It is my great pleasure to be the final stop on this whistle stop blog tour for Julia Roberts’ new book, ‘Time for a Short Story’.
During her summer break from University, Eloise takes a job working at June’s tearoom, ‘Primrose Pantry’. Living with her grandmother, Eloise is still trying to get over the death of her mother and the tearoom with its steady flow of customers is a welcome distraction.
Just a few days into her new job, Eloise meets eighty-nine-year-old Josephine, one of the tearoom’s regulars. Every week Josephine comes to the tearoom, has a teacake and a cup of coffee, and then sits and writes short stories. As an English student and aspiring author, Eloise is intrigued by the woman and asks if she can read her stories. When Josephine leaves her an envelope with some of the work inside it, Eloise is amazed by what she reads.
When Eloise discovers that Josephine is soon to celebrate her birthday, she plans a special surprise for her. When the Wednesday following her birthday comes and goes with no sign of Josephine, Eloise begins to wonder whether she will get to see her friend again or if it may just be too late to show her the surprise she had planned.
‘Time for a Short Story’ is a delightful read. In just a few short chapters, Ms Roberts has created a truly picturesque setting and a delightful group of characters, none more so than the spirited soon-to-be nonagenarian, Josephine. The descriptions are fabulous, and I really got a clear idea in my head of the ‘Primrose Pantry’, my mind wandering to think of rows of beautifully mouth-watering cakes. Likewise, as Eloise sat reading Josephine’s work at the seafront, I got a real sense of place and time. Amazing to achieve so much in so few pages.
Although this may only take half an hour or so to read, it is a beautifully brief escape and one I heartily recommend. The central theme of the story, inspired by Julia Robert’s own mother, is around the fact that if you enjoy something, such as Josephine enjoys writing, then you should just get out and do it. If you want to write, then just start to write. And as the unstoppable Josephine proves, age is just a number and it’s never too late to start something new. We could all take a leaf out of her book.
There is a lovely heart-warming tone to the tale, one of second chances, for Eloise and for Josephine. In showing kindness to her new friend, Eloise also reconnects with someone she had thought lost to her. So if you have a spare half an hour then you should take a look. Equal measures of hope, humour and friendship are all in here to brighten your day. I really look forward to reading more by this author.
A short but sweet 5 stars
My thanks to Julia Roberts for providing a copy of ‘Time for a Short Story’ in exchange for my review.
‘Time for a Short Story’ is available now:
Julia’s other books, the Liberty Sands Trilogy, are avalable on Amazon at the following links:
About the Author
Julia Roberts passion for writing began when, at the age of ten, after winning second prize in a short story-writing competition, she announced that she wanted to write a book. After a small gap of forty-seven years, and a career in the entertainment industry, Julia finally fulfilled her dream in 2013 when her first book, a memoir entitled One Hundred Lengths of the Pool, was published by Preface Publishing. Two weeks later she had the idea for her first novel, Life’s a Beach and Then…, book one in the Liberty Sands Trilogy, which was released in May 2015.
Julia still works full-time as a Presenter for the TV channel QVC, where she has just celebrated her twenty-second anniversary.
She now lives in Ascot with her ‘other half’ of thirty-eight years and occasionally one or other of her children and their respective cats.
Julia’s other books, the Liberty Sands Trilogy, are avalable on Amazon at the following links:
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