“The only way to be reliably sure the hero gets the girl at the end of the story is to be both the hero and the girl yourself”

The delight at encountering a super fun and super positive book is beyond description. I came across this gem while I was voting on goodreads for the best books of 2020. I think i have a hangover from this book – its making me smile or laugh or think ever since I finished reading it.

Ofcourse I went on twitter to check the Duchess Goldblatt account and read the posts and the interactions, while reading the book – after all the writer is anonymous! The account does exist and has been active and loved for several years now.

This book dear readers, is a navigational memoir of a very kind and loving soul, whose life has been peppered with moments of loss and moments of joy. It leads you to understand what led to the creation of the account, how theraputic it was for the creater / author, how distinctly different the personas of the person holding the account vs the character they create was – at least to the mind of the author.

The book goes back and forth between how author views the character Duchess Goldblatt in comparison to self as well as what specific events in authors life led to development of this fictional character. It almost seems to fill some gaps author feels in their life or personality. It’s endearing at times and heart breaking at others, but at no point does it turn boring.

The snippets from the twitter accounts post are funny, sarcastic and sometime melancholic, all at the same time.

Now that I am following the Duchess or “her grace” as well, I believe it might just be a start of a beautiful friendship.

“Writers can be a lot of fun at parties, but word to the wise: Keep an eye on your good memories. They’ll strip them down for parts”

“I found a box of old hours at the back of the fridge. I don’t even know how long it had been there. Summer hours. Smelled like roses.”