Friday Nights: A Novel (Hardcover)

by Joanna Trollope (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
When a British retiree invites two young single mothers from the neighborhood to her flat, a Friday night tradition begins. As their klatch widens, Trollope's memorable characters do more than just represent varying female predicaments: they develop as rich individuals who come to triumph over their pasts. Paula has a wary relationship with the married man who fathered their son, Toby: she must move on, yet stay in touch for Toby's sake. Struggling Lindsay was widowed before she gave birth, while her sister, Jules, is a careless aspiring nightclub DJ with a wild streak. Independent, put-together Blaise contrasts starkly with her often bedraggled business partner, Karen, who barely manages her role as mother and breadwinner. And then there is Eleanor, the catalyst for the gatherings, a no-nonsense older woman who, though full of wisdom and spunk, keeps her thoughts to herself unless asked. When a new man enters Paula's life, Trollope (Second Honeymoon) masterfully shows how work and romance can tip the scales in female friendships. The result is a careful and compelling examination of one man's insidious effect on a group of female friends, as memorable as it is readable. (May)
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From Booklist
On Friday nights, a disparate group of friends—single mothers Lindsay and Paula, Lindsay’s hapless sister Jules, successful entrepreneur Blaise, and Blaise’s business partner Karen, struggling to juggle work with a difficult marriage—are likely to find themselves together. The group evolved from a tentative invitation issued by Eleanor, a lonely retiree, to two strangers, and it is generally in Eleanor’s house that the group meets and finds a sense of stability and community. Disruption comes in the form of Paula’s new boyfriend, the enigmatic Jackson, who insinuates himself into their lives in one way or another, igniting jealousy and resentment. Karen’s husband, Lucas, calls Jackson an “unsettling influence.” But he is also a catalyst, whose presence gives everyone a much-needed jolt. Another piece of intelligent domestic fiction from the reliable Trollope, who makes us care about all of these women and the choices they make. --Mary Ellen Quinn

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (April 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596914076
• ISBN-13: 978-1596914070
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #282,869 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars always a pleasure to read Joanna Trollope, June 4, 2008

By	Margaret Reynolds "retired to a bookstore" (Ukiah, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Just another wonderful story and incredible writing from this exceptional author who never fails to please me. Her stories so simple and heartwarming about just ordinary people with ordinary lives and all the trials that ordinary people contend with in life. And this one about a group of women who are for the most part complete strangers to each other who come together for various reasons including loneliness and then the children and their innocent interaction with not just each other but with the adults as well. This book contains the most completely satisfying cast of characters. The men don't fare as well but that's ok as they misbehave badly indeed.

I sent Joanna an email to thanks her for the pleasure her books have always brought to me and she sent back the most charming email that I printed on vellum to frame. She's just a beautiful person writing books that always please.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Friday nights disrupted (3.75 *s), April 29, 2008

By	One Man's View (Lawrenceville, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

It is Eleanor, a Londonite retired from the National Health Service, marriage less and childless, who notices a couple of single moms in her neighborhood, decides to offer assistance, and thereby starts a Friday night social ritual. Three others soon join the group. Eleanor is their rock: she is imperturbable, largely unsentimental, and helps to supply coherence to these young women's lives.

But after several years, changes disrupt the group's harmony. Paula, one of the young unmarried mothers, is literally given an upscale loft by her guilt-ridden former lover. Then to top if off, she holds a Friday night gathering in her new place and brings in her new boyfriend - apparently a real catch. The enigmatic new man proves to be a very upsetting factor as he manages to insinuate himself into their lives by making various offers, both business wise and more romantically tinged. Suspicions and envy abound, the easy friendliness of the group disappears, and allies are sought to justify actions.

Each character is unique, largely understandable, and portrayed more or less sympathetically. Although the various children seem awfully bratty. The mere formation of the group, its long standing, and the ubiquity of the new man are perhaps a stretch. Furthermore, the recovery of each person is also a bit too tidy - no train wrecks. Nonetheless, the author has a keen eye for the difficulties and changes of life, and yet retains a certain optimism regarding our abilities to adjust and move on. The book is a quick read, however the flurry of interactions once the problems start almost become too much to follow.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A quiet but solidly satisfying tale, June 30, 2008

By	Bookreporter.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

Eleanor lived her life as a professional working for Britain's National Health Service. Upon retirement, she finds herself a bored elderly person with a cane and no real interests or relationships. Gazing out her window, she frequently sees two young ladies, separately walking along her street, one with a baby and the other with a small boy. Always alone, the two women seem to need some kind of assistance. On a day when Lindsay and Paula pass each other in front of Eleanor's home, she steps out to offer to babysit. Both refuse, but when Eleanor requests that they come on Friday night, they agree.

The Friday night gathering begins awkwardly. Eleanor learns that Lindsay, the mother of a baby named Noah, was widowed while she was pregnant. Paula, whose son Toby is a toddler, does not live with Toby's father, who is married. Although the young women seem particularly ill at ease at Eleanor's, they agree to return, which begins a tradition of regular Friday night meetings.

As time goes by, the women invite newcomers, all female, to the group. There's Lindsay's quirky sister, Jules, who yearns to be a professional disc jockey. Jules suggests that Eleanor invite a neighbor, Blaise, whose entire life, echoing Eleanor's, revolves around her career. Blaise brings Karen, her business partner, whose life is fragmented and stressful. She not only has two daughters, but she also supports her artist husband, Lucas, who hasn't sold a painting in a long time --- and she resents supporting him.

Year in and year out, the women gather, with the two young boys. They form strong nurturing friendships, an ornate pattern of interlocking relationships. But then Paula encounters good fortune, in two unrelated ways. Her son's father comes into money, so he buys Paula and Toby a luxurious condo. She also meets Jackson, an eligible man, and falls in love. She even brings Jackson to the Friday night gathering. This is a notable occasion; the women don't ever bring men, but Paula would like her friends to approve and rejoice in handsome, wealthy, single Jackson, who wants her.

But Jackson, like a stone tossed into a pool, causes a ripple effect within the Friday night group and is a catalyst for change. Some of the changes are positive. He transforms Toby from an apathetic child to a vibrant football fan, a passion Toby also ignites in Eleanor. However, each adult member of the Friday night group becomes restless in her own way. Jackson makes Eleanor uncomfortable, although she can't explain why. He approaches Jules about helping her in her career path. He drops in on Karen without Paula, plunging unhappy Karen into a quandary. Meanwhile, Lindsay grieves because Paula, busy with her new lover, withdraws from their friendship. As time goes on, Jackson's motives are mysterious, but each woman's life is knocked off-kilter by his presence.

Readers eager for a fast-paced romance or thriller may not enjoy the leisurely pace of this story. However, others will be delighted to watch each character's tale unfold. The women's lives are complex, and it is an enjoyable investment of time to get to know each. As always, author Joanna Trollope gives us a quiet but satisfying tale with excellent, solid characterization, detailed so precisely that we feel we'd recognize these women, and their shifting, complicated connections, anywhere.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon