The Zigzag Road To Happy
Anita Heavens, 2015
Terrapin Publishing
224 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780993317842
Summary
Based on a true story.
This is the story of 16-year-old Nicky who, feeling suffocated by her dysfunctional family life, runs away to London, England of the 1960s.
We follow her ups and downs, her tears and her boundless enthusiasm as she encounters a variety of quirky characters, including an African snake dancer, biker gangs and crafty old men.
At the same time Nicky is on an internal journey, struggling to get a sense of her own identity. She remembers the feeling of being happy from when she was small, and is constantly trying to get back to that. Flashbacks tell us how that got lost and how she became a chameleon, trying to please everyone. This means others are able to control her, particularly some of the young men she meets.
The novel follows the zigs and zags of Nicky's journey, which is full of the unexpected, constantly leading the reader to wonder whether the next turn of the road could take her back to happy.
Author Bio
• Birth—December 28, 1947
• Where—Croydon, England, UK
• Education—Reigate Grammar School
• Currently—lives in Thornton Heath, Surrey, England
Anita started her career in the business world, becoming Company Secretary to a group of retail companies and a Director of four of them. She then noticed her work was no longer bringing satisfaction and, realising what really interested her was people and how they develop despite and because of adversity, she retrained as a psychotherapist.
After a long and fulfilling career Anita gave up work due to two episodes of cancer. Having always wanted to write a book 'one day' she realised we can never be sure we will have that 'one day', and that prompted her to write The Zigzag Road to Happy, her first novel, some of which is based on her own experiences. She is currently working on some short stories and a possible sequel. (From the author.)
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Discussion Questions
1. Do you feel Nicola was selfish in abandoning her mother as she did?
2. Why do you think Mr Cazian was so hostile towards Nicky?
3. Could Nicola have handled Lars' controlling behaviour differently?
4. How real did the characters seem? Did you feel strongly about any of them?
5. Did you think Laura made the right choice, given her circumstances?
6. How do you feel the central character developed during the novel?
7. Would the prejudice met by some of the characters in 1960s London be any different now?
8. Do you feel Nicola was a victim?
9. Do you think the English class system was relevant in the story?
10. How did you feel about the way the book ended?
11. Did you consider the book conveyed any important messages?
12. Should Nicky have eaten the sausages for an easier life?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)