Rachel is about to graduate university in Cork, Ireland. She is getting a degree in English and totally unsure what that will qualify her to do. In the meantime, she is working in a bookstore and that's where she meets James, who will become her best friend for life. The two are perfectly matched. Rachel is interested in men and so is James. They drink together, work together, spend hours together talking and being snarky and watching sitcoms and television dramas.
Soon both fall in love. Rachel had a crush on one of her professors but it turns out that he is attracted to James and they start an affair. Rachel meets Carey who she loves madly but who periodically disappears so that she is never sure of him. She goes to work for the professor's wife which is uncomfortable as she really likes the woman. Still, her loyalty lies with James who is always there for her, especially in the biggest issue she will ever face.
Caroline O'Donoghue is an Irish writer who started work as a columnist and who also hosts a podcast called Sentimental Garbage. This book is based on her life in Cork, not the actual events but her emotions as a young twenty-something, about to start adult life and feeling unprepared and how important friends were in your life at that time. Although the events can seem heavy, the novel itself is light and full of joy and laughter. It's one of those novels that make the reader, once finishing, immediately go search out other novels by the author. Rachel is a unique character who will remain in my thoughts for quite a while. This book is recommended for readers of women's and literary fiction.
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