What a delight! Thoroughly enjoyed The Education of Evie Epworth! Evie is a sassy, bookish sixteen year old being raised by her father, a farmer in Yorkshire, after her mother died when she was a baby. The housekeeper, Christine and her mother, Vera are entangling themselves into the household and up to no good. Evie’s adventures are told with great humour, so many laugh out loud moments and secrets to unveil. I just couldn’t put it down!

“I wish choosing a Future could be a bit more like trying on clothes from a wardrobe. You could pop on a Future and give it a whirl. See how it fits. Jig it around a bit. Then try on another. Instead, choosing a Future all seems so final and definite. Once the choice is made, you’re stuck with what you’re wearing for the rest of your life, even if you look a right clown in it.”

The Miseducation of Evie Epworth is the first novel by British author, Matson Taylor. At sixteen and a half, Evie Epworth is faced with a decision: what to do with the rest of her life. There are plenty of suggestions (marry a farmer [Dad], do her A levels [best friend Margaret], work in a hair salon [Christine], marry a doctor [Mrs Swithenbank]). This is where she so misses having a mum.

Arthur Epworth undoubtedly loves his daughter, but his head is being turned by Christine Bradshaw, their (now live-in) housekeeper who has definite plans for Arthur and their farm, which don’t include Evie. Christine with her “pneumatic boobs and grasping scarlet hands” seems to be settling in and “the more Things Christine buys, the harder it’s going to be to get rid of her. Her clothes, the Tupperware and china knick-knacks, her Mantovani LPs, the horrible electric cooker – they’re all mini anchors, weighing her down and making her immovable. Like a septic tank.”

Under Christine’s influence, Evie fears having her “life torn asunder and being thrown into a world of enforced coiffured labour, wicked stepmothers and grisly water features.” She’s grateful to have their long-time neighbour, Mrs Rosamund Scott-Pym, to listen to her concerns, relate memories of Evie’s mother, and give mostly sound advice, although she does wonder about the sanity of using “a book of Yorkshire magic”.

Mrs Scott-Pym decides that Songs to Unshroud a Scarlet Woman is appropriate spell, but despite following it meticulously, Evie doesn’t see any immediate effect. But in her interactions with Mrs Scott-Pym, she does discover a heretofore unmentioned daughter who resides in London, a chic, stylish, daring woman who looks like someone Evie could emulate.

When a certain nasty accident brings Caroline Scott-Pym home to their Yorkshire village, they discover an instant rapport, and Evie has an ally in her campaign to see off the cheating, lying gold-digger.

What a delightful story Taylor gives the reader. His depiction of the early sixties is bound to be a nostalgia trip for readers of a certain vintage while his characters quickly endear themselves to the reader, except for those clearly intended to be despised. Evie’s antics provide many laugh-out-loud moments, while the support cast offer wise words and genuine care. Clever, funny and feel-good, this is a charming debut novel.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.

🐮 Book Review 🐮

The Miseducation of Evie Epworth by Matson Taylor was such an enjoyable read full of wonderful humour and wit.

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Synopsis

July, 1962
 
Sixteen year-old Evie Epworth stands on the cusp of womanhood. But what kind of a woman will she become?
 
The fastest milk bottle-delivery girl in East Yorkshire, Evie is tall as a tree and hot as the desert sand. She dreams of an independent life lived under the bright lights of London (or Leeds). The two posters of Adam Faith on her bedroom wall (‘brooding Adam’ and ‘sophisticated Adam’) offer wise counsel about a future beyond rural East Yorkshire. Her role models are Charlotte Bronte, Shirley MacLaine and the Queen. But, before she can decide on a career, she must first deal with the malign presence of her future step-mother, the manipulative and money-grubbing Christine.
 
If Evie can rescue her bereaved father, Arthur, from Christine’s pink and over-perfumed clutches, and save the farmhouse from being sold off then maybe she can move on with her own life and finally work out exactly who it is she is meant to be.

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The book is written in the first person, diary style, with Evie recounting the events and encounters, I found her internal monologue quite amusing, her random thoughts and tangents are quite funny. I absolutely loved the characters, especially Evie, I even liked to horrid ones like Christina and her mother. This would have to be one of my top reads for the year!

A big thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for advancing me a copy to read.

This one hits shelves in Australia in early August!

What a charming and delightful read this was! Full of laugh out loud moments as well as gentle humour as Evie Epworth navigates the minefields of finishing school and becoming a Woman.

We first meet Evie in 1962, "as old as the hills (16 and a half), as tall as a tree (5ft 11) and as wise as time (perhaps)", just after completing her O-levels and suffering her first hangover, as she races through the countryside in her father's (Off-Limits) MG roadster delivering milk in the Yorkshire countryside. "Soaring and plunging, I am unstoppable. A force of nature. A wild wind-faerie. Will becoming a Woman always feel like this?"

She is anticipating the future and wondering where life will take her. She could go back to school and do her A-levels but what she really wants is an exciting and glamorous career. Evie's mother died when she was a baby, so she only has her father Arthur to advise her. He is content for her to stay on the farm and marry a farmer and besides, is somewhat distracted by their live-in housekeeper, the pink clad, buxom 24 year old Christine (lover of knick-knacks, modern appliances, "Mantovani LPs, drinking Babycham and wearing cleavage-bolstering dresses"). Christine thinks Evie should become a hairdresser or bus conductress (anything to get her out of the house as soon as possible). Her best friend Margaret is no help as she has her sights set on A-levels and a sensible future as a teacher. She's tried talking to her posters of Adam Faith (brooding Adam and sophisticated Adam) in her bedroom, but so far hasn't received any insights from him. Fortunately she has her neighbour, the elderly and stylish Mrs Scott-Pym whose house is a sanctuary for Evie as well as a source of good books and delicious home baked cakes. She was also a friend of Evie's mother and provides Evie with a good sounding board for her problems with Christine and her desire to save her father from her clutches.

Written as a diary from Evie's point of view, this is a wonderful coming of age story, intelligently and delightfully written, infused with humour and original and wonderful characters. As a 60s teenager growing up on a farm, Evie is fresh and naive with an unrestrained zest for life and a character to cheer on as she strives towards her future. Highly recommended!

This debut is a coming-of-age story set in 1960s Yorkshire. Matson Taylor’s writing is an easy read, and the local accent shines through in the dialogue. The barrier to me loving this book was struggling to believe that Evie was always so nice to Christine, and struggling to believe that Arthur really didn’t see through her/past her breasts. I’m still not sure the opening cow incident was necessary. Not a stand out book for me, but I’m sure it is going to be well-loved by many people.

I wish to thank Matson Taylor, Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun read, I anticipated a laugh and it delivered charmingly. Set in the early 1960s in Yorkshire our protagonist Evie has recently completed O levels and is considering her future life. Evie is bright, reads deeply and engages with her adult neighbour. There is unique writing throughout the novel, parentheses are used widely and there are shifts in time. The characters are mostly very likeable, the Yorkshire wit and language shines through.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys the humour of the North of England, a great read for young adults.