What if you had been married for forty years and had never loved your wife?
What if you were bored with your family and your job but were too responsible to abandon them?
What if you looked in the mirror and saw a lifetime of regret and disillusion?
What if you had the chance to change it all before it was too late. What would you do?
Tony Ballard took his chance...
Tony Ballard has been married for forty years. He is haunted by the knowledge that he never loved his wife and settled for a relationship less fulfilling than he truly desired. He is unwilling to walk away from his marriage, not least for the sake of his two daughters, and he runs a successful business with which he is now bored. Tony has accepted that this is how his life will remain until the end of his days. Then his wife dies suddenly.
Although grieving, Tony's overriding guilty emotion is suppressed excitement that he is now free to reshape his life. He sets out to change everything about himself, determined to find love before it is too late. Tony joins an internet dating agency. His search for new love, and attempts to rejuvenate his appearance, upsets his distant relationship with his two grown-up daughters. Tony's self-absorbed behaviour also leads to other family secrets emerging, which further causes him to doubt the foundation of his adult life. Then an unexpected discovery leads Tony back to the past and the unsatisfactory nature of his marriage is reinforced by a shocking revelation. Tony attempts to resolve his relationship with his family, but is it too late? Is the emotional damage too severe? Was his wife as loyal as Tony always assumed, and will he find real love? A surprise confrontation leads to an unexpected resolution.
Why did I write this book?
I read a fascinating article that reported on how many people, especially in the 50 to 60 age group, were using internet dating sites to find new love. Many of them, in the hope of finding a more meaningful relationship, had deliberately walked away from marriages that had lasted for many years. It led me to thinking about the whole nature of love and why and how couples stay together or not, and what they are truly thinking about the relationship they are in. I invented the character of Tony Ballard and placed him in a long marriage and a life that he secretly found unsatisfactory and considered how he would react if he was suddenly released from that situation. The story evolved in a quite different way than I first imagined and it developed into a bitter-sweet tragi-comedy that also included many of my own experiences, albeit from many years ago (I'll leave you to guess which ones they might be!). Most authors will tell you that they become very fond of the characters they create, almost as if they become friends, and of all the books I have written it was true of Settling. When I had finished it I found that I missed Tony Ballard and his daughter Olivia and some of the other characters in his life. Settling is a mellow, autumnal, low key romance. If might just get under your skin.
Settling Reviews
'Settling' is a new novel, published by Matador, by local author and 'Brain of Britain' David Stedman. His first novel 'That Terrible Shadowing' was a study of the Italian artist and serial offender Caravaggio. His new novel could hardly be more different, being set in modern day London and being a study of a bored late middle aged character named Tony Ballard who suddenly gets the chance to change everything about his stultified life thanks to the death of his wife. A dark and unpromising premise but Stedman had me hooked almost from the start. He draws you into Ballard's world and his relationships with his family, friends and colleagues with writing that is refined, almost sparse, in its clarity. Stedman cleverly maintains a 'hook', a mystery about his wife's last words, throughout the narrative and weaves the story around that but not at the expense of Ballard's intriguing personal life. The story is intercut by Ballard's encounters from an internet dating agency. Although some of them have the ring of truth I found these parts the least satisfactory element and they tend to seem too contrived and jar with the tone of the rest of the story. Throughout the story I wanted to know what happened next and whether Ballard would find the happiness he craved. I was sorry when I had come to the last page and had to leave Ballard's company. In this new age of 'chick lit' and 'gran lit' and 'mummy porn'. Stedman's novel is a more mature and realistic view of love and relationships. Although the story is told from a male point of view and is about love in the twilight of life, 'Settling' should appeal to any age and sex and any person wondering about this mysterious condition called love.
A brilliant story with great characters, very easy to read, a lovely one to take on holiday. Loved it as much as his last book.
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Books by David Stedman
Three resourceful officers from different countries suffer tragic loss and are forced to co-operate against their own governments and a ruthless hidden organisation to prevent a deadly plot to destabilise the free world.
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A craftily ambitious jester relates his rise to wealth and power serving future King Edward Longshanks in the true story of his master's perilous ascent to the throne through intrigue, romance, civil war and crusade.
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Bad boy genius artist Caravaggio returns from the past in the amazing true story of his turbulent life in a time travel murder mystery solved through full colour illustrations of his complete works.
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Tony Ballard is suddenly freed from a long unhappy marriage and dull career to change his life and find new love despite his disapproving family and their shocking secrets that challenge his new freedom.
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