A Risk Worth Taking

This is the story of Londoner Dan Porter, a dot-com wunderkind whose entire fairytale life falls apart on 9/11, when he loses several close and dear friends in New York, and is subsequently laid off (made redundant, as the Brits say) due to the crash of the dot-com industry. As the book opens, Dan is a house husband, dealing with his three surly teenagers and his equally surly wife Jackie, a high-powered executive in her own right who has no patience or sympathy with her husbands jobless condition.

Dan is going in circles, both emotionally and professionally, when, on pure whim (unlike him completely), he suddenly decides to invest in a Scottish clothing company he has read about in a magazine. Dans trip to Scotland, his subsequent reawakening, the friends he makes, and the unexpected turns he experiences, both in his own life, and that of his three children, change him, his marriage, his view of life, and his very soul forever.

I could not turn the pages fast enough to finish this wonderful book, and I am thrilled that Robin Pilcher has finally found his way, free of his mothers formidible reputation and finally able, like Dan Porter, to stand on his own. Bravo, Robin! Well done indeed.

Dan fails to get a new job, which leads to a tear in his relationship with Jackie because she feels he has become complacent while their lifestyle slips. When he reads an article in Womens Weekly about a small Scottish firm Vagabonds needing help to expand, he races north while Jackie is on the continent on business. Though the makers of the popular "Vaggas" is not what Dan expected, he finds his life changes perhaps even more than when he lost his dot com job, but Jackies resentment grows.

This is an engaging character study of a person who once was riding the crest, but since has lost his self esteem. He begins to regain his confidence with his trip to Scotland, but the cost may prove too high. The cast is a delightful ensemble, especially Dan, his family, and the Turnbows (owners of Vagabonds). Robin Pilcher provides a deep look at what really counts as Dan reassess his values and how he has lived.

Harriet Klausner