Two Months
Gail Schimmel
Pan Macmillan
Review: Karen Watkins
There’s nothing unusual about waking up and not knowing what day it is – it happens to us all.
But when Erica wakes up and cannot remember what has taken place over the past two months, something’s not quite right.
This primary school teacher has lost her job, her friends aren’t talking to her and her husband won’t tell her why.
Wanting to know what she missed, she turns to social media searching for answers. Not always a source of trustworthy information, this takes her on a journey uncovering memories of high school bullying and the cruel, intimidating, scary, toxic world of teenage girls.
She also discovers that her husband may have driven into a wall, with her in the passenger seat. What’s more weird is that he abandons the insurance claim.
She is plagued by the idea that he is having an affair despite him being very loving and attentive. As Erica starts to put together the clues, a picture emerges of what has happened.
This domestic thriller is an easy read. It will appeal to fans of Schimmel’s previous four books and those looking for escapism.
I struggled with her portrayal of the key character and feel she could have made more of the heroine’s issues of being bullied and overweight.
Memory, fear and paranoia have been the topic of one of Schimmel’s previous books.
She lives in Johannesburg and is an attorney who is currently CEO of the Advertising Regulatory Board.
