Esther and Johnny have been married for five years and trying for a baby for three. Finally, they fall pregnant but when they lose the baby, Esther spirals into a deep depression, offset only by her newfound passion for Canadian actor Ted Levy. After locking eyes with Ted in a London park, she experiences a ‘moment’. Soon she is devouring everything online she can, has joined an online group the ‘Tedettes’, and is fantasising about her future with Ted.
Increasingly fed up, and refusing to deal with her grief, Esther takes her savings, leaves Johnny and flies to Canada. Through a combination of luck and lies, she gets an ‘in’ to Ted’s circle and waits for him to fall in love. But has Esther blown up her old life for a celebrity obsession that can never go anywhere?
This novel explores the dark side of celebrity fandom but also deals with deeper issues, such as domestic violence, fertility struggles and a world where everyone online seems to be living their best life. It’s funny and heartbreaking at the same time. Esther’s choices may seem irrational, but I empathised with why she made them.
Book review by Melinda Woledge
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For over 15 years, Tanya has been a columnist in a number of Irish newspapers and magazines, among them the Dubliner, STELLAR, U, Irish Tatler, and the Irish Times Magazine.
She is currently a journalist and Weekend magazine columnist at the Irish Independent and is a regular contributor on Irish radio & TV. Her work in the music, film & TV industries helped inspire her debut novel, Esther is Now Following You, a funny, fresh and deeply affecting story about celebrity fandom and what happens when it all becomes a bit too real.
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