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A review by abby_writes
Waiting for Tomorrow by Nathacha Appanah
4.0
This is such a tragic novel. A couple, both artistic, both lonely, meet at a New Year's Eve party. Eventually they marry, thinking they will come together and create something special -- a contribution to the world of art and culture they aspire to, as well as a family and home for themselves. Anita tries to be "okay" with giving up her creative pursuits to become the perfect housewife, but she feels empty. Something is missing. Adam chafes at her unhappiness, where was his "perfect" wife, who is this unhappy creature? Anita eventually takes a job writing for a local paper and meets Adele, another woman from her home of Mauritius. Adele has her own tragedies and slowly Adam and Anita absorb her until she is a at worst, a husk, at best, a muse. They write and paint and transform her personal pain into art. However, one person cannot unilaterally lay claim to the story of another, as they will all soon discover.
Finally, this book reminds me of The Perfect Nanny. Both women are immigrants (similar to the protagonist in TPN), one is a nanny by day with her own tragic past, and the novels both begin with haunting introductions, in this one Adam is established to be in jail within the first few pages. Both are billed as thrillers, but I don't think either actually are. For me, this book was sparse, the reader kept at arms length and only able to view the characters at a distance. In comparison to The Perfect Nanny, this book suffers a bit. Perhaps I would feel differently had I read it first.
Finally, this book reminds me of The Perfect Nanny. Both women are immigrants (similar to the protagonist in TPN), one is a nanny by day with her own tragic past, and the novels both begin with haunting introductions, in this one Adam is established to be in jail within the first few pages. Both are billed as thrillers, but I don't think either actually are. For me, this book was sparse, the reader kept at arms length and only able to view the characters at a distance. In comparison to The Perfect Nanny, this book suffers a bit. Perhaps I would feel differently had I read it first.