To be honest with you, I wasn’t expecting much from The Lido. I read a short synopsis and wasn’t intrigued by it, but decided to read it anyway, as I love swimming. However, when I started reading the novel, on almost every page, I became more and more interested in the story to the point where I couldn’t stop reading. Yes, the book positively surprised me!
The book tells a story about two women, Kate and Rosemary, aged 26 and 86, who live in Brixton, London. At some point in the novel, they meet and get involved in the campaign against the closure of the local lido. Even though that’s the leitmotiv of the story, we also read about a heart-warming love story of Rosemary and her husband, George. There are many references to Rosemary’s past and how her personal story is linked with local events, and even with the more general history. Kate, on the other hand, is a young person who struggles with living in a big city, feels lonely there, away from her family and friends.
The Lido is also a story about community, about ordinary people who create their local communities, whose voices and needs should be considered when deciding on the local infrastructure, development and investments. Sounds idealistic? But why shouldn’t we have communities where mutual respect, support and friendship are the core values?
Are you intrigued to read the whole story? Let me know if you found the novel interesting, too. Please leave your comments below.
Kinga Macalla