Never Mind Miss Fox
By Olivia Glazebrook,
Virago, 256 pages, £12.99
Revenge — everybody says it is not a good thing and only brings bitterness. We have to strive to let go and be the better person. But, just about every person who has been wronged, in a real or imagined manner, has dreamt of it. Not necessarily a violent one but definitely a situation wherein the wrongdoer is made to eat humble pie.
“Never Mind Miss Fox”, as you most probably would have guessed, is about revenge, getting even. An interesting tale that looks at the whole coming-of-age scenario. A young girl from the right side of the tracks is unhappy with her upscale life. Eliot Fox craves adventure, to be different.
The 16-year-old is in an on-off relationship with Tom but it looks like his older brother Clive has some unexamined emotions for her. As expected, it is a recipe for disaster. And, sure enough, unhappiness strikes.
The protagonists grow up and move on. But the secret that binds Clive and Eliot continues to haunt his existence. He is not exactly charming but neither is he a bad father or husband. But the shadow that threatens to creep up on his life makes him wary of too much happiness.
If we try hard enough, sometimes, providence gives us exactly what we dread. Clive’s nightmare comes true. But the curious aspect is that the revenge wreaked is a result of guilt driven by suggestion rather than any concrete action.
How often have you succumbed to a confession because of the morbid fear of what will go wrong? Unable to hang on, something within cracks.
Liberation or destruction? Never Mind, Miss Fox offers up a thought-provoking outcome. Life can never be predictable, especially when it comes to revenge.
