Giving Up On Ordinary [Paperback]

Isla Dewar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2009

“Isla is the best, the funniest, the cleverest, the most enjoyable writer in Scotland today. . . . you would enrich your life beyond all measure by discovering Isla Dewar.” ---Robin Pilcher, New York Times bestselling author

In this funny and charming novel, Megs is a woman whose ordinary life is about to become absolutely extraordinary. . . .   
When Megs became a house cleaner to make ends meet as a single mother of three, she didn’t realize that people would be so blinded by the cleansers and mops, they would fail to see her as an actual human being. As “the housekeeper” she’s become invisible to them all. Little do these upper-crust clients realize that her life is just as full as theirs, although perhaps a bit less high end.
Megs sings the sultry blues at a club each weekend, begins a secret affair, and drinks her troubles away with her saucy best friend, Lorraine---all while trying to keep her children happy and her head above water. But with help from an eccentric professor whose house she cleans, her life is about to get a shot in the arm. Megs begins to speak her mind, stand up for herself, and live her life in color.
Poignant and incredibly witty, Giving Up On Ordinary is a heartwarming story with laughter and surprises on every page.  Following in the incredible footsteps of Maeve Binchy and Joanna Trollope, Isla Dewar has established herself as one of the greatest voices in women’s fiction today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Megs Williams, the single mother heroine of Brit author Dewar's pleasant latest, is in a miserable spot: she's wracked with grief over the recent accidental death of one of her three children, she's pregnant and, having lost her job, now works as a housekeeper. Though she has a less than endearing tendency to lack self-control, readers will be able to relate as she and her best friend Lorraine dream of escaping their respective ruts. Things start looking up for Megs after Gilbert, the stuffy professor whose house she cleans, tunes into her beautiful singing voice. As Gilbert and Megs catch each other's interest, more is revealed about Gilbert's tics and aspirations (including his shame at how he met Megs). Refreshingly, Dewar (Secrets of a Family Album) shies away from easy solutions, and the conclusion is entirely believable and not at all what's expected. Though some of the comedy—particularly that involving Megs's mother—can verge on camp, the novel serves up a realistic, often moving portrait of a not-quite-conventional single mother. (Oct.)
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Review

"Isla Dewar writes with heartbreaking honesty and genuine compassion... Dewar's Megs is a survivor who had me rooting for her from page one."-Carrie Karasyov, author of THE INFIDELITY PACT on Giving Up On Ordinary
“Isla Dewar is a warm-hearted and gifted storyteller.  GIVING UP ON ORDINARY will make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with her characters.”-Catherine Ryan Hyde, bestselling author of PAY IT FORWARD, CHASING WINDMILLS and LOVE IN THE PRESENT TENSEon Giving Up On Ordinary

"Dewar's gift is to pull you into the minutiae of people's lives...few writers are so good at making the reader empathize." --Scotland on Sunday on Giving Up On Ordinary

"Crackling with wit, and shot through with sharp observations." --Woman & Home on Giving Up On Ordinary
“Dewar is an accessible storyteller with a wry sense of the comic.” ---Kirkus Reviews
“Move over Maeve Binchy: there’s a new writer on the block.” ---The Roanoke Times
“Dewar’s funny, tragic, warm-hearted, life-af?rming story is guaranteed to hold readers spellbound. Superb women’s fiction.” ---Booklist (starred review) on Dancing in a Distant Place
“Fans of Maeve Binchy may enjoy Dewar’s perceptive omniscient guidance through the cozy Scottish world of these likeable, flawed characters.” ---Publishers Weekly on Dancing in a Distant Place
“A fabulous family drama.” ---The Midwest Book Review on Dancing in a Distant Place
“Explosively funny.” ---Scotland on Sunday on Giving Up On Ordinary
“Crackling with wit, and shot through with sharp observations.” ---Woman & Home on Giving Up On Ordinary
“A warm, witty slice of modern life . . . readers will find plenty to laugh about, cry over, and enjoy in Dewar’s elegantly written family saga.”---Booklist on Secrets of a Family Album

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031256161X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312561611
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #841,932 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quite amusing BUT...., April 8, 2002

By 

jackie_austin15@hotm (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Giving Up On Ordinary (Paperback)

From reading the blurb on the back I was expecting at least half of the book to be about Megs's (the main character) success. I got sick of her whining on about being ordinary but doing absolutely nothing about it!!It was only in the last 2 chapters that she and her mate, Lorraine, finally got to open their long-dreamed of sandwich bar.It was as if the author suddenly realised that the book had grown to almost full capacity and main protagonist still hadn't done anything so she decided to cram it in quickly!!!! I also got tired of the constant descriptions of the mess and chaos in Megs's house. I think it was supposed to endear the reader to her but in my case it didn't work and I kept wishing she'd get off her backside and DO something.I think the humour in the book saved the day.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL SLICE OF LIFE!, August 31, 2008

By 

Caren L. Goold (Sprague River, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Giving Up On Ordinary (Paperback)

I LOVED THIS BOOK!
A brand new Scots author, to me.
The story kept my attention on every page.
Beautifully descriptive of the land, and the characters were well formed, and I was made to feel like I 'knew" them.
Highly recommended.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars book purchase, June 10, 2009

By 

Debbie (boston, ma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Giving Up On Ordinary (Paperback)

The book arrived at my door within days of my purchase--very fast!! The book was in perfect condition!!