Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure

4.3 stars

*This is a TBRChallenge review, there will be spoilers, I don't spoil everything but enough, because I treat these reviews as a bookclub discussion. (also, a tv show Succession spoiler!)

“They've had seventy-five years to defeat you,” Violetta said, turning to her. Her eyes were wide and dark, and she was almost certainly the dearest thing that Bertrice had seen in years. “What do you think it means that they've yet to accomplish it?”

As with most Milan stories I read, this had some light and deep. The kind of quotes that make my eyes water out of nowhere, introspect, cheer, and rage with. A novella that read super quick but left me satisfied. I can just about guarantee I'll always recommend a Milan.

Violetta has just been let go from her job of overseeing the accounts and running of a tenant building right before she is about to turn seventy, a move by her boss to stop from having to pay her a pension. Having funds that could see her through a few years, Violetta knows she has to plan for the later years of her life. She comes up with the scheme to go to the aunt of one of the tenants who hasn't paid his rent in two years, claiming to be the owner of the building, getting the aunt to pay the back rent and then disappearing with her ill gotten gains.

Bertrice surprises Violetta, though, when she refuses to pay for her “Terrible Nephew” and instead comes up with her own scheme of “helping” Violetta evict the T.N. This, of course, won't help Violetta but she gets wrapped up into it all with a contract drawn up of Bertrice saying she'll pay the back rent if T.N. can't be kicked out. This kicks off some goofy schemes (a choir waking up T.N. in the morning, attacking fowl) and some “do you see what I'm trying to get you to think about” schemes (paying off sex workers to not sleep with T.N.).

While Violetta and Bertrice get together to enact these schemes we get a budding friend and romantic relationship building. Both women in their late sixties, Bertrice forced to marry for security but having that money now and Violetta growing up without much security, they both represent the trials and tribulations women face/d in a society that works to disenfranchise and take their power from them. Their bonding, connecting, and friction from their two different lived experiences was felt.

When the T.N. catches on, he starts to threaten Bertrice with having her declared mentally unstable and while Bertrice acknowledges the danger, she still pushes on, Violetta is beside her alternating worrying, cheering on, and helping. One of the aspects of Bertrice I loved, was the inclusion and discussing how present death can be later in life. She's been depressed as she's had people in her life pass on at greater numbers in the last two years. I haven't been able to shake a comment I saw about the tv show Succession, when Logan Roy's brother gave a brief eulogy I saw a comment discussing what it would feel like to have the only other person who shared memories and moments with you pass on. The lonely feeling that would give to not be able to laugh, cry, discuss, or have that understanding of those things with people who shared that with you. I thought that was touched on here wonderfully.

With the shorter page count, the problem with the T.N. wraps up fairly quickly with Bertrice going for it and the third act breakup of Violetta's lie looming over them but actually brought more lightness than dark drama when readers find out what Bertrice actually knew.

The epilogue was short but sweet and had me cheering for how it wrapped up. I found this a little lighter in tone than other Milan's, even with some of the deeper stop and make you think moments of social commentary. I often bemoan the shorter page count of novellas, but this was just about perfect (and an added bonus saying that I'd never heard about, how eating toasted cheese at night can have you dreaming about Lucifer!). Violetta and Bertrice had a sweet romance, there was bonding over shared experiences, depth, and a man got shown what was up, what more could you ask for?

Any Courtney Milan book is going to be a delight but I was especially excited to hear that this novella was going to feature older women.  I'm a huge fan of stories that feature older heroines.  Why should we stop getting stories when we are over 30?Miss Violetta Beauchamps has been fired by her employer just prior to being able to collect her pension.  He used her inability to collect rent from a boarder as an excuse even though he told her not to try because the boarder had a surety signed by his wealthy aunt.  Violetta needs money to live on so she decides to go collect the rent from the aunt herself.  She isn't going to give it to her ex-employer.  It is going to fund her modest lifestyle through her old age.  It is just a little lie.Mrs. Bertrice Martin was not what she was expecting.  She hates her Terrible Nephew.  She won't even utter his name.  She isn't going to pay his debts - not when he couldn't even bother to spell her name right on the surety he forged.  She will pay Miss Beauchamps to help her make the Terrible Nephew's life miserable though.There is a time for well characterized, morally ambiguous villains and there is a time for just letting the world burn to annoy a horrible person.  This story is the latter and it is a glorious romp.  Bertrice knows that everything wrong in the world is the fault of men.  Even if she can't really do anything systemically about it, she isn't going to make it easy for them.  Sometimes you just need to hire a group of off-key carolers to follow a fellow around all day to make yourself feel better.Bertrice appears to hold all the power with her wealth but it doesn't make her safe.  Men still have all the legal power and her nephew can get her declared insane.  Her recent antics might just make his case for him.  Violetta can't fight back against her unfair firing in a society that doesn't give women any legal rights.  I highlighted so many amazing bits of dialogue. 

"Fear at seventy years of age was different than fear at seventeen. At seventeen, Bertrice had been walking down the so-called correct path, trying not to stray with all her might. Her fears had not been her own; they had been gifts from her elders. They won’t think you’re proper if you do that. You might never find a match. Do you want to live in a garret alone for the rest of your life?"
 

This might be my favorite.

“My husband, God rot his soul, used to bring prostitutes home all the time. After he’d finished with them, I’d serve them tea and double whatever he was paying them.”

...

“But why would you do that?”

“Why not? It’s good sense to be kind to people who are doing work for you.” Bertrice didn’t think that was so strange a proposition. “It was hard work fucking my husband. Trust me, I should know. I certainly didn’t want to do it.”
 

Bertrice respects the neighborhood prostitutes all through the story.  (I really want to read a story about Molly, the lace-worker turned prostitute turned philanthropist.)

This story is an absolute delight for anyone who has ever wanted to rage against the privilege given to men in society just for being born.  It is cathartic and will bring a smile to your face long after you finish reading.

 This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story