London From My Window by Mary Carter

Among all the novels that I have read, the ones that deal with hidden disabilities have always been one that has interested me. As someone who lives with a hidden illness, I like to see how the author depicts them. Sometimes they’re spot on, other times they’re a little off and on occasion they are so out to lunch you don’t know what is happening. Mary Carter gives the reader an illness to look at that many don’t really consider. Some haven’t even heard of it and others don’t understand it or what can cause it. London From My Window discusses the life of a girl who is living with severe agoraphobia. Here is the synopsis:

“Ava Wilder’s home in small-town Iowa is her sanctuary. A talented sketch artist with severe agoraphobia, Ava spends her days drawing a far more adventurous life than her invisible disability allows. Until she receives a package from London, explaining that she has inherited her Aunt Beverly’s entire estate—on condition that she lives in Bev’s West End flat for a year.
Once overseas, Ava wonders if she’s simply swapped one prison for another. The streets and shops are intimidating, and Bev’s home appears to be a drop-in center for local eccentrics. Worst of all, Bev left a list of impossible provisos to be overseen by her quirky, attractive solicitor. Ava is expected to go out—to experience clubs, pubs, and culture; to visit Big Ben, Hyde Park, and the London Eye. After years of viewing the world through a pane of glass, she’s at the messy, complicated center of it. As exhilarated as she is terrified, will she be able to step up, step out, and claim the life she was meant for?
In an insightful, poignant novel, Mary Carter delves deep into self-discovery and the meaning of courage, exploring the fears that serve to protect us—until life calls us to connect at last.”

So, this novel had a few aspects I’ve never had in the novels that I’ve read so far. For a start, there is Queenie, who is a middle-aged drag queen and his other drag friends. He was one character that I was not expecting to come across in this novel. But I grew to love this guy and his quirky friends. There was also Diana, the therapist who I found to be excessively inappropriate. At one point, she takes off her top for no good reason and then comments on her breasts. I don’t understand nor do I like Diana the therapist. Also, there were 2 other people, Vic and Deven who just were like random people who didn’t serve much purpose. They weren’t nice Ava, but just kept appearing claiming to be her friend. But it doesn’t go anywhere. They’re purposeless.

The plot was quite cliché. Ava is an agoraphobic, but other than that the story is basic. It’s a very basic novel. Girl is damaged, meets boy, angry ex trying to sabotage things, must complete challenging task, they fall in love, everything is happily ever after. Ava’s illness is the only unique aspect of the novel. Somethings were just totally annoying and unrealistic. Again, touching on Diana, the therapist, but also Hillary the ex-girlfriend seemed to be completely overwritten. The things that she does seem to be quite unlikely. And there is an instance where a teacher lets Ava, a stranger, on the school bus to travel with the children on their field trip. Now I live in Canada; I have no idea how things are done in England and the United Kingdom but never would a teacher let a stranger on a bus of young students. That is asking for a catastrophe and a lawsuit. But that’s just me. It is fiction.

 I do totally respect Mary Cater for writing a novel based around an illness. It brings more awareness about them to people. It hopefully can ease the stigma that surround invisible illnesses. It does focus a bit on educating others on illnesses and disabilities that people can't see initially. There are multiple instances where Ava goes into a mini lecture about invisible illnesses to people who are ignorant about them. To be honest I don’t know that much about agoraphobia. Somethings in the novel seemed a bit unlikely, such as being miraculously cured. But again, I don’t know that much about the illness.

I liked the book I suppose. At least I like the idea of the book. I’m heavy into educating people about hidden illnesses. But I’m not sure I would every be inclined to sit down and read it again. Or even recommend it to a friend. It took me a while to finish it because I did lose interest in reading it about half way through. Have you read the book? Let me know your thoughts below.

CheersXX

EsquireCat