Narrow Margins – a laugh-out-loud book which proves that lean times can sometimes be a very positive thing.
Faced with the loss of everything following the collapse of the Rover Group, Marie Browne moved her long-suffering husband Geoff, chaotic children and smelly, narcoleptic dog on to a houseboat in search of a less stressful, healthier, alternative way of life.
Strapped for cash, the family buy a decrepit 70ft barge called Happy Go lucky which had been run as a floating hotel. Outdated and in need of a complete refurbishment, Happy becomes their floating home. First they need to learn the ropes and many pitfalls beset their adventures.
As they come to terms with living on a narrow boat, readers gain a fascinating insight into life in the slow lane.
About the Author
Marie Browne is a mother of three who, for the past fifteen years, has been desperately trying to escape the Customer Service Industry. Apart from her husband and kids, the best things in her life are real ale, barbecues, ugly mad dogs that nobody else wants and cream-covered designer coffees. She also has an obsession with shoes.
Our Review
I am a fiction writer, trying to write a memoir based on a family holiday we took over forty years ago. Having never written in this genre before, I didn’t have a clue how to go about it. I was advised to read as much as I could of other author’s work, to see how it is best done.
I had read quite a few before picking up a copy of Marie Brown’s best selling novel, Narrow Margins and I didn’t need to look any further.
Narrow Margins is exactly the kind of book I want to write!
When life interferes and ruins her family life, she has to find a way to make the best out of a disaster. It seemed to be an impossible task, but fate intervened and suggested a houseboat might be the answer to their prayers.
How they manage to find one they can afford, and what happens next was an enchanting story. Beautifully written and uplifting too, proving that you can survive a disaster if you have enough determination.
My family has been through a similar situation, but I don’t think we handled it half as well as Marie and her family…
Since reading this lovely book, I have finished writing ‘Lazy Days’, my attempt at transcribing the notes I wrote all those years ago in our Captains Log. I wasn’t happy with my efforts, so I had it beta read. The results were not encouraging. I was right, it needed a lot more work.
This work in progress is getting better, but may take some time, but I will always be grateful for the imspiration I found in Marie Browne’s books!
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