Grey Matters

At its heart, Grey Matters is about the power of believing in yourself, and in a world that keeps telling women they no longer matter, this can be a hard-fought battle. Odile is in her late sixties, runs the business she built from nothing and lives in the city she chose. Everyone keeps asking when she’ll retire, but she is far more interested in what comes next. Her strength didn’t come from nowhere, and I loved learning more about Odile’s past and how it made her who she is. Danielle writes with warmth and humour, but tackles important and often hidden topics. What a wonderful book. I would recommend Grey Matters.

I enjoyed the depiction and celebration of deep female friendship in Grey Matters. I also appreciated the sensitive portrayal of a difficult subject, with a story that moved deftly between light and dark. Edinburgh provided the perfect backdrop for Odile’s story, and reading it has inspired another visit to discover more of its hidden gems, cafes and bookshops, and to view the city through a different lens.

This is an impressive debut novel from Danielle Barbereau. What a refreshing change to have a story featuring older women, portraying how their lived experience gives them wisdom and continued relevance - rather in contrast to the way society and the media generally treat ‘women of a certain age’. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Barbereau.

First of all, in my opinion, this book is ‘unputdownable’ The reader really wants to find out what happens to the characters because they are written so sympathetically. This book is optimistic yet realistic and Danielle Barbereau writes with a wealth of knowledge and experience of her subject matter. Although my circumstances are different, as a child of divorce, I really relate to and sympathise with the character of Rowan and her feelings about her father. The descriptions of Edinburgh are wonderful and could be used by the tourist board there!

Devoured this book in 3 sittings . Loved it and couldn’t put it down. A heartwarming and poignant tale of a mature woman who manages to survive very challenging times and who is determined to live her life to the full. It definitely honours mature women’s resilience whilst celebrating women’s friendships…I would recommend this book to all women in their 50’s and 60’s because of its message of hope ! Do you think you are too old ? Think again :)