Did You Miss Me? is the second novel of Irish author Michael Feeney Callan published by Crysis Press in 2002.
Plot Summary
editPatricia is a woman on the cusp of change. Her day to day life appears to have reached a terminal point. With three children nurtured and grown and a husband immersed in his academic work, Patricia drifts between the unsatisfying routines of a dull day job and the gossip obsessions of her reading group. But routines are altered by the arrival of a kind-hearted black couple, James and Alva, whose mysterious spin on the world makes her reevaluate her every waking thought and, finally, confront the childhood secret that has made her who she is.
Analysis
editDid You Miss Me? primarily deals with themes of age, love, family, sex, friendship and change but also touches superficially on issues of racism, spirituality, hedonism and homosexuality within suburban, middle-class Britain.
The book mainly deals with the multifaceted relationships of Patricia, the protagonist, as wife, mother and friend. Her neuroses are laid bare without bias from the author, provoking an internal debate. Is Patricia a product of her circumstances, or have the circumstances she finds herself in arisen as a result of her behaviour? This notion is explored via Patricia's relationship with her father and, in turn, with her own children.
External links
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