Ted's Cafe

LoveReading Says

Roger Sanders’ Ted’s Café might be summarised in two words - “All change!” It’s a politically charged debut that will chime with Britons who experienced the Brexit referendum, especially remainers who mourn the loss of EU membership. At the same time, Ted’s Café takes in change of a personal nature — retirement, and later-life lust and love — alongside things that never change. Namely, the friendship between the group of men who lie at the novel’s heart.

“Brexit. Bloody Brexit! A thing of stupidity built in an ideological folly of nationalism.” It’s March 2019 and retired newspaper editor David and his best mate Alan are still angered by the result of the Brexit referendum and the toxic environment it spawned when Cameron walked away “like a spoilt child leaving a terrible mess behind him.”

David, Alan and their lifelong friends Eric and Charlie meet regularly in Ted’s Café to chew the fat. The only place that remains from their youth, Ted’s Café is also under threat, with its original Greek Cypriot owners having sold-up post-referendum, and its current Polish owners now experiencing appalling “why don’t you get back to where you came from?” abuse. Mirroring Britain as a whole, the friends are divided on the subject of Brexit, not least when Charlie joins Farage’s new Brexit Party and stands in local council elections.

But politics isn’t the only big change in David’s life. Married for decades, he becomes infatuated with Alan’s friend Dawn as he discovers secrets from his wife’s past. Oh, and then COVID appears on the horizon just as everything else in his life comes under question.

Men of a certain age will undoubtedly relate to the themes and relationships explored in this honest character-driven novel that has page-turning pace and plenty of heart and humour.

Joanne Owen

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