Good Eggs is the impressive debut novel from Rebecca Hardiman. The plot revolves around the dysfunctional Gogarty family who live in Dalkey, Dublin. The main focus of the book is the fractured relationship between 83 year old Wild Child Millie, and her son Kevin, who feels as though his life is spiralling out of his control.
Millie is determined to grow old disgracefully, while Kevin wants nothing more than to have his Mum safe and made to behave in a care home. He has more than enough to worry about with looking for a new job, and being father to four very different children; Aideen his 16 year old daughter is particularly troubling him at the moment with her seeming hatred of her twin sister, her rebelliousness at school and her complete disdain for any rules Kevin tries to impose.
Kevin thinks he has solved at least one of his problem when he employs a carer for his Mum; A young American woman Sylvia. While Millie isn’t initially happy, she accepts it is this or a care home and gradually begins to warm to this comparative stranger, becoming quite close to her, perhaps too close. With the enrolment of Aideen into a girls’ boarding school, Kevin finally begins to feel as though he is gaining some control. Little does he suspect that both these well-meaning actions will actually lead to even more upheaval in his life when Millie and Aideen have to join forces to right some wrongs.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each chapter is told from a different perspective with Aideen, Millie and Kevin sharing the narrative. Through the alternating chapters we see how the problems of each of the key characters develop and eventually how they all come together to create the climactic chapters.
I have read some reviews that have been disparaging about the progression of the storyline citing farcical developments. However, while I acknowledge that some scenes were rather televisual and I often had actors in mind while reading, I would argue that, although farfetched and at times rather quirky, they did not descend into farce.
There is a lot of humour in the book, mainly thanks to Millie and her many escapades to prove to all that she can look after herself. Perhaps inevitably they usually prove the contrary. There are however, also some very poignant moments as both Mille and Kevin remember the past with fondness, while Aideen just longs for her family to notice her, the more reserved of the twins, rather than always favouring her exuberant sister. While the overall tone is very light-hearted, there are more meaningful themes present e.g. loneliness, loss, teenage angst and the strength of love.
Overall, Good Eggs is a promising debut novel with laugh out loud chapters, and also moments that will bring a tear to the eye. I’d like to think that the Gogarty family have many more adventures in front of them and that Rebecca Hardiman will share them with us.
Millie is determined to grow old disgracefully, while Kevin wants nothing more than to have his Mum safe and made to behave in a care home. He has more than enough to worry about with looking for a new job, and being father to four very different children; Aideen his 16 year old daughter is particularly troubling him at the moment with her seeming hatred of her twin sister, her rebelliousness at school and her complete disdain for any rules Kevin tries to impose.
Kevin thinks he has solved at least one of his problem when he employs a carer for his Mum; A young American woman Sylvia. While Millie isn’t initially happy, she accepts it is this or a care home and gradually begins to warm to this comparative stranger, becoming quite close to her, perhaps too close. With the enrolment of Aideen into a girls’ boarding school, Kevin finally begins to feel as though he is gaining some control. Little does he suspect that both these well-meaning actions will actually lead to even more upheaval in his life when Millie and Aideen have to join forces to right some wrongs.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each chapter is told from a different perspective with Aideen, Millie and Kevin sharing the narrative. Through the alternating chapters we see how the problems of each of the key characters develop and eventually how they all come together to create the climactic chapters.
I have read some reviews that have been disparaging about the progression of the storyline citing farcical developments. However, while I acknowledge that some scenes were rather televisual and I often had actors in mind while reading, I would argue that, although farfetched and at times rather quirky, they did not descend into farce.
There is a lot of humour in the book, mainly thanks to Millie and her many escapades to prove to all that she can look after herself. Perhaps inevitably they usually prove the contrary. There are however, also some very poignant moments as both Mille and Kevin remember the past with fondness, while Aideen just longs for her family to notice her, the more reserved of the twins, rather than always favouring her exuberant sister. While the overall tone is very light-hearted, there are more meaningful themes present e.g. loneliness, loss, teenage angst and the strength of love.
Overall, Good Eggs is a promising debut novel with laugh out loud chapters, and also moments that will bring a tear to the eye. I’d like to think that the Gogarty family have many more adventures in front of them and that Rebecca Hardiman will share them with us.