April Book- Almost English

Many thanks for my copy of Almost English.
I have just started reading it and am enjoying it immensely
I wonder what the hardest part of writing the book was?

Took a little getting into, but once past the beginning have enjoyed it. Helpful glossary. Didn't really emphasise with the characters however. Will start again at the beginning tonight & read with fresh eyes and may change my view

I enjoyed reading this book but thought the final
Chapters could have been more detailed

I have just started 'Almost English'. Really enjoying it so far. Why haven't I heard of Charlotte Mendelson before?!

I am a Marina too! Rather different from yours I think (hope)

I really enjoyed the book and loved the old sisters - are they figments of your imagination or are they based on people you know?

What a fab book, best book I read in a long time. Fantastic!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Gransnet for my copy of Almost English. I have to say I did struggle to get into the book for a while, nothing new for me and my over active/thinking brain but once I settled down with it I did quite enjoy it. Charlotte's description of Laura being "emotionally delicate" really should have been "rather irritating! However I did find it intriguing and the Hungarian pronunciations very funny.

I am another one who loved it - in fact I have just ordered another of your books from Amazon.

I suppose my thought was that the women in the book had rather a hard time of life and the men got away with murder (ain't that the truth) so I would be interested to know whether this is something you had consciously set out to portray and whether it in any way reflects your own views

Am I allowed to ask a question about another of your books (I loved this one if it helps!) When We Were Bad... Whenever I read books I form pictures of characters in my mind and when I pictured Claudia Rubin I could only see a fatter version of Julia Neuberger (not, I hasten to add, that I think there are actual similarities between them in real life). Does this horrify you?!

Many thanks for the pristine new copy of Almost English. Being an oldie I am amused to see how she portrays them!! Boarding schools certainly could be ghastly. 'I like the strudel dusted with sugar.'

Can't believe some of the negative comments about this book! I absolutely loved it. The food in it was great: I hate not knowing what people in books are eating and, indeed, wearing. I also loved the 1980s feel - Charlotte got it just right. Are you going to follow it through with a sequel? I would love to know what happens to everyone

Always delighted to receive a book! I have only just started to read Almost English so too early to comment. I like the concept of the story so am looking forward to getting into it.

I really enjoyed the book. It gripped me, and I read it quite quickly. Charlotte, are the wonderfully observed scenes between mother and daughter based on your own experiences? They certainly resonated with me!
Thank you for a wonderful story, and thank you, Gransnet, for my copy!

Thank you for my copy. I am half way through and finding it hard going as I do not like any of the characters. My question would be - ' Who would be your target audience?'

I really enjoyed the book as I identified with Marina. My teenage years were full of the same angst. It frustrated the hell out of me that Marina and her mother had so many misunderstandings. However my own mum and I were just the same! In our family things were just not said. If I ever tried to confide my worries to mum she would say "just don't think about It". Thank goodness times have changed. By the way I loved mum and always knew she loved me.

I've nearly finished it and I've really enjoyed it. I could really identify with trying to reinvent myself to fit in with different groups (I think I've grown out of that one now) The old sisters remind me of the older generation of my husband's Italian family, I think they are typical of any family of immigrants.

I really enjoyed the book. I noticed that it is dedicated to your grandparents and would like to know more about that

I've known families like the one prtrayed

Portrayed

I found it hard to relate to the characters in this novel, but thought the alienation of mother and daughter was captured very well. The parallels in Laura and Marina's lives; both in lacklustre relationships, hating their current situations and neither having any self esteem, are marked and I felt I wanted to shake both characters, especially Laura who seems in some ways to be emotionally stuck in her own teenage-like angst. In fact the only characters that came close to really engaging me were the Hungarians, but although I found them amusing I would have liked more depth, more history.
My question is; did the author draw on her own experience of family (foreign relatives perhaps?) and teenage years as this is where I found the novel to be most authentic?

Thanks for the book. It arrived in time for me to take it on holiday. I'm sorry to say I was disappointed with it as I found it very slow. I did not finish it.

I haven't read this yet but had reread When we were bad recently and looked at it very differently from my first reading.may I ask if you would ever write a sequel ? I just want to know how they all turn out. I really didn't want that book to end. Your latest I downloaded a sample and it's in the queue to to be read.

I'm about half way through and although I am enjoying it now, I did find it difficult to get through the first part of the book. I do find it seems rather disjointed.
I like the way you have built up a detailed picture of all the characters.

I would like to know how long it took to write.

I really love this book, just finished it and no doubt will be reading it again.

I'm really enjoying Almost English. Thank you Gransnet for my copy. I've been reading it on the train and at times nearly laughed out loud. I will post a question later.