Fiona Gibson's Novel: "The Woman Who Upped and Left" - A Story of Empowerment and Self-Discovery

anneridies: This book was a lovely light read after the boos I’ve been reading lately. It made me smile in many places but not actually laugh out loud. It reminded me very much of Bridget Jones. Although I guessed - more or less- the ending I thoroughly enjoyed it.

United Kingdom on Apr 28, 2023

Y. Stelken: What a fun Book! Light hearted and an easy read. It brings up memories of raising a teen boy, and trying to find a mid life love.

United States on Jul 04, 2021

The Schoolmarm: What a fun, enjoyable read. It was entertaining but also thought-provoking. We often underestimate our own worth and settle for less. We sometimes make bad choices that require a clearer vision to self-correct. The author was able to maintain a consistency in the characters’ actions and dialogue. I liked it and I bet you will too.

United States on Feb 16, 2020

Midgebear: Audrey Pepper is just your average divorced, 40-something mum of an18 year old teenage boy who is slowly being driven round the bend by her life. Well, more accurately by her son, Morgan, who is just drifting and seems to think mum will always be there to feed him, clean up after him and pay all his bills. So starts the great underpant-war. Morgan won't pick them up and now neither will Audrey. It all comes to a head when Audrey wins dinner lady of the year and has a choice of two wonderful prizes - £5,000 or a week long French Cookery Course. Which will she choose and will it be good for her?

This is a typical Fiona Gibson story - warm and realistic feeling characters who have their nasty side as well as the nice bits that make them the focus of the story. Whilst some encounters feel a little contrived (does that ever happen to anyone in real life?) knowing that the world is full of surprises that we never anticipate makes even these feel convincing.

The real joy of this story is the inter-personal relationships that show how we are all different people depending who we are with. From the caring and empathetic dinner lady and carer to the brazen woman in her...

United Kingdom on Oct 07, 2017

NenetteU: This is a good book to read while on the go; doesn't require much concentration, and it was enjoyable.

Audrey didn't really up and left, as the book title said. Even as she was not physically with her son, her mind kept going back and worrying what's happening with him. Well, it is how mothers are, that's just the way we are wired. Her worries about her son, though valid, were eventually eased when he stood up and took responsibility. Though the undertones of the story were serious (it's about life after all), there were a lot of funny moments in the book, mostly Audrey's musings.

Here are my takeaways:
1. Everyone needs a time out, we all deserve it.
2. We will not always get it right the first time, most of the time actually. The important thing is to learn from when we got it wrong.

United States on Aug 11, 2017

Charlotte Zang: The Woman Who Upped and Left was a delightful read. As an American, I found the British phrases quite endearing and a
lovely change of pace.

With refreshing prose and dialogue, this story rings true for women, especially single parents. While many may not admit it outwardly, most single mothers would agree to fantasizing about getting in the car and just driving, away from the problems, the bills, and the “mundane practicalities” of life, looking at least for a respite from the responsibilities and the remote possibility of an exciting encounter. Single mothers know the slight tinge of guilt they feel when they have the slightest bit of a good time without their children, and can completely relate to having to cut short their activities because a child needs them, just as Audrey did when Morgan called while she was at Wilton Grange. We can also commiserate with parents like Audrey who are a bit disappointed with their child’s choices as they travel into adulthood even as we know we did the best we could to raise them. As Audrey ventures into the world again as her own person, she has some missteps, but eventually she realizes the things she likes (and doesn’t...

United States on Oct 14, 2016

Honey Bee: I read a sample of this book and the only reason I dropped $.99 to buy the whole thing was because I wanted to know if the incredibly silly protagonist in the story ever wised up. I don't like reading about stupid people and this woman was definitely over-the-top. She's one of these moms who wants to be her child's "friend", and as a result she let her 18 year old's girlfriend
sleepover night after night after night, having sex in the boy's bedroom and she could hear them! She did not require her son to look for job or tidy up behind himself and she had the apron strings so tight it was looking like there weren't a sharp enough pair of scissors anywhere to cut them. There were other instances throughout the story that proves that if this woman was a real flesh and blood person, she shouldn't be let out of the house without a keeper glued to her side. Aside from my problems with the protagonist, it was an OK book. There was an interesting cast of supporting characters and many chuckles throughout the story. And shockingly, in spite of this extremely naïve woman, the book has a happy ending.

United States on Jun 08, 2016

Fintan15: Didn't make me laugh at all. Just a couple of wry smiles and that's it. The woman in it was irritating and selfish and a bit too naive to believe. For example emptying the goodies in the hotel room and keeping them as gifts for people, not realising they had to be paid for. Even if you have never stayed in a hotel you could not avoid knowing that. She was supposed to be getting a break yet constantly phoned home, was useless at getting her son to be tidy and I don't believe that many mothers would allow a teenage boy to have a live-in girl friend! It was also daft that her son would suddenly become tidy and sensible in barely a week after being such a slob, no matter what life-changing event he had been through. Most of her decisions and thoughts were not typical of most women I am sure. I cannot see how this author is such a success really, her work is very juvenile. The book passed the time but the storyline was a bit naff. It had its moments but only read if you have absolutely nothing else with you.

United Kingdom on Jun 07, 2016

Calico Lor: After reading quite a few intense books and going through a stressful few weeks myself I was ready to read something that was a little less “edge of the seat” and a little more “sit back and relax” and this book was just that. I enjoyed picking up this book and losing myself in the pretty chaotic world of Audrey and now I’ve finished it I’m going to be going straight over to Amazon to see what else of Fiona Gibson’s I can read.

The story is about Audrey who is mother to a teenage son Morgan who seems to spend his days wrapped around his girlfriend Jenna in their house. Audrey is a dinner lady and also a carer to Mrs B. She spends her days looking after other people, picking up her son’s girlfriend’s thongs from her bathroom floor and rushing off on last minute trips to various motorway service station hotels to spend the night with her boyfriend Stevie.

When Audrey wins a prize as Dinner Lady Of The Year she gets the chance to spend a week in a grand hotel learning French cookery skills from a ‘celebrity’ Michelin starred chef. This is so far removed from her every day life that it is the perfect break and Audrey begins to get more confidence...

United Kingdom on Mar 24, 2016

Bongiovisgirl: I have followed Fiona Gibson's writing from the days she wrote for teen magazines. There is something about how real her writing is and how much she gets inside the head of the character she is writing and this book certainly doesn't disappoint. In this book you feel as though you are with Audrey every step of the way. You are in her head and sometimes that can be a frustrating place, yes she fusses over her son (a little too much) but that's her prerogative and what is sometimes more clear to the reader is still a muddle to Audrey and it is enjoyable watching her work her way through it.

I agree with some of the other reviewers, that the title is misleading. It suggests someone who is leaving her life and everything behind, rather than heading off for a new experience for a week, on impulse. However, the decisions that come off the back of Audrey's leaving for that week, shapes the rest of the book and, in some way, makes the title relevant, just not in the most obvious, wave it in your face manner.

I really enjoyed how much Audrey cares for everyone in the book, how she doesn't really hold on to her (horrible) past, that she tries to make the best of the situations...

United Kingdom on Feb 28, 2016