What a wild ride of a book! I finished Mad Mabel last night and this morning I had to go back and read the last chunk of pages again. Just to be sure I had all the facts straight.
This novel, the 11th by Australian author Sally Hepworth, is told in dual timelines, labeled “Then” and “Now.” Mabel Waller is our main character, although at a turning point in her young life, she chooses to go by the name of Elsie Fitzpatrick, thinking she can erase, or at best, hide her past under her middle name and her mother’s maiden name. Her well-covered past comes back to haunt her in full living color.
Elsie, now 81, lives alone and knows everyone on her street. Through a series of related events, we also get to know everyone on her street. The cast of minor characters—Peter, Joan, the Nguyens, Roxanne and daughter Persephone, and next door neighbor Ishaan whose constantly barking Chihuahua Nugget adds to the sassiness of the street.
The only other character of note is Daphne, Elsie’s dearest and oldest friend in the whole world. It is Daphne who repeatedly saves first Mabel, whom she calls Maybelline, and later in life, Elsie. It is Elsie’s relationship with Daphne that creates the softness of the story, albeit with lots of profanity, that highlights the true beauty of female friendship.
This book has a lot of dark humor covering up an even darker storyline, the story of Mabel’s childhood. As I read this book, I couldn’t help but think back to Louisa from My Friends by Fredrik Backman as well as Meg in Kathryn Stockett’s The Calamity Club. I hope to steer clear of another story with a young girl living the horrible lives of those three girls.
For all that Mabel/Elsie has lived through, and whoo-boy it is a lot, she has a strong dose of confidence, and strangely enough she is sort of like Nugget in character, as almost everyone knows Chihuahuas will go up against dogs ten times their size without batting an eye. (My dad’s first cousin had a revolving cast of Chihuahuas when I was growing up, and I was nipped at the ankle more times than I can count.)
The “Then” meets the “Now” when two young people ask Elsie if they can interview her for a YouTube series, as they put it, “Let you tell your own story, start to finish.” Elsie has not ever spoken—not once in her 81 years of life—of her past to either stand up for herself or set the record straight. Although highly skeptical, Elsie agrees to meet with them, and slowly, Adeem and Libby grow on her. Soon she is baking for them and feeling down when they leave for the day.
Persephone also wheedles her way into Elsie’s heart, and ever so slowly, the cold, hard exterior she has so masterfully crafted over the many decades starts to crack. It is her finest hour, and her saddest hour, all at once.
There are some twists that come about in the later stages of the book. I will be honest, I didn’t see them coming. Not a single one. I was floored by one of them, and another one made complete sense once it was revealed.
After reading a book like this I always reflect on one thing: How in the world do authors come up with a storyline like this? How did Sally Hepworth get all of the moving parts, even the ones that were dripping with blood, to come together at the end? What exactly does a person who comes up with a story like Mad Mabel dream about at night? Are they dreams or nightmares?
I enjoyed this book, even though there are a fair number of reviews out there that find fault with the implausible nature of some of the plot points. I suppose I just glossed over those things, granting creative license to the author. So, if you haven’t already, give it a read and decide for yourself. Was Mabel mad? Was it worth the read? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Comment here!