Sunshine Soup by Jo Parfitt

Parfitt has written twenty-seven non-fictions. So it was wonderful to hear that her first novel came out very recently (September).  Her book launches in the UK and the Hague were a resounding success. I was present at the Hague and was delighted to share in her fantastic achievements.

 

Parfitt knows her stuff. She, herself being a wife of a petroleum guy who she has followed to six postings around the world. So that automatically gives the book authenticity. She has been there in the emotional whirlwinds of moving, adapting, leaving behind and moving forward. 

 

Sunshine soup epitomises six women’s journeys who meet in Dubai, the backdrop to the story. The reader travels with Maya, the main character through her emotional turmoil and resilience. Many of the characters will be familiar to women who have travelled with the global careers of their husbands. Parfitt, not only brings the reader with her but also engages them in humour, emotion and opens the window to the ex-pats lives on a daily basis.

 

Parfitt’s style of writing is pacy and descriptive. It wants you to turn the page and read more. I love the vulnerability of Barb, the vitaility of Maya and the Irish Leila who married a local. The characters are well-rounded and have a real feel about them.

 

I would recommend this book to not only the ex-pat community but to all readers who are interested in the world of global travelling and identity. It’s a must-read. Thank you Parfitt for writing it and giving us a different angle to this, sometimes, misunderstood world. The extras at the back of the book are really cool. The recipes that Maya has cooked are there to share and I love the extra material for reading groups, also at the back of the book. Parfitt always delivers ‘extras’ in everything that she does and she does not let us down.

 

Sunshine Soup is available on Amazon, The American Book Stores (The Hague and Amsterdam) and can be ordered also directly from Jo Parfitt at summertimepublishing.

 

Namaste

Niamh