Faithful Friends
Paper Over It by Ruth Gresty is a powerful retro novel that consumed me from the start.
The action takes place over the year 2000, beginning on December 31st 1999. It concerns four young women aged twenty who are in their third year at Manchester University. The girls come from Liverpool, Glasgow, near London and a local Manchester girl. They appear to have it all, to be at the prime of their lives – but they all face different challenges in life. There are many times when they just paper over it.
Though the tone is light-hearted and fun, there are some serious themes. A character suffers from anorexia/bulimia which began in childhood. “It had nothing to do with losing weight, it had everything to do with control.” As the novel opens, the reader already feels a connection with the character.
There is the theme of an unplanned pregnancy to a single woman. It is horrifying to see that the prejudice still existed in the year 2000. “She needs to get outside [away from the drs office] … to never, ever hear the words ‘fix’ or ‘fixing’ again… Some things just don’t need fixing, Bob [the builder reference]. They are fine just as they are.” Every child is a gift from God. Babies are not a problem to be ‘fixed’. Single parenting is hard but the character has much love to give.
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