A late in life coming-of-age story...

Retired expat, Tony Metcalfe, is going through a three-quarter-life crisis. Viva Espana, his bar in a mountain village beyond Spain's Costa Blanca, is failing. Tony started the bar for the English post-war babies who retired early on good pensions - the por favors, as the Spanish call them - flocking to the dream of wine, rest and sun around the pool. But now their retirement paradise is shadowed by Brexit: the pound has fallen, pensions are frozen and the property crash happened long ago.

Tony wants to move back to enjoy the remainder of his life in his childhood home, but his tenacious wife Laney wants to stay in the happy valley and forget about England and the dark, unresolved feelings it provokes in their marriage. Sod it - he couldn't go home even if he tried; nobody would buy an ailing bar during a recession.

But Tony's luck is about to change when his son Nick arrives for a surprise visit with his self-possessed wife, Jo, and their son. With the extra help, Tony thinks things are on the up, but Jo has brought along more baggage than just their family's suitcases.

Staying On is a compelling story of little and greater family secrets come to light and what it means to find home, wherever you are.

A funny, timely and touching novel exploring the impact of Brexit on retired British expats living in Spain

About the Author

Craig Taylor lives in Oxford, lectures at the Oxford International Centre for Publishing Studies and is a freelance editor of fiction. He is the author of Premiership Psycho and Group of Death, two-thirds of a satirical trilogy described as 'Brilliant' by The Sun, and 'Horribly entertaining' by The Mirror.

Reviews

'Told with humour and enormous compassion, this is a beguiling story about broken people who have all the feelings and none of the words. Utterly captivating' Damien Owens, author of Married to a Cave Man and Dead Cat Bounce

'C.M. Taylor's Staying On is a trademark sweet-and-sour Mike Leigh film in novel form. As well as a fictional retread of Joe Cawley's More Ketchup than Salsa. Updating both to our worrying post-Brexit times where the shifting of boundaries forces us to question where we truly feel we belong' Matthew Hirtes, author of Going Local in Gran Canaria

'A wry take on expat life, astutely observed and deftly drawn. Peppered with humour, yet poignant and as topical as it's revealing' Peter Kerr, bestselling author of the award-winning Snowball Oranges series

'A timely tale about expats braving the Brexit tidal wave in rural Spain. I raced through this warm-hearted, warts-and-all portrayal of a broken family, its members fighting to love one another while haunted by the past and afraid of what the future holds. Funny and thought-provoking; an ideal summer read' S .D. Robertson author of Time to Say Goodbye

'Beautifully written by an author who's obviously a keen observer of people... you will love it' Bookbag

Book Information
ISBN 9780715653371
Author C. M. Taylor
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Duckworth
Publisher Duckworth Books