What Was She Thinking: Notes on a Scandal
16 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Book Club, Book Review Tags: Adult Fiction, England, London, Womens Fiction
What Was She Thinking: Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller (2003)
ISBN: 0805073337
Pages: 258
Publisher: Henry Holt
Barbara Covett is a single and rather lonely teacher at St. George’s school. When Sheba Hart joins that staff as the new pottery teacher, Barbara takes notice of her and anxiously waits for Sheba to notice and become friends with her. As their friendship develops, unbeknownst to Barbara, Sheba also began a relationship with one of her students, Steven Connolly. When the affair is discovered and Sheba’s life is turned upside down, Barbara is there to take care of Sheba and chronicle her secrets.
Written as a personal chronicle of scandalous events, Heller presents facts from the narrator, Barbara’s, point of view. The reader is painted a picture of the steadfast Barbara and often spacey and selfish Sheba. Some of Barbara’s past is revealed, but ultimately she makes herself out to be some kind of heroine of the narrative. What makes this such a fascinating read is that Heller leaves the audience hang as to the outcome of events. It is a novel that makes one look deeper into the circumstances and makes one think deeply about events and the various relationships in the story. A definite interesting read that will make you think.
Score: 4 out of 5
