Book Review: Expectation // Anna Hope

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Expectation by Anna Hope delves into the disappointed lives of three women, as years after graduating university, the gap between the lives they imagined for themselves, and the ones they ended up living, has inevitably widened.

The first is Hannah. Her friends envy her successful London life, complete with a well-paying job and a husband. However, as she desperately struggles for a baby through a succession of failed IVF treatments, she is far from content. Enter Cate, Hannah’s childhood best friend. Despite having exactly what her friend wants, motherhood has left her feeling desolate and disillusioned. It has led to sleep deprivation, a move to Canterbury away from her friends, and ever-growing distance between herself and husband Sam. Finally, Lissa completes the trio, Hannah’s friend from university. She is a single actress who once had high hopes for her career, that have sadly whittled away with age.

We observe these characters as they attempt to navigate through life as women, friends, wives, mothers, and daughters. It is fascinating to discover the impact of these roles on their relationship with one another. Moreover, the issues each character faces, from Hannah’s struggle with anxiety, to Lissa’s false promises to give up smoking, allows the reader to empathise with these characters, as life pushes these women apart and brings them back together. As Grazia commented, “If you wished Normal People had tackled female friendship, try Expectation,” and this rings true.

One of the defining characteristics of Expectation is the way in which Hope frequently changes perspective, allowing the reader to see through the gaze of each individual character. The women’s experiences are so entwined, that each change in perspective feels neither drastic nor misplaced. Although we meet the women in their mid-30s, the book gives us a peek into their adolescence, with flashbacks from school, university, and life in their 20s. The flashbacks gradually feed us more information, as we are forced to piece together the fragments of their lives.

The interlinking and frequently differing perspectives, combined with well-placed flashbacks, allowed the book to flow, as the character’s lives are increasing interwoven. Hope’s writing style is enjoyable; she does not skimp out on description, yet does so with snappy sentences and simple adjectives. The specific food descriptions of every meal is a notable example, from “good, chewy bread with salty butter”, to “strong Cheddar and a goat’s cheese covered with ash.”

Expectation will resonate differently with readers of different ages. Older readers may relate to the struggles of motherhood and married life which the women are afflicted by, whilst living with the burden of their thwarted expectations. For university students, who are at the stage of the women in their flashbacks, it provides a strange sense of relief coupled with worry. The relief stems from realising that no one’s life ever turns out perfectly. The worries, however, come from wondering whether or not our own expectations can ever be met. We can never really know what the reality will be, so instead we are faced with that looming liminal space we will one day, hopefully, fill.

Words by Hannah Drew

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