Book Review: The Undomestic Goddess

Before I begin, let me tell you that I am an avid fan of Sophie Kinsella, of the Shopaholic fame. I’ve read (and loved) almost all of the titles from that series and I was very excited when I stumbled upon “The Undomestic Goddess”. Similar to her previous writings, Sophie Kinsella has kept a comic undertone throughout the story even when describing some serious dilemmas.

- ADVERTISING - continue reading below -

Brief Summary

Struggling to strike a balance between her professional and personal life, workaholic Samantha Sweeting has ended up in a bit of a sticky situation. The mistake she has made will become a big hurdle in not only her impending partnership at her law firm but her career as a whole. Experiencing the resultant breakdown, Samantha walks out of her office and runs away to an unknown location. Looking for directions, she ends up at a mansion where she is mistaken for a housekeeper interviewee. Ironically, Samantha gets offered the job, which she accepts, not knowing how to get out of it.

The story that follows is downright hilarious as the reader is taken on Samantha’s journey from not knowing how to operate basic house equipment such as an iron to her learning how to bake a cake! Will Samantha ever be able to get out of this alien world and go back to her lawyer life? Does Samantha find love and friends in her new life? Will her mistake ever be forgotten? And biggest question of all, will her employers figure out they’ve hired an imposter?

The Undomestic Goddess: My Review

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I am guilty of laughing out loud at several moments. In my view, Samantha’s wit and the hilarity of her (unfortunate) mix-up was classy and tasteful. Samantha’s thoughts, efforts to undo blunders and relationships with people around her were very close to reality. To be honest, Kinsella writes her novels in such a relatable manner that it is very hard that I couldn’t help but picture myself in some of the entertaining situations Samantha would find herself in, such as:

“The streak of bleach in my hair is as obvious as ever. Am I really going out in public like this? I push my hair backward and forward a few times – but I can’t hide it. Maybe I could walk along with my hand carelessly positioned at my head, as if I’m thinking hard. I attempt a few casual, pensive poses in the mirror…

…”A badger?” I say, affronted. “I don’t look like a badger.”

“Badgers are beautiful creatures,” says Nathaniel with a shrug. “I’d rather look like a badger than a stoat.”

-The Undomestic Goddess

Recommendation

I couldn’t put the book down till I finished it (and there are a very few books that earn that honour!). As for rating, I would definitely give it a full five star rating since it managed to deliver what it promises: quality humour. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who’s look for a super light and fun read (perhaps even catch it between classes or shifts).

Favourite Quote

“Sometimes you don’t need a goal in life,” I reply, lifting my chin. “You don’t need to know the big picture. You just need to know what you’re going to do next.”

- ADVERTISING - continue reading below -