I was intrigued to read this memoir as I remembered hearing how Michele Roberts, a well-established and respected novelist, was turned down by her agent and editor when she submitted her last manuscript. It seemed she was no longer considered commercial and had effectively been dropped. This book recalls that experience, and what she did next.

This is part memoir, part travelogue, part food diary! But it is especially interesting to anyone intrigued by the writer's life.

Michele Roberts has written 15 novels, four poetry collections, and five books of short stories. I have to confess that I don't think I've read any of them, but I must have heard her speak at a festival, and she would have been in the media for reviews and comment in the past. She's certainly a familiar name. 

In 2016 she submitted a novel to her publisher which was rejected for being 'too intense and not engaging'. The experience caused her to reevaluate her work, and for the next year she set about a rewrite.

This book details something of that time. She presents feelings of depression and anxiety but also how she eventually came to an acceptance, and an understanding of the value of the friendships above everything.  

She spends time in France and there are descriptions of the houses and the villages she stays in, and the food she enjoys, the markets where she buys fresh fruit and vegetables and the dishes she creates for friends to enjoy.

She also shares moments of insight and wisdom regarding the writer's life - how to overcome self-doubt, to have the courage to write your story (not your editor's), and to be bold and brave. It's an interesting, honest, enlightening and wide-ranging read.