3 out of 4 stars
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Fling! by Lily Iona Mackenzie.
Review by Inky_Capricious.
Rated 3 out of 4 stars.
Quirky and interesting, Fling! takes the reader on a grand adventure starting in turn of the century Scotland, pushing us into a new hoped for opportunity in Canada, and finally taking us on the trip of a lifetime in Mexico. When ninety-year-old Bubbles receives a letter from Mexico City asking her to pick up her mother's ashes, lost there seventy years earlier and only now surfacing, she hatches a plan. Bubbles convinces her hippie daughter Feather to accompany her on the quest. Both women have recently shed husbands and have a secondary agenda: they'd like a little action. A fling, if you will.
Three different places, with different attitudes that force mother and daughter to look within themselves to adjust. Their relationship is a loving one, however they are two different women and do not see eye to eye. The way they relate to each other is absolutely hilarious and heartwarming.
Ms. Mackenzie does a wonderful creating the irrepressible Bubbles! The ninety-year-old matriarch not only says what she thinks, but also acts on it, whether it is eating with gusto, dancing, or seducing men young enough to be her grandson! Her colorful remembrances and internal dialogues should delight readers. Feather, her daughter, is a harder character to embrace. She considers herself a self-styled hippie, but often her behavior tends to be more rigid and conservative with her concerns about money, her mother’s mental stability, and control. The author highlights the contrast between who Feather thinks she is and who she really is.
The reader tags along as the duo make their way south enjoying the sun, liquid-eyed hunks, and life. “Fling!” is a self-discovery road trip, and an enjoyable read reminding the reader to chase rainbows while on the right side of the soil.
If there is one criticism of this story, it would be regarding the flashbacks. I normally dislike flashbacks, and the jumps in the book gave me whiplash. I got an idea of where she wanted to go in the story, but it often took me a page or two to really start following the storyline again. This made it a more difficult read since I kept getting lost.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a more “realistic” fantastical book with a lovely message and eccentric characters.
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Fling!
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