The Confusion of Karen Carpenter
Publisher,Pan Macmillan
Publication Date,
Format, Paperback
Weight,
No. of Pages,
"Having the same name as a 70s pop star was just the start of her troubles..."
Hello. There are two things you should know about me:
1) My name is Karen Carpenter. 2) Just before Christmas my boyfriend left me.
I'm not THE Karen Carpenter. I just have the most embarrassing name in Christendom. Particularly as I'm no skinny minny and don't play the drums. I can't even sing. I'm tone deaf. I work in a school in the East End. (Where I came third in a "Teacher we'd most like to sleep with" competition amongst the Year 11 boys) My Mum's driving me mad. She's come to stay and is obsessed with Scandi crime shows and Zumba. Oh yeah. The boyfriend. After eleven "happy" years he left me. No explanation just a post it on the kettle when I got in from work. I think I'm handling it really well. I don't think I'm confused at all. What was my name again?
Staff Review:
If you're looking for a book to read that is both sharp, witty and full of charm. Charateristic of British humour, it may be a slow warm up at first, but once you get the hang of it, it will make you laugh until your sides hurts. The novel follows the life of Karen Carpenter, a special needs teacher in a London school whose boyfriend Michael has just left her. She now has to face her single status and to appease her loneliness, her mother moves in, complaining about rats in the attic and enjoying Zumba sessions, while her dad remains up in Liverpool. Like all books, there are twists and, turns that will surprise readers towards the end. Engaging and well worth picking up.
