Note to Boy by Sue Clark

In her beautifully written debut novel, Sue Clark tells a story that will make you laugh a lot and cry a little. She has created two convincing, realistic characters, each of whom is on the point of succumbing to an impossible situation. By introducing Eloise and Bradley, and making them bounce hilariously off each other, she not only saves them both, but also gives them hope for the future. I recommend Note to Boy to book clubs, not only because of its high entertainment value, but also because it bridges the generation gap and presents decades of social history, in a style as light and digestible as a macaroon; or, as Eloise would call it, a ‘Cameroon’.

Eloise, who’s on the wrong side of 80, hires Bradley, 17, as her housekeeper. Supported financially by her wealthy, but absent, daughter, both she and her flat are, to put it politely, ‘in a state’. Bradley’s home life, with a feckless mother and brutal brother, is falling apart. To him, even the chaos of Eloise’s place offers a welcome escape, and he sets about the job with youthful vigour. I especially liked the part where Bradley is cleaning the fridge, and sees something move inside it….

The adventures of this ill-assorted pair begin when Bradley realises that Eloise’s stories are something more than the ramblings of a dotty old lady. She has a past, and what a past! Although Bradley has never heard the word ‘amanuensis’, and Eloise cannot remember it, that is what he becomes. His efforts to find out the truth about his employer result in happier times for them both, and along the way, there is plenty of humour, and multiple reveals for the reader to enjoy.

I was interested to find out more about the background to Note to Boy, and Sue Clark kindly agreed to answer my questions. Here they are, with her illuminating answers. Thank you, Sue!

QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION ON ‘NOTE TO BOY’, WITH SUE CLARK

Eloise leads the reader in a romp through fifty years of the London ‘rag trade’. What are your memories of being, or trying to be, a ‘dedicated follower of fashion’?

I cannot deny it, I had a fantastic time during the late 1960s and early 70s! Though I am not as ancient as Eloise – and was never as outrageous! – as a young, single woman, I lived in a shared flat near Oxford Circus, worked for a big American film production company and shopped for my shockingly short miniskirts in Carnaby Street. At that time, English pop music, films and, of course, fashions, were admired and aped around the world. And I was living at the heart of all that excitement.

Fashion was affordable. Even lowly secretaries like me could afford to keep up with the trends. Every Saturday I would trip the length of Oxford Street, starting at Marble Arch and ending in Soho, visiting every clothes shop along the way.

Fashion disasters I remember – because that’s what you want to read, isn’t it? – include a bright yellow culotte dress with gold gobstopper buttons, white ‘go go’ ankle boots, emerald green suede clogs with clunky wooden heels, and a pair of shiny hipster harem pants so wide I kept tripping over them. I made the latter myself and somehow had the nerve to wear them to a party. I cringe at the thought now but back then I fell in love with each and every one of these monstrosities. Mercifully no photographs exist of me wearing any of them!

One piece I remember with fondness. In fact, I still have it. It’s a fitted dress in heavy cream silk, with a high collar, leg of mutton sleeves and a short – very short – flared skirt. It’s the dress I had made to be married in.

I love your definition of maternal success as having four adult children, all of whom still speak to you. What advice would you give a parent struggling to raise a teenager like Bradley?

Thank you. Bradley feels unappreciated and unloved, and burns with resentment. Not unusual feelings for teenagers but in Bradley’s case, I think, justified. What Eloise gives him is unconditional, if unconventional, attention and, in her own eccentric way, respect. This encourages him to come out of his protective shell and live the life he wants.

It seems too obvious to say but I’ll say it anyway, I believe what children and especially teenagers need is your time, your patience and your love. And a certain amount of bossing about. Don’t we all?

If asked what genre ‘Note to Boy’ belongs to, I would choose satire, because of your characters’ hilarious asides on coping with everyday life. Would I be right?

I’m happy with ‘satire’ as a label, given most of the characters are indeed larger than life. I’d also accept plain ‘humour’. I don’t get that hung up on genres.

The reader watches Bradley’s character develop, throughout ‘Note to Boy’. By the end, he has become the kind of young man who will go far. How do you imagine his career progressing?

I think he will do well, but on what side of the law? He has that combination of intelligence and cunning that many successful people – both legit and otherwise – have.

I hope he’ll have the good sense and patience to study and make it as a lawyer, using the wiles he’s picked up on the street to run rings around more conventional professionals. Or I could see him in the healthcare industry as a nurse or a care-worker, looking after other older women like Eloise.

But there’s a distinct possibility he’ll use the skills and confidence he’s acquired to move to the dark side, perhaps setting up some sort of dodgy business. In fact, whatever Bradley ends up doing, I’ve a feeling there’ll always be a dodgy edge to it.