Hi friends! So today I'm going to be doing a review on "In Search Of Ethel Cartwright" by Tom Winter. This review is going to be short and sweet (like the title suggests) and spoiler free (however there will be the Goodreads synopsis in this and sometimes it can contain spoilers so please keep that in mind!)
"Norman Cartwright, an eighty - six - year - old man living in a small seaside town of Clacton, Essex, has kept his cross - dressing a secret his entire life. A trucker by trade, his lipstick and wigs were donned only in the lonely confines of his lorry, as he sat in lay - bys and drove along empty roads on long trips away from his wife and children. After years of judgement, abuse and fear, Norman no longer knows how to embrace this side of himself, or if anyone would accept him if he did... When his teenage granddaughter, Florence, turns up unannounced, it's obvious that she, too, has secrets she's not yet willing to share. As they grow closer, however, the truth bubbles free and life starts to change in profound and unexpected ways, both for them and everyone around them. In Search Of Ethel Cartwright is a moving story of family, love and courage that reminds us the importance of being true to ourselves."
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.
So the reason I wanted to read this book is because I saw the way that it was described on Netgalley and instantly knew that I had to read it so I applied to get it. I am so incredible happy that I did receive this book and I am so shocked about the amount of emotions I felt whilst reading this. This is a beautiful story about an 86 year old crossdressing man who's teenage granddaughter turns up out of the blue to visit him. This was such a heart warming story of Norman coming to be comfortable with himself with the help of his granddaughter. I really like that this book not only is set in the present but has little moments where it flashbacks into the past to give us more detail about the characters we're reading about. This story is so much more than just about Norman and his granddaughter, Florence, but about how things have changed so much between the ages of Norman being a young adult and now, as well as how much things have also stayed the same for some. One thing I will say about this book, is there is some language in it that isn't okay to use in this day and age, however the way it is used is not to be offensive, but in a way to show that Norman is as old as he is and is quickly corrected by his granddaughter, I still found it a little jarring though. I found myself crying both of happy and sad tears throughout this book, and there were so many happy moments that filled my heart with joy. There were also moments which showed people can be cruel, but those were few and far between. If you want a nice little contemporary about a cross dressing grandad coming into his own with the help of his granddaughter please, please pick this up when it comes out! You won't be disappointed!
My Favourite Characters:
- June: June is an amazing side character to this story and I loved her so much. I appreciate the amount of effort she went through to make sure that Norman would be okay.
- Florence: Florence is a beautifully written character and I'm so glad that she was able to help Norman in all the ways that she did as well as finding out the truths for herself.
- Rex: Rex is another amazing side character and I genuinely wish we got a little more of him. I loved the moments we had with him.
My Least Favourite Character:
- Sally: I actually put in my notes "Sally is such a nosey old cow", because that is exactly what she is. She was too much in everyone's business and truly needed to mind her own.
I gave this book a 4/5 star rating on Goodreads.
This book is going to be released 7th March 2024!
What did you think of this book? Who were your favourite or least favourite characters? Do you have any books you'd recommend for me to read and do a review on? Please let me know down in the comments below!!
Have a wonderful day!
Love, Doe!
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