3 out of 5 stars
For someone who never really had the opportunity to settle as a child as her family kept moving home, you’d think that living on a canal boat that has to keep moving every couple of weeks might not be the best way to put down roots. However, the costs of living in London mean that bricks and mortar are not an option for Couchman.
Our capital city can be a really lonely place, but with her unusual home comes a diverse and welcoming community of people who also live on the river. She learns to be self-sufficient and practical, a canal boat takes a lot of care and attention to keep it going and afloat. She also reveals a part of London that most people are blissfully unaware of.
I thought that this was an enjoyable and mostly unchallenging read. Couchman bares her souls in a couple of parts of the book and tells of her relationships and the inner strength to get through life some days. If you want to read about life on the waterways of London, I can also recommend, Circle Line by Steffan Meyric Hughes
Out here in middle-of-nowhere-rural-Ohio, this sounds marvelous! I hope I can find it.
Someone in the States must have a copy, Lisa
Sounds interesting. What made it a 3 star read for you rather than a 4?
Mostly the quality of the writing. It was good but not great.