A Risk Worth Taking by Robin Pilcher
Reviewed by Vicki Carver
Rosamunde Pilcher has been a highly respected British author for many
years whose most famous novel was The Shell Seekers, published in 1987.
Rosamunde Pilcher is no longer writing but her oldest son, Robin, has
had three novels published.
Robin Pilcher’s newest novel is called A Risk Worth Taking. Its main
character is Dan Porter, an unemployed father of three teen-agers living
in London. Dan’s wife Jackie is the managing director of a successful
clothing designer shop. Their marriage has been slowly eroding,
especially with the stress involved in Dan’s unemployment.
An opportunity for Dan to work for four months in a prawn (a type of
fish) factory in Scotland encourages him and his son Josh to travel
north. In Scotland Dan begins work at a factory owned by Patrick
Trenchard who is suffering from an advanced case of multiple sclerosis.
Patrick’s family includes his wife Katie, who runs a successful clothing
business, and their two young children.
Life in Scotland offers a vast contrast to life in London. Pat and Josh
are living in a very small cottage in a remote part of Scotland. However
they both flourish as they adapt to their rugged new lifestyle and
become good friends with the Trenchard family.
Meanwhile Dan’s wife Jackie is enjoying the attention from a younger
co-worker named Stephen. She has gradually been losing interest in both
her marriage and her family. With Dan’s absence his marriage to Jackie
erodes further.
A Risk Worth Taking continues to a point where the characters must all
come to terms with the life issues they are facing. The conclusion of
the story enables the characters to resolve their conflicts in a
meaningful way.
Most readers who have read Rosamunde Pilcher’s novels are undoubtedly
women. A Risk Worth Taking is the story of a man who is facing some
major issues in his life. Men may enjoy reading Robin Pilcher’s newest
novel as well as women.