Book at Bedtime

Jack Carter is an old man struggling to cope with the modern world, fighting with Margaret, Eva's carer, and Dodie, her bossy best friend. He conjures up his sexually repressed, religiously obsessed mother and his friend and mentor, Bob Pride, whose past is closely linked with Oscar Wilde. The Great Man, a famous local writer, pushes Jack to confront the past, revealing the truth.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 28 June 2021
Publisher: Troubador Publishing

On a frigid December Sunday, bookseller Jack Carter grapples with the cumbersome routine of preparing breakfast for his wife, Eva, whose dementia confines her physical body to her bed and her cognitive faculties to a realm of her own. Jack, an elderly man struggling to adapt to the modern world, finds himself engaged in an ongoing conflict with Margaret, Eva's caretaker, and must fend off Dodie, Eva's domineering best friend, who has determined that Jack, too, is succumbing to dementia and that it is high time for the two of them to reside in a care facility. Jack's mind frequently wanders into the past, conjuring visions of his sexually repressed, religiously obsessional mother and his friend and mentor, Bob Pride, whose own past is intricately intertwined with the legacy of Oscar Wilde. The gaps in Jack's memories and daydreams are gradually filled by Eva, revealing the intricate tapestry of their shared life.

This love story unfolds against the backdrop of a couple who have been married for nearly sixty years, their apparent bond concealed by a shared passion for books. However, beneath the surface lies a profound lack of communication that permeates their relationship. On this particular day, The Great Man, a renowned local writer, chooses to pay a visit. Comical and acerbic, he challenges Jack to confront the past, relentlessly pushing him until the truth finally emerges.

Weight: 330g
Dimension: 129 x 197 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800460812