Hera Stephen is in her mid-20s, has no money, no job and lives with her father. She studied three degrees because it brought her the freedom from having to work. But now she realises she must find a job, if only so her life can follow the accepted path to adulthood of jobs and relationships – a path that all her friends are on.
Hera gets a job as an online content moderator at a news organisation. Her eye is caught by Arthur, a 40-year-old journalist. Their friendship soon turns sexual – and then Hera discovers Arthur is married.
Gray offers a fresh, modern take on the old trope of woman falls in love with married man who promises, but fails to leave his wife. The title (green dots indicate when someone is online) references how much of their relationship is developed online. But Arthur’s little green dot is soon dictating a lot of Hera’s offline life.
While she never set out to be the ‘other woman’, Hera is enthralled by the idea of ordinary happiness that she thinks she has found with Arthur. Hera’s voice is witty, full of sharp, funny and relatable observations about life and love. With astute insights and killer lines, Green Dot is a great read.
Reviewed by Melinda Woledge
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHORMadeleine Gray is an arts writer and book critic, as well as a PhD candidate in English Literature at the University of Manchester.
Her debut novel, Green Dot, is forthcoming with Allen & Unwin in Australia, W&N in the UK, and Henry Holt in the US. In Australia she is represented by Grace Heifetz at Left Bank Literary; in the UK, John Ash at CAA; in the US, Dana Murphy at Trellis Literary. Her film and television agent is Mary Pender at UTA.
Madeleine has an MSt in English (1900 – Present) (with Distinction) from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons 1) in English Literature and Art History from the University of Sydney.
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