Virginia Lane Is Not A Hero by Rosalind Stopps

 

Grieving the loss of her husband, Virginia Lane has decided that life holds nothing for her, she's counting down the days until she can carry out her plan to join him. When she spots the change in behaviour of the neighbour's smiley baby she decides to investigate and this gives Virginia a new focus on life.

The title, Virginia Lane Is Not A Hero is so very true, she's not, but what she does do is one of those things that many of us wish we had the courage to carry out. Rosalind Stopps has created a protagonist who, having nothing left to live for, stands up to a bully and is willing to risk everything for the safety and well-being of a young child.

Virginia lives a lonely life in London. Her only child lives in Australia and until recently her life revolved around her husband, Jed. His recent death has left Virginia feeling that there's nothing left for her. Virginia is a pragmatist, she's aware that grief is overwhelming her emotions, so sets a date seven weeks in the future on which she'll take the hoard of pills she's collected if things don't change (and she's no reason to believe they will). At the moment, the only thing that brightens her day is a wave from the baby that lives on the same street.

Virginia notices a change in the behaviour of the baby and its mother. As she digs deeper she becomes concerned that they are victims of domestic abuse. You can feel the turmoil Virginia is in regarding what to do. Jed would have been her sounding board, now she has no one to turn to for advice. When the mother secretly asks Virginia to keep the baby safe she sees her only option is to flee to her bolthole in Margate.

In Margate, Virginia is fortunate enough to get help from another family who are dealing with their own issues. Initially, I felt that the author may have tried to encompass too many issues, but there's a deftness of touch in the writing so that none of the topics overwhelm others. The fact that the characters all have their own problems reminds us not to judge people "until we've walked in their shoes" and to always try and show kindness.

You cannot help but cheer on the characters, they have so many redeemable qualities (although I found Noah a bit too pretentious). There are times when the story will have you railing against some of the obstacles they face. Compassion, conscience and friendship all play a huge part in the decisions they make. The ending is bittersweet, rather than a fairy-tale one, and I'm so pleased Rosalind Stopps opted for something realistic. It would be wonderful to believe there was a little bit of "hero" in all of us.

Virginia Lane Is Not A Hero by Rosalind Stopps will be published on 29th August 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy.

Author Details

Rosalind Stopps lives in Margate and south east London with various humans and dogs. Her short stories have been published in five anthologies and read at live literature events in London, Leeds, Hong Kong and New York.