The Miseducation of Evie Epworth: Radio 2 Book Club Pick

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And what an amazing ten years it's been. I've seen Beatles strolling, two Stones rolling, Coward Noeling, Quant-tights holing; great trains robbed, long hair bobbed, pop stars mobbed (hormones throbbed); white heat, dancing feet, plastic seats, groovy streets. I've watched a World Cup win, been to West Berlin, had a fridge built-in, dyed a coat (sheepskin), made a dress (sequin), met a Redgrave (Lynne)...Power cuts, decimal nuts, shag haircuts. Colour TV. The Ford Capri..." The theme of 'becoming a Woman' is one Evie revisits throughout the novel. And I guess, in many ways this is a coming-of-age novel. One that takes place over a few weeks (or perhaps months) of Evie's life. At a pivotal point in that life. Matson TaylorThere are some laugh-out-loud moments, such as when the characters get themselves into a fix trying to find a restaurant in the countryside, as well as some particularly funny moments at the expense of the evil stepmother. When one day Evie has a sneaky peak in Christine’s wardrobe, she sees - I was disappointed by this one (one of the rare occasions where a 4.0 rated book in Goodreads has failed my expectations). Moving, inventive and achingly funny, with an all-star cast of bold-as-brass characters, The Miseducation of Evie Epworth is a perfectly pitched modern fairytale about love, friendship and following your dreams while having a lot of fun along the way.

I am Evie, sixteen and a half, as wise as a tree, as tall as time, the fastest milk bottle in East Yorkshire, hurtling towards Womanhood. p 7 The Miseducation of Evie Epworth is a brilliant comedic coming of age story. It is the debut novel from Matson Taylor, a Yorkshireman through and through with a deep love of food. So much so, the theme of food vividly runs through this delicious novel, beautifully enhancing everything about it – the story, the characters, the comedy. What a charming and delightful read this was, full of laugh out loud moments as well as gentle humour as Evie Epworth navigates the minefields of finishing school and becoming a Woman. I loved the characterisation, as each of the characters were bursting with vitality and so very unique in their own way.

Table of Contents

Apart from these three we have Christine’s awful mum Vera, her obese friend Mrs Swithenbank, superstitious Mrs Scott-Pym next door (you’ll find out why I say she is superstitious when you get to that bit) and her wonderfully eccentric, estranged daughter Caroline. It's 1972 and Yorkshirewoman, Evie Epworth has been living in London, working as a production assistant for the BBC for nine years. Navigating the power cuts and fashions of the era, and an unfortunate incident involving Princess Anne and a mug, results in Evie losing her dream job. Down in the dumps, old friends Caroline and Digby do their best to help her find a new job; she's cheered up by the arrival of a friend of a friend, Geneviève a fellow Yorkshirewoman and; spending time with her opera-loving, BBC Radio 3 friend, Lolo and dog, Oscar. Where will Evie's adventures take her this time and what will she learn about herself along the way?

Q. The recipes in the narrative sound delicious, especially the French recipes. These particular recipes also portray a poignant, emotional element of the story. When reading the book I felt these recipes were close to your heart. Is that so?Warning! The following content will make you hungry and crave a visit to the legendry Bettys (a personal favourite Yorkshire haunt of mine). Matson Taylor grew up in Yorkshire but now lives in London. He is a design historian and works at the V&A museum, where he teaches on the History of Design programme and spends a lot of time trying to convince people that the luxury goods industry helped win the Second World War. He wrote a chapter on Edward Molyneux, inventor of the flapper dress, for the V&A’s London Couture book and has helped develop a number of projects for TV and radio. He also works at Imperial College, helping scientists communicate very complicated things in a reasonably simple way. We have the chance for you to win 10 copies of this fantastic novel for your reading group! Please enter by Friday 14 August.