My TBR pile has been growing rapidly, so I recently set some time aside to read them, particularly after a completely unthreatening warning from my boyfriend to ‘get rid of some books’.
After deciding not to tell him where to go, I found myself agreeing, charmed by his confidence (audacity) to confront me on such a topic close to my heart in the form of said books. (It turns out he didn’t mean ‘get rid of them from the house’, just to get reading and then be rid of them, phew)
Onward: one of the first books to be read was David Nicholls’ latest release, You Are Here* (YAH).
This is the third Nicholls book I’ve read; The Understudy*, and recently One Day*, one of my favourite reads of 2023.
Set between Cumbria (the Lake District), YAH follows freelance copy-editor Marnie who is bored of being alone in London, surrounded by nothing but work every day of the week – literally. After encouragement from her teacher friend Cleo, she joins her on a walk where she is introduced to Michael, a Geography teacher. How apt.
He, too, is bored but enjoys solitary walks as a means of escape and something to do.
I’ll try to avoid spoilers here, but early on we learn they’re both recovering from major ‘failed’ cases of love in their life: a divorce and a marriage split.
Even though there is no major arc nor tragedy like One Day (tf), the plot is mostly character-driven, as more is revealed about each of them, some secrets (which are quite human), what they want from life and themselves, whilst we become witness to a budding friendship-relationship. Comforting in one’s middle age which Nicholls effortlessly captures.
What is meant to be just a few days for Marnie turns into a trek, similar to Michael’s original plan, where over a week, they go from Cumbria/the Lake District, through the Yorkshire Dales to Robin Hood’s Bay on the East, on a Coast-to-Coast walk.
Whilst I found YAH’s writing style less elegant than One Day, Nicholls still has the skill to tell a story so vividly, detailing Marnie and Michael’s trip through the countryside as they endure the typical British weather.
The slight arc joins Marnie and Michael in Richmond, where he opens up about a secret from his ‘past’. Whilst they face a little bump here, I on the other hand have fond memories of this place. Back in 2012 (what a great year), my family and I stayed in a narrow 3-storey cottage. Even now, I can hear the creak from the wonky floors and staircase and smell the mix of wood, bonfire and countryside air. In the slight summer sun, the scruffy garden backed onto the castle wall where you could occasionally hear a bell chime (no idea where the bell was).
One Day takes some beating, but YAH was still a very enjoyable book, where you can take in all the country sights from the comfort of a few words on a page.
It was a truly comforting, joyful book – and may I say, quite British! Nothing beats two awkward Brits figuring out if the other one likes them as they tackle the wind and rain in the North of England!
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Lizzie's Week 