The Undomestic Goddess is the highly enjoyable and sexy (albeit unlikely) story of a young, up-and-coming woman. This book is just as funny as Kinsella's Shopaholic series- she hasn't lost her touch. Samantha Sweeting is a top lawyer in the City; she comes from a family of lawyers and desperately wants a promotion to the rank of Partner in her competitive law firm.
Sam is a workaholic whose days consist of working until 11, then maybe grabbing takeout. She has no idea how to operate her hoover, much less have the time to do laundry. There's a major mistake over a few monetary figures, and Samantha panics, running away. Eventually she finds herself in a small village in the Cotswolds, working as a housekeeper for a couple who have no idea who she is. Throw in a gorgeous man named Nathaniel who works as a gardener for the Geigers, and you have the setup for a nice romantic comedy. Which this book is, on the outside. But on a deeper level its a story about getting-or not getting- what you want. Is being a lawyer really what Samantha really wants to do? What if all her life ambitions have come to nothing?
Some of the things in this book are a little far-fetched- a thirty-year-old woman who doesn't know how to do her own laundry? But thats the nature of Sophie Kinsella's books- things have to be far-fetched in order for them to be ultimately believable. This is a fast-paced read that will leave you wanting more from the author of the Shopaholic books and Can You Keep a Secret?
Comments
http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/2008/05/dirty-domesticity.html
Great review.