Staying On

A geriatric 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. What readers are saying: A beguiling story about broken people who have all the feelings and none of the words. Utterly captivating. Damien Owens Escapism for realists - peppered with humour, yet poignant and as topical as it''s revealing... a wry take on expat life, astutely observed and deftly drawn. Peter Kerr, bestselling author of the award-winning Snowball Oranges series See more