Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Supermarket Baby by Susan Flanagan


Who would have thought that a single dose of "cold and sinus" medication and a quick trip to the supermarket would unleash a series of unfortunate events for newly retired, Henry Puddester. The movie-star handsome civil servant just wanted to ride off into the sunset on his 1970 Triumph motorcycle, but instead the freshly minted house husband finds himself in the thick of things when a baby mysteriously turns up in his shopping cart. With a pending charge for child abduction, things could not possibly get any worse for Henry. Enter the eccentric stranger and gun toting gal named Delores and her 1983 Ford LTD named Daisy. And so it begins, two weeks of unintentionally hilarious and ill fated circumstances that leaves Henry scratching his head and wondering if he will ever survive all this misfortune.

Winner of the 2019 Percy Janes First Novel Award, Supermarket Baby, is quite frankly the comic relief that our Covid world needs! Award winning author Susan Flanagan does a superb job at crafting a storyline of comedic elements that draws the reading audience into the show. Newfoundland readers near and far will recognize many of the plot details like Chase The Ace in the Goulds, headless parking meters in downtown St. John's, and hiking the East Coast Trail to a place called The Spout. Equally intriguing are the quirky characters that Flanagan expertly pens. From Henry's 10 year old, Fortnite addicted son Dash to his cracker jack lawyer wife Millie,  each character is portrayed as loveable but slightly flawed.  

Supermarket Baby is a light-hearted and fun read. Just when you think things couldn't get any worse in the world, they do!!!!! Supermarket Baby is a Flanker Press publication.

2 comments:

  1. Jesus in the garden! Supermarket Baby was a delightful read. Susan Flanagan’s characters are as colourful as Delores’ outfits. Susan also intertwines the conversations using local sayings and witticism to tie everything together in the final pages.

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  2. Yes! The characters!! Oh my, the characters!😂 Wherever Henry finds himself, whether it be at the supermarket, the lockup or cooped up in his house hiding out, Flanagan's characters are real and are a hilarious portrayal of reality multiplied by 100!! A delightful read for sure!

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