How time flies

Sophie Duffy

I can't believe that it is almost a year since I met with Sophie Duffy, the author of The Generation Game and now, This Holey Life. I was reading The Generation Game as my summer read last summer and I was interested to know more about the author as I knew that she lived in my locality. I was a little riled to find that Sophie Duffy was talking about her new book that was to be about a 'reluctant curate's wife' who was coming to terms with a bereavement and her husband's new - found faith. I had just ended my first blog 'The (reluctant) curate's wife' which was recording my response to unexpectedly finding myself in the role of curate's wife. It seemed too much of a co-incidence  but co-incidence it was, as I found out after contacting Sophie and arranging to meet her in the nearby city. 

It was a rather surreal situation - meeting a stranger in a cafe for coffee to discuss her books! I had seen her publicity photographs but she had no idea how she would recognise me. She assured me that she would find me (can you spot a curate's wife?). As it was, I followed her into the cafe and we had an enjoyable discussion. Sophie has won various literary prizes and I was interested to hear how much dedication and courage it takes to become a published author. The Generation Game had intriguing twists and was set in a familiar era and locations which made it an ideal holiday read for me. This Holey Life promises to be an equally engaging book and I looking forward to reading it next week when The Curate and I return to the Isle of Man.

We collected a copy when we drove over to see Sophie launch her new book last week. In amongst the acknowledgements there is one 'to all those vicar's wives (and husbands, of course) for shining a light, day in, day out.' You will also find one to 'the once reluctant curate's wife'! I can't believe it was a year ago that we sat and chatted over coffee - so much has happened since then.