I first read an early draft of Below Luck Level at the beginning of 2011. I distinctly remember, at certain points, stifling my chuckles (so as not to bother anyone in our open plan office) and at other points, swiftly wiping away a tear (before I worried anybody terribly).
When I finished the manuscript, I immediately typed up an email to the whole department. I told them that Below Luck Level was beautiful. I told them that we had to publish it. During the editing process, I went on to read the novel about seven or eight times over, and I enjoyed it more each time.
Unlike her successful friends, Hannah Cartwright has always drifted through life, with little direction or ambition. She does realise early on that she has a particular aptitude for shoplifting, but her list of talents seems to stop there. Then her waitressing experience unexpectedly lands her a job working with one of Cape Town’s top chefs, and Hannah’s life changes considerably. Suddenly, Hannah has a promising career and a wonderful boyfriend. But just as things start to go right, Hannah must come to terms with her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Hannah handles the news by reflecting on her relationship with her mother, Chloe – from an unconventional childhood, where Chloe always seemed rather mad compared to other moms, to the present, where Chloe’s alarming behaviour is no longer due to eccentricity but to a terminal illness. At its base, Below Luck Level is a coming-of-age story of a fascinating character who represents the best and worst in all of us. Above this, it is a story about relationships, about family and about the challenges of caring for a dying parent.
Conscientiously researched and thoughtful, Below Luck Level specifically delves into the realities of losing a parent to Alzheimer’s. Barbara Erasmus writes about this difficult topic with empathy, crafting a story that is, at times, comical and, at other times, heartbreaking. Ultimately, this is a novel which tugs at the heartstrings and which certainly won’t gather dust on the bedside table.
Review by Kelly Norwood-Young