @rararesources #MavisAndDot @Angela_Petch

Mavis and Dot by Angela Petch
Kindle e-Book
Pulication Date: 14th November 2018
206 pages
Genre: Womens fiction/Humour

When the invitation to read this book came in from Rachel Gilbey I was reminded of my favourite book of the year, Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon, probably because the book is about older ladies and friendships.  I therefore jumped at the chance to review it and I am so glad to be able to help spread the word about this lovely read – not only because proceeds from its sales go towards a wonderful charity which does some admirable work in the quest to fight cancer, but also because I want everyone to enjoy the characters from its pages. I invite you to find out more about this excellent book and sincerely hope that you buy a copy – I know you will not be disappointed.


Book Description:

A warm slice of life, funny, feel-good, yet poignant. Introducing two eccentric ladies who form an unlikely friendship. Meet Mavis and Dot - two colourful, retired ladies who live in Worthington-on-Sea, where there are charity shops galore. Apart from bargain hunting, they manage to tangle themselves in escapades involving illegal immigrants, night clubs, nude modelling, errant toupees and more. And then there’s Mal, the lovable dog who nobody else wants.
 A gently humorous, often side-splitting, heart-warming snapshot of two memorable characters with past secrets and passions. Escape for a couple of hours into this snapshot of a faded, British seaside town. You'll laugh and cry but probably laugh more.
"This book is quirky and individual, and has great pathos...[it] will resonate with a lot of readers." Gill Kaye - Editor of Ingenu(e). 
Written with a light touch in memory of a dear friend who passed away from ovarian cancer, Angela Petch’s seaside tale is a departure from her successful Tuscan novels.

My Review:


My very first observation of this book is the artwork which graces both the cover and is also dotted  throughout the pages.  It is very “English seaside postcard” in its style and fits perfectly with the whole feel of the book. I adore the whole beach huts, buckets and spades thing we have in the UK at our coastal locations and have so many places in this country I want to visit that I have very little desire to travel abroad when we have such beautiful scenery to explore on our own shores.

We are introduced to Mavis and Dot by the first of many eccentric characters Mrs Gallsworthy at her bridge club. Both our ladies are first timers at the bridge club with Mavis working down her alphabetic bucket list of things to do in an attempt to make friends and experience new things as she is new to the area.  Dot too is a relative newcomer to the area but whereas Mavis is a bit of a daydreamer whose mind drifts off task quite easily, Dot comes across as rather abrupt and doesn’t suffer fools gladly.  They seem the most unlikely companions but somehow they strike up a friendship when Mr Cutts, a regular and rather serious bridge player, accuses Mavis of cheating. Dot sees this as their opportunity to escape the church hall and the two ladies flee to The Brass Kettle, the first of many cafes they try out in their quest to find the best cuppa in the area.  They discover a mutual enjoyment of searching the multitude of charity shops in Worthington-on-Sea and the surrounding area and we accompany them on their travels initially in Dot’s ancient Morris Traveller then on subsequent trips on the bus as Mavis’ nerves and travel sickness can’t stomach another dose of Dot’s hilarious yet highly dangerous brand of driving skills (or lack of).

This book had me laughing out loud with the pair’s escapades with drag queens, fashion faux pas and illegal immigrants.  The addition of Dot’s canine companion Mal merely increases the comedy factor, yet there is a more serious and rather sad back story to the ladies’ lives which left me pondering the thought of how many people manage to keep smiling despite all they have been through over the years and how the older generation cope with the very real issue of loneliness.

Every single character in this tale is a masterpiece of the author’s observation of real people, every one is individual and many are eccentric in their own way. I cannot think of a single criticism to make of this novel – apart from the fact I wanted it to keep going.  I would love to read more about Mavis Hooper and Dorothea Browning-Mills’ further hilarious exploits but in the meantime I will hold them in a very special place in my heart with a fond smile.
Buy your copy here:

All profits from the sale of the books will go towards research into the cure for cancer.


About the Author:

A prize-winning author, Angela Petch lives half the year in West Sussex and the summer months in a remote valley in the Tuscan Apennines. She recently signed a two-book deal with Bookouture for her Tuscan novels and “Mavis and Dot” is a temporary departure from her usual genre. She has travelled all her life: born in Germany, she spent six years as a child living in Rome, worked in Amsterdam after finishing her degree in Italian, moved to Italy for her job, then to Tanzania for three years. Her head is full of stories and she always carries a pen and note-book to capture more ideas.
In May 2017, Angela Petch won PRIMA’S monthly short story competition and recently had a dozen stories published by The People’s Friend magazine.
“Mavis and Dot” was written in memory of a dear friend who lost her battle with ovarian cancer. 

All profits from sales of the book will go towards research into a cure for cancer.

LINKS
Twitter: @Angela_Petch
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2 comments:

  1. angelapetchsblogsite.wordpress.com28 November 2018 at 20:23

    Sandie - thanks SO much for this brilliant review. I've been busy today babysitting my three-month-old grandson and come in late. You have rejuvenated me. Rest assured I'll try to continue with Mavis' and Dot's escapades when I find the time! Thanks so much for supporting my cause. Lovely xxxx

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    Replies
    1. Sandie B28 November 2018 at 21:07

      You are most welcome Angela - and thank you so much for letting us share in Mavis & Dot's story. Definitely one of my favourite reads of the year.

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