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The story of a woman who, at a turning point in her life, casts aside convention and embarks on a heady new existence. Catherine Jones -- conscientious working wife and mother -- is catapulted into a dramatic life-change. As the shockwaves subside, she realizes that she has never had the chance to be her true self, never even considered who that self might be. Over the years she has become her own gaoler, someone merely waiting to live. Peeling off her 'second skin' of duty, guilt and fear, she starts living with a vengeance. She joins a bohemian flatshare in Camden Town with people little older than her own children. She takes a job in Camden market -- a startling contrast to suburbia. She meets a poet, Will, and embarks on her first ever affair. But her heady new existence is threatened by her family's demands, even, paradoxically, by Will himself. At this turning point in her life, will she succeed in her bid for freedom and become the person she was born to be?
After decades of conforming to the expectations of her suburban life, Catherine Jones abandons her role as a dutiful wife and mother to pursue an authentic existence. Catherine finds herself at a sudden, volatile crossroads that forces her to confront the persona she has constructed over years of domestic obligation. She must navigate the friction between her newfound independence in a bohemian Camden flatshare and the persistent, anchoring demands of her former life. The narrative follows her attempt to shed the psychological weight of guilt and fear while engaging in a transformative, albeit complicated, romantic affair.
This work presents a focused study on the internal mechanics of a woman attempting to reclaim her agency after years of self-imposed restriction. The narrative structure emphasizes the stark contrast between the protagonist's previous life and her new, chaotic environment in Camden. Readers likely find the exploration of the 'second skin' metaphor to be a central thematic anchor that drives the character's development. The prose suggests a deliberate pace that allows for a thorough examination of the protagonist's evolving motivations and the external pressures that threaten her newfound freedom.
Page Count:
440
Publication Date:
1999-01-01
Publisher:
Flamingo
ISBN-10:
000649871X
ISBN-13:
9780006498711
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