Review: Tilly's trip left me feeling uplifted
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 27, 2013
Tilly's husband dies in unusual circumstances. Finding herself financially secure, she decides to hire small, dark and handsome Johnny to drive her around England in her newly purchased Firebird. Their road trip is full of wonderful, bizarre encounters, a lot of kissing and a lot of laughs.Tilly is nave, generous and warm, with a healthy and open attitude to trying new experiences. Her developing relationship with the much younger Johnny is a delight, and her acceptance of her husband's lover, Anke, into her life is quite poignant. There is tenderness and joy in the way that Tilly touches the lives of all the people she meets. This sense of innocence alongside some playful naughtiness brings each character to life.I love Francis Potts' ability to describe the reality of life, the everyday and the mundane, and the imaginative twist he adds with a dream-like feel and a mischievous nod to the eccentric.Anke's poor but endearing grasp of English; Tilly and Johnny's refrain of 'You're a bad man/woman'; and Tilly's slightly risqué collections are great running gags. Initially I loved being in on the joke and looked forward to these moments. However, after a point I found the repetition made the story sag in places.That said, Tilly's trip left me feeling uplifted, and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to join her on her journey.