I bought Saving Saffron Sweeting without really knowing a lot about it. I hadn’t even read the blurb, but was intrigued by the title: was Saffron Sweeting a person, or a place?
I was struck by the friendliness in the narrator’s tone. Grace Palmer , the main character, is automatically incredibly open and sharing with the reader, which meant I could instantly start to feel empathy for her, when in the very first sentence of the novel she reveals that her husband has cheated on her. Though sometimes over-used in fiction, there’s no doubting that an unfaithful husband is a great way to get female readers involved with and engage with the story: it is something we are all fiercely protective over one another about. Whilst the story could have easily turned into a mystery as Grace tried to discover her husband’s new lover, as she became sneaky and paranoid, it didn’t. I liked that it was solved quickly and that Grace decided to act strong and independently, starting a new life for herself.
The thing that I liked most about this new life that she was trying to create, was that it took place in the area that I grew up in. As soon as I read the word ‘Norfolk’, my interest in the story increased dramatically. Even though I’m not homesick, the fact that I’m away from home this academic year means that any mention of a town close by brings a warming feeling of comfort and nostalgia.
Something about the fact that Grace – a genuinely lovely person, who always seems to do the right thing- was living a lone in a cottage in the countryside reminded me of Cameron Diaz in The Holiday . As one of my favourite films, this gave me just another reason to like Saving Saffron Sweeting even more. Though, I must say Grace’s new life is a lot more realistic than Amanda’s in the film, as she actually has to use her existing skills to make a living. She isn’t lucky enough to meet Jude Law to sweep her off her feet. Having said that, Grace’s potential new love interest does hold some promise, and the start of their affair is somewhat exciting, but even this reveals yet another thing about Grace’s genuine character.
Though I don’t usually like it when British authors use American settings or vice versa (I find that a lot of the time they don’t know enough for it to feel natural), Wiles kept the relationship between the two very comfortable and fluid. This could be because, having moved to California herself, she was perhaps more aware of the differences, so could write about them more naturally. However, it could also be that very little of the novel actually takes place in America, and rather features a few American characters: giving a hint of the culture. It’s great to see how Grace helps bridge the gap between the two throughout the novel as she helps to make Saffron Sweeting thrive once again.
I must say that I found Grace’s friends in the book a little irritating at points. I’m not exactly sure why, but I feel that perhaps that didn’t quite appreciate her enough (can you tell I really, really liked her?). However, this would really be one of the only criticisms I had of the novel.
I appreciated Wiles’ attention to detail, as the circularity of the novel is revealed towards the very end- remember where Grace is stood when she finds out James has cheated! I would probably have liked to have seen more of a development in Grace’s character, rather than the actual ending of the novel, but that’s not to say that it wasn’t heartwarming, and it didn’t feel rushed or out of place.
I would definitely recommend Saving Saffron Sweeting!
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