London from My Windows

August 1, 2015

A traumatic childhood event changed Ava's worldview, and she eventually developed a hidden disability--agoraphobia. As a young woman living in Iowa and under the care of a therapist she is able to manage her disability most of the time. After her estranged Aunt Beverly dies, Ava learns she has been bequeathed her aunt's flat in London. But there are conditions: Ava must live there for a year and visit a number of tourist attractions in order to become the owner. She is determined to go, so with the help of her therapist and pharmaceuticals she arrives in London. She soon finds she has a roommate with whom she is in competition for the flat and meets her aunt's dishy lawyer, on whom she understandably develops a crush. Could Ava become a Londoner for life or will her aunt's well-meaning stipulations prove too much? VERDICT The author's comic flair lightens the mood without minimizing the seriousness of Ava's disability, while the city of London comes alive with vivid descriptions of many landmarks. For fans of women's fiction, the author's previous novels (Meet Me in Barcelona; Accidentally Engaged), and anyone interested in fiction dealing with agoraphobia.--Karen Core, Detroit P.L.

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