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Claudia’s life is a disaster. It always has been, and it’s looking like it always will be. Unless, of course, she does something to change her ways – and the chance to do just that may have landed right at her feet.
When Claudia is sent to Greece by her boss, she must undertake one small task before being free to live it up on beautiful Santorini for two weeks. This job is so simple, it’s almost too good to be true. She’s even managed to convince her two best friends, Tara and Sophie, to come along with her.
Tara has always dreamed of being a writer. She’s sick of her job and wants to make some big changes, but will she have the courage to take that step?
Sophie is a former career woman, and now a stay-at-home-mum to three-year-old Levi (who joins the ladies on their holiday). She’s bored with her life, insecure in her relationship, and needs to shake things up a bit.
This could be their chance to reconnect and become as close as they used to be, and to enjoy a break from life together.
Or, it could be an eye-opening trip that changes all three of them forever.
Claudia’s Big Break is Heidke’s third novel. She has become known for creating realistic, likeable characters who are experiencing changes in their lives. Women can relate to the situations in her plotlines, and know that picking up a Heidke novel will mean a bit of tongue-in-cheek laughter as well. Although the situations she writes of are often serious, it’s apparent that this is an author who won’t allow her characters to become too self-indulgent.
This latest novel is no exception. It is enjoyable, making it a good book to curl up on the couch with after a long day, escaping to sunny Santorini for a while.
We are taken through the issue of thirty-something life crises, a time when many women are seeking meaning and direction in their lives amid raising a family, building a career and finding time for themselves. Friendships can suffer, demands take their toll on relationships, and dreams are either put on hold for longer or turned into a reality.
Each of the three women is finding her way through all of this. Although they can only see the differences between their lives, they are in fact all in a very similar position. Claudia, Tara and Sophie are at turning points, having to choose the direction that seems right. And that can be tough.
Our protagonist, Claudia, can be a little naïve and silly at times, but she is always likeable as we follow her mistakes and her path to self-awareness.
A great summer read about romance, friendship, crisis and life.
Title: Claudia’s Big Break
Author: Lisa Heidke
Category: Popular fiction
Publisher: Allen and Unwin
ISBN: 9781742374918
RRP: $29.99
Publication Date: January 2011