The Undomestic Goddess

by Sophie Kinsella

My sister recommended The Undomestic Goddess to me when I was looking for a "feel good" book. Life can be overwhelming, and sometimes it's good to have a simple book to escape to.  And this book definitely delivered exactly what I was looking for. Sophie Kinsella is a British writer who's mastered writing humorous, and yet emotionally relevant, stories for the modern woman (best known for Confessions of a Shopaholic - the book is ten times better than the movie!). The story follows Samantha, a crazy tense lawyer that is attached to her Crack Berry. Through a series of mishaps she stumbles into a position as a housekeeper in the Cotswolds. Here, she learns to turn off her phone, bake a loaf of bread from scratch, build authentic relationships, and enjoy the simple things in life. Some women may argue that this book is an anti-feminist work, advocating for women to leave the office and return to the kitchen. However, Samantha addresses this issue in the book by stating that she's not trying to be a leader for women to leave the workforce, but just that she has rediscovered happiness in her life away from the expectations that she had placed on herself. Kinsella was obviously aware that her readers may find fault with the heroine finding happiness away from the world of a high-powered lawyer. I think the real point here, is that it is important to have balance in your life. Instead of running around focused solely on her own success and working 70 hours a week, Samantha slows down to really enjoy her life, her true passions, and the love she finds along the way. Two thumbs up.