Reviewed by Wendy Lipke
Simply Beside Herself is the first novel by Judith Katherine who has always been fascinated by the narratives around role and how it can either broaden or narrow our worlds. Often people get caught up in doing the right thing, and what others expect by not making a fuss. This is the situation with Elizabeth Daley who now finds herself in the Cloisters retirement community, alone, since her husband had died. It was not Elizabeth’s idea to move to this establishment but her husband and daughter’s idea and while her husband was in his element in this environment, Elizabeth felt smothered. If truth be told she had been feeling this for most of her married life.
Being independent, Elizabeth often left the premises, and it was on one of these trips when taking some of her husband’s clothes to a charity shop that she came across a dead body on a seat in the park and realised that she was looking at herself. Shaken and confused she returned to the retirement community but could not find anyone available to discuss what she had seen.
With the support of a fellow resident, Elizabeth decided to leave. This was easily achieved as it was a long weekend and casual staff manned the establishment. No one realised that she had gone until the permanent staff arrived back.
Elizabeth did not contact her daughter who was always very busy, so caught a train to London to visit her long-time friend Ginny who takes Elizabeth in hand as she gradually learns to take more control of her independence. The train journey is interesting as Elizabeth has no money but manages to skilfully overcome any obstacles this might throw up.
But this story is not just about one person. The situation Elizabeth found herself in is common to many – men and women. Throughout the story the reader learns of other characters who are also unhappy with their present life but have not made any effort to rectify the problem. Elizabeth’s unexpected and audacious actions are a trigger for others to reassess their own lives. These include her own daughter, Lara.
As the story progresses, the strict rules under which retirement communities work is revealed. Their many reports and rules leave little time for personal interaction with those in their care who feel the loss of a close connection, especially from family and friends. Descriptions of meal times as battlefronts as the dinner ladies move forward and grasped long spoons ready for action (152) and brushing away the fact that some of the food might be overcooked by the comment that it would be easier for most of them as they often forgot to put in their dentures before the meal, adds humour but also highlights the lack of close personal relationships in larger establishments. There was always lots of domestic traffic, with the inconsistencies of casual staff, work experience additional staff and a preponderance of maternity leavers in admin.
The author describes this situation as ‘a domain where workers ran their systems while clients and residents were tossed about in the transitions, reductions and losses of their own lives’ (296).
As with any large organisation there are the individual personalities who occupy the space and some of these surface in Judith Katherine’s novel. These are realistic and what would be expected in such a situation.
This is a humorous, warm and interesting novel of people reclaiming their independence in different stages of their life, resulting in closer relationships with family and friends.
Simply Beside Herself
(2026)
by Judith Katherine
Affirm Press
ISBN:978 1 7616 3784 1
$34.99; 384pp