Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year meets The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Where’d You Go Bernadette in this witty novel about coming of (middle) age and discovering that you don’t have to be who you’ve become.
How hard can it be to find a pair of Bollywood-dancing septuagenarians?
When Eva Moore wakes up on her fiftieth birthday, her drab middle-class life immediately starts to unravel. First, she receives an anonymous Facebook message claiming her husband is having an affair. Next, she is restructured out of her job by her obnoxiously young boss. Then, just when she thinks her life can’t get any worse, her elderly parents wilfully go missing from their group tour of India. All they’ve left behind is an increasingly bizarre series of TikTok videos.
Eager to put some distance between herself and her failing marriage, Eva undertakes a rescue mission, determined to save her parents from certain disaster. She wants to find them. But what Eva really needs is to find herself. If she can do that, she might get a second chance at life and love – and, along the way, become an inspiration to anyone who fears their best days are behind them …
Witty, warm and acutely observed – a book club book from an extraordinary new Australian voice about taking life, and adventure, by the horns. A funny, defiant shout into the face of society’s expectations around ageing.
PRAISE:
‘Fiona has taken the gritty challenges of infidelity, middle age, dementia, unemployment – not to mention traveling in India – and wrapped them up in a charming fairytale that tells you all is not lost.’ – Tracy Grimshaw
‘An important message delivered with humour and warmth. So much I could relate to!’ – Tracy Bowden
‘It’s a funny, irreverent rollick, filled with likeable crazies. Proof that you really can ‘kickstart’ life – at any age – as long as you’re a certain kind of woman.’ – Ray Martin
‘Every serious journalist thinks they will one day write a book – most don’t. Fiona continues to demonstrates that she has not only the skill, but the drive and courage to write very clever fiction. Eva Reddy’s Trip of a Lifetime is a terrific holiday read.’ – Sandra Odorisio
‘What a wild ride! Funny, poignant … much of it hilariously relatable. Eva is the pin up girl of the sandwich generation.’ – Melissa Doyle
‘Laugh-out-loud funny from the very first page. Eva Reddy is immediately relatable and likeable as a main character. A fast paced, easy read – funny, and insightful – with a lovely dash of nostalgia for women of a certain age. Brava!’ – Angela Cox
‘A warm, amusing and adventurous tale of one woman’s search for answers … and herself.’ – Kim Lock, author of The Other Side of Beautiful
‘A coming of (middle) age romp that has an abundance of wit and pathos. Finding destiny through desperation gives us all hope, and in this delightful novel, many laughs along the way. Eva speaks for and to millions of women who share her experiences, fears and triumphs, beautifully distilled into an addictive read.’ – Tara Brown
(4/5)
Eva Reddy’s Trip of a Lifetime is a great book, with two stories running parallel. A drift back in time and a current theme. The further I read into the book, the more I enjoyed how well-written and thought it out was.
The story was inspired, original, and had many unexpected twists and turns. A great way to “SEE” India with not being there. An entertaining story with a satisfying ending, so Top Marks for Kekik’s first solo book!
(4/5)
This was an enjoyable read for a lazy Sunday. Being the same age as Eva Reddy, I easily identified with her feelings and the issues raised regarding society’s attitude to middle-aged women. The flashbacks to journal entries and a life film script written by a younger Eva worked well, shedding light on her views and relationships. I loved the flashback scene where Evan first realised she had become ‘middle-aged’.
Whilst the story is written relatively lightly, there is a powerful message about rediscovering yourself and your loves. It also highlights that very few of us become the person our teenage self thought we would. The book was a little bit slow at first but soon developed a steady pace.
Overall it was an enjoyable read and avoided becoming ‘preachy’.
(4/5)
I enjoyed this book very much, I was emotionally invested in Eva right from the start, running a gamut of emotions ranging from sorrow to annoyance and to pride.
The dual timeline shows us the conflicting emotions that Eva has with her mother growing up and also Jonathan, her future husband. The descriptions of Eva’s time in India, with all its new smells and experiences, fascinating culture, overcrowding and constant scams is very interesting. Luckily she had the handsome Utkarsh with her. I would give this book four out of five stars.
(5/5)
It is rare to come across a book that is not about a woman who is young, gorgeous and sexy, or at the very least in her thirties. This book was written for me and all the women at a certain stage in their lives.
Don’t be misled by the bright cover that Eva Reddy’s Trip of a Lifetime is just another quick, light-hearted read. Although it is funny and extremely readable, it is also poignant, uplifting, and thought-provoking. It is a modern-day Shirley Valentine story and should be read by all women, young and old.
Although the realities of jetting off to India are impossible and probably ill-advised for most of us, the sentiment in the story remains. Find who you are before it is too late. Find the parts of you that have not been moulded by societal norms and the expectations of others, and nurture that person as they are fabulous just as they are, despite age and all the wobbly bits that come with that. You never know what or who you might find.
(4/5)
Wow! What a wonderful heartfelt read this is! The author had me hooked from the moment I started the story. Lots of heartfelt moments, laugh out louds and emotional rollercoaster of life of a 50 year old Eva!
Highly recommend it!
(4/5)
Eva Reddy’s Trip of a Lifetime is an absolute delight, a genuinely funny and heartfelt adventure that transports readers to India.
Fiona McKenzie-Kekic’s debut novel, reminiscent of Marian Keyes, expertly blends humour, self-discovery, and relatable midlife chaos. Eva, a menopausal woman celebrating her 50th with a series of unfortunate events, embarks on a mission to find her missing parents, leading to a whirlwind of entertaining trials and revelations.
I found Eva messy, lovable, and incredibly relatable. Her wayward mum, Debbie, is a scene-stealer, adding to the big laughs and big heart of the story. The cleverly crafted prose, vivid descriptions of India, and nostalgic 1980s pop culture references create an immersive and enjoyable read. This feel-good story offers a warm, satisfying, and well-earned happy ending, making it a highly recommended must-read for anyone seeking a brilliantly written and refreshingly original novel.
(4/5)
This is an enjoyable, entertaining, light-hearted book, but also dealing with some serious issues, often with humour.
Eva faces a dull, mundane future as she reaches her 50th year. She is reminded of the aspirations she had as a schoolgirl and realises she has not achieved any of her youthful goals. He life is not what she had imagined. Now she suspects her husband is having an affair, she loses her job, and her parents go missing from a Golden Years Group tour. They have disappeared into the multitude population of India.
Eva needs to “get away” and decides to go to India to retrieve her parents and bring them safely home. She overcomes her fears and lack of confidence and embarks on the “Trip of a Lifetime.” Her search in India proves very challenging, but eventually rewarding, as she changes her outlook, broadens her understanding and finds her parents and her true self.
I enjoyed this book. The characters were likeable, and the plot was fun. Visiting India through the book brought back fond memories of a colourful, fascinating country.
(3/5)
A great story for book club events. It was well-written, humorous and covered travel tips if you are planning a holiday in India. Not my cup of tea but passed it on to my wife who thoroughly enjoyed it. Eva, the main character is lovable and the way her friends support her is clever. A great read for anyone reaching middle age and questioning life.
(5/5)
Eva wakes up one day to a life in crisis. She’s 50, her marriage is failing, she has no job, she lacks affection, potential, direction and possibility in her life and her parents are missing…in India, after having been kicked off a tour because of their antics. She sets out to look for her parents based on increasingly weird TikTok videos, but really, she is heading out to escape everything that is waiting, or rather not waiting, for her. I consider this story to be a coming-of-age story. It might not be YA or NA, but I feel like Eva gets a re-do and experiences real growth and self-discovery. The themes of suddenly become aware of your age and feeling discontent, failure, loss of potential in the big areas of your life: social, family, love, career, experiences, are all feelings that I strongly related to and I enjoyed watching her overcome self-doubt, finding her voice and her confidence. My only real criticism is that it wraps up very quickly in the end and we are told, rather than shown, a lot of the resolutions. Overall though I really enjoyed this book and read it in two sittings.
(5/5)
Well this was a joyous cavort through a mid-life crisis. What fun!
Eva Reddy loses her job, her husband and her parents in India on top of her 50th birthday. She sets off to India for a rescue mission and what follows are a series of accidents, trials and revelations that help Eva to find her past self.
A warm and amusing read that is fast paced and rewarding.
Do yourself a favour and grab a copy today.
(4/5)
What a wonderful read! I absolutely loved following Eva Reddy’s journey of self discovery. As someone of similar age, I could relate to her I’m so many ways…
There were laughs, there were tears and there was me devouring page after page, not wanting to stop reading. This was the perfect book to get me out of my reading slump.
I was invested from the very first page and I finished the book in less than 24hrs. A fabulous debut by Fiona McKenzie Kekic and a very solid 4 stars!
(5/5)
This book is a total hoot! I absolutely adored it! Eva is very relatable and loveable, but to her Mum’s disappointment a bit boring. Her gorgeous, crazy Mum, Debbie, meanwhile is anything but boring! As Eva searches for her Mum and Dad across India, chaos and mayhem ensue. Her Mum’s crowd surfing scene in particular had me howling!
I flew through this wonderfully written debut. It is a fabulous reminder to live your life to its fullest no matter what your age, don’t settle for mundane and always follow your dreams. As Eva says, Delia Owens was 69 when she wrote Where the Crawdads Sing, Helen Mirren won an Oscar at 62 and Susan Boyle was 47 when she auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent. Older women can, and do, achieve remarkable things!
Her vivid descriptions of India have made me want to put it on my travel list!
I can’t wait to read whatever Fiona writes next!
(4/5)
A really funning engaging read, relatable and with laugh out loud moments, hard to stop page-turning.
Eva leads you on a long journey with laughs, ups and downs and great travel tales along the way. I though the writing was insightful, well-written, and with wit and humour, felt like I was on a journey with her.
(5/5)
This was such a fun, satisfying read! I could immediately relate to the main character, Eva, who has gone through life putting everything and everyone before herself. I found myself laughing out loud and completely engrossed with Eva’s story. Fiona’s writing style instantly hooked me.
I enjoyed vicariously traveling with Eva as she ventured into India, ultimately finding herself again along the way. Her mother, Debbie, always ensured a smile on my face. The pop-culture references were great too.
This is a book with a big heart, one that feels destined to become a comfort read for many. If you’re after a feel-good story sure to inspire and bring laughter to your life, then I highly recommend Eva Reddy’s Trip of a Lifetime.
(4/5)
Eva Reddy wakes up on her 50th birthday to find her life has been flipped upside down! She’s been restructured out her job, her husband is apparently having an affair and her elderly parents have gone AWOL on a trip to India!
What follows is an uplifting, humourous and enjoyable read about a woman finding herself again in middle age and realising it’s never too late to change the course of your life.
I enjoyed the plot of this book and loved seeing the character of Eva find her strength. The flashbacks to her younger life, written in a journal/film-script style were also enjoyable and gave greater insight into the thoughts and feelings of young Eva. I’ve not read many books that centre the story of a middle aged woman, so this was a nice refreshing read!
Were some parts predictable? Yes. But did it make it any less enjoyable? No!
Overall, an easy and fun read that I would recommend!
(5/5)
I loved this book. There are lots and twists and turns and without giving too much of the plot away I could relate to some of the issues the main character Eva went through. Everything goes wrong on Eva’s 50th birthday from loosing her job, receiving an anonymous message that her husband is having an affair and her parents leaving an organised tour in India to strike out travelling on their own.
I enjoyed how the book also went back in time at points to Eva’s past and we could see how she had reached where she found her life at 50. I did at times struggle with her mother as it was unclear if she was mean or was only looking after her best interests. You’ll have to read the book to make up your own mind about that.
I enjoyed the trip through India and loved how the book ended. Note I was provided an advance copy to review but will be recommending to my book club to read and the bonus is there are book club questions to consider at the end. I would love to read a follow up in the future of the next part of Eva’s life (and what her mother gets up to next
(5/5)
I give the book 5 stars.
I felt like I was walking beside Eva Reddy throughout the story. A witty and fun novel, with good writing that kept me engaged.
The book was an inspiring travel story about the main characters journey across India too locate her mum and dad who are on the ‘Trip of a Lifetime.’ A great experience of new cultures and the book shared an emotional and spiritual journey. Eva Reddy meets all types of people on her trip and realises she will rediscover herself and what really matters in life. Her marriage is not the best and her parents are ageing and her dad has signs of early dementia.
Each day that Eva Reddy visits a new place as a solo traveller, awaiting her mothers clues as to how she might find them, but they keep moving round the foreign country. Eva Reddy meets up with a handsome tour guide whom she enjoys his company and local knowledge until she finds out the truth about him being an under cover private investigator. I found this to be a great story about second chances and never to give up on yourself.
(5/5)
On her 50th birthday, Eva is restructured out of her job and then told by a mystery informant that her husband is having an affair. She then finds out that her elderly parents have left their tour group in India leading Eva to embark on a cat-and-mouse adventure to bring them home.
Eva Reddy’s Trip of Lifetime is told in current day/first person and through emails and extracts from Eva’s journals throughout her life. I love a mixed media story! Eva’s glossary at the end was such a great trip down memory lane.
It is an ode to middle aged and beyond. Where perhaps life isn’t over and there is always time to become who you are supposed to be. I loved the growth of Eva’s character during the story. And Debbie Reddy is simply a star!
Highly recommend this book for its warmth and humour!
(4/5)
Eva Reddy’s Trip of a Lifetime is a warm, witty, and heartfelt novel that invites readers on an unforgettable journey – both literal and emotional. I was quickly swept into Eva’s world, eager to uncover her secrets and see how the trip would unfold. The writing is full of charm, with some laugh-out-loud moments and touching reflections.
There were a few slower patches that didn’t grip me as strongly, and while the diary-style flashbacks to Eva’s younger years added backstory, the format didn’t quite work for me personally – I found myself skipping those parts. That said, others may enjoy the added insight.
Overall, I was genuinely invested in Eva’s story and her evolving relationships and adventure. Fiona McKenzie Kekic has created a relatable protagonist with depth and heart, and I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves stories about family, finding your voice, and late-in-life adventures.