We are all Made of Glue by Marina Lewycka

From Goodreads

Georgie Sinclair's life is coming unstuck. Her husband's left her. Her son's obsessed with the End of the World. And now her elderly neighbour Mrs Shapiro has decided they are related.

Or so the hospital informs her when Mrs Shapiro has an accident and names Georgie next of kin. This, however, is not a case of a quick ward visit: Mrs Shapiro has a large rickety house full of stinky cats that needs looking after and that a pair of estate agents seem intent on swindling from her. Plus there are the 'Uselesses' trying to repair it (uselessly). Then there's the social worker who wants to put her in a nursing home. Not to mention some letters that point to a mysterious, painful past.

As Georgie tries her best to put Mrs Shapiro's life back together, somehow she must stop her own from falling apart.

My thoughts

I gave this an 8/10 or 4 stars. I've read several books by Marina Lewycka and she has the ability to pull together a story that has humour at it's heart. It's a thought provoking read though and perfect for reading groups with so many things that can be discussed.

I loved the relationship that developed between Georgie and her newly found relative Mrs Shapiro. The relationship between them both was hilarious at times. Tasked with looking after the Mrs Shapiro's house, Georgie is keen to find out more about her elderly neighbour. In doing so, she opens a can of worms in some respects and not all is as it at first seems.

Two particular observations by Marina Lewycka made me smile and both were aimed at men ~

'The B & Q store was tattier than the one at Tottenham and almost empty, silent with a hush of reverence - like a temple, I thought, dedicated to some male peculiar cult.' We always said that B & Q was my brothers church on a Sunday as he never seemed to be away from it.

'Have you ever noticed the similarity between BBQ and B & Q? My theory is that that's why men feel the urge to take over cooking on these occasions.' She's probably right you know, as men do seem keener to cook when it's a BBQ rather than a normal night's tea.

Marina Lewycka certainly has a knack of making great observations and weaving them into a great story.