A review by bookofcinz
The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

A beautiful book about ageing, friendship, grief and change. An unforgettable read

In The Woman Next Door we meet Hortensia James, a Black renowned designer from Barbados whose lived all over the world and decided to make Cape Town her retirement city. She moves into a rich neighbourhood and immediately feels unwelcomed. Hortensia husband is in palliative care at home so she has a lot of free time on her hands. She decides to be a part of the neighbourhood committee where she meets her next door neighbour. 

Marion Agostino is a white and has lived in Cape Town majority of her life. Recently widowed, she spends majority of her time with the neighbourhood committee, with her grandchild and her dog. Being the chairman of the neighbourhood watch may be Marion’s entire personality. That is until she finds out her dead husband left her for broke and she may lose everything she holds dear if she loses her house. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don’t know what it is about reading about older protagonist but I could not put this book down. The friendship was unlikely and I think it goes back to what makes this book so lovely. The author showed us the characters’ humanity. They were two miserable old ladies, but you felt for them in a genuine way. I really loved how everything played out. 

This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading more. Truly a beautiful book!