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Maggsie McNaughton's Second Chance

Frances Maynard (Goodreads Author)

3.83 · Rating details · 174 ratings · 36 reviews

Everyone deserves a second chance.

Small and dyslexic, with a short fuse, bad teeth, a prison record and something to prove, Marguerite McNaughton – Maggsie – doesn't need anybody or anything, thank you very much. She's more than capable of looking after herself.

She’s also about to discover that everyone needs someone, sometimes.
Even her.

The thing about trusting oth

...more

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Published June 25th 2019 by Mantle

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Jan 31, 2020 Dale Harcombe rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Marguerite McNaughton, who prefers to be known as Maggsie, has a prison record and has had to deal with anger issue a number of times in her life. Though small in stature she is a feisty character who takes umbrage at those who look down on her for her stature and her dyslexia. She also has trouble accepting help. While in prison another woman, Enid, helps Maggsie learn to read a little from Woman’s World magazines. When she comes out of prison and is offered a job in London, Maggsie has no idea Marguerite McNaughton, who prefers to be known as Maggsie, has a prison record and has had to deal with anger issue a number of times in her life. Though small in stature she is a feisty character who takes umbrage at those who look down on her for her stature and her dyslexia. She also has trouble accepting help. While in prison another woman, Enid, helps Maggsie learn to read a little from Woman’s World magazines. When she comes out of prison and is offered a job in London, Maggsie has no idea how long she will be able to keep it. She has a past history of not being able to hold down jobs long. But on her first day she encounters an unexpected situation which leaves her feeling good about herself. She also meets TJ a Polish worker who seems to want to be friends. Can Maggsie accept this second chance and turn her life around? Or will the past come back to haunt her?
Having read and enjoyed The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr, this author’s first novel, I was keen to read this one. Maggsie is an interesting character. She is trying to control her anger issues and has a couple of certificates to prove she is working on it. But sometimes the anger still erupts. She has to find a way to deal with it. Living in supported accommodation is another change in her life. It is not always easy, especially on a limited income. Learning to trust others when she has been let down in the past is also a hard lesson to learn.
Those who like quirky characters who have had to battle difficulties, should enjoy this story as I did. As a reader I really wanted to cheer for Maggsie and tell her not to be stupid and endanger what she has. But the author does a great job of getting inside her misguided thinking. Perhaps some things towards the end were unrealistic but by then I didn’t care. I just wanted Maggsie to cop a break. Whether she does or not you will have to read this book to find out. I found this story beautifully and carefully written as well as thought provoking as it makes the reader consider how we may classify, judge and look down on some people. A thoroughly recommended read, which I powered through.
...more

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Jun 26, 2019 Anjana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book was an unexpected piece of Uplit. I did not remember the blurb while going in, which meant I was meeting Maggsie on her terms and with only the information she deems important enough to tell me.

Maggsie is starting life anew. She drops information about how she found herself in the situation she is in now. Things start off with a bang and on the positive notes that follow, she starts a resolution for the year. She marks the days off on the calendar as she wades her way through unfamili ...more

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Feb 18, 2019 Marc rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Maggsie McNaughton’s Second Chance
Frances Maynard

Disclaimer: I have been lucky enough to have received an advance copy of this book. I don’t review books very often and I never review books which I have nothing positive to say about. I am not a professional reader, or a blogger. In percentage terms: I am 1% an avid writer and 99% an avid reader. Books are too important.

People often use the expression that they ‘escape into a book’ and some would call that expression a metaphor. It is not a met Maggsie McNaughton’s Second Chance
Frances Maynard

Disclaimer: I have been lucky enough to have received an advance copy of this book. I don’t review books very often and I never review books which I have nothing positive to say about. I am not a professional reader, or a blogger. In percentage terms: I am 1% an avid writer and 99% an avid reader. Books are too important.

People often use the expression that they ‘escape into a book’ and some would call that expression a metaphor. It is not a metaphor. Not when the writing is as compelling and as fourth dimensional as Frances Maynard’s.

As a child, I would open a book take hold of the top two corners, step into it and pull the world behind like a cloak around my shoulders. Just as Lucy did walking through the fur coats in the wardrobe, taking one of them too big for her and stepping into Narnia to take tea with Mr. Tumnus. This is why, as an adult, I will still return to favourite books and walk amongst their worlds time and time again. Having my cucumber sandwiches with Tumnus, Bilbo, Bunter, or the best provider of pemmican suppers in the world, ‘First Mate’ Susan. That is to say Especially as an adult. (of sorts) And I am sure all of us bookaphiles do – whether it’s into the Laungedoc with Kate Mosse, or mediaeval England with CJ Sansom or indeed back again to Greyfriars for an enormous plum cake with Master WG Butler or sandwiches with the four Marys! (Food… well at least cake… is important too) It is an escape, it is an adventure and it is a universe where the right things, the right values, the right emotions – actually work! And when it is the best of writing we come out changed, and our own world changes around us a little bit too. We see our landscape a little more clearly, we see details we hadn’t noticed – most importantly we look at people in a new light. As with the best of ‘Art’ we look at these things with more empathy. After all, ‘Art’s purpose is to bring all us humans together. It may take a long, long while, but each journey into understanding others is a step that together builds a road.

So, what is remarkable with Frances’ writing is that she takes us into other worlds that are, probably, completely alien to most of us. They are not sometimes comfortable worlds but she has the genius to make us comforted within them.

As with her first stunning novel ‘The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr’ she takes us into her created universe completely with the use of a first-person narrative. Here we see everything through the eyes of Maggsie McNaughton the eponymous heroine. But Maggsie is not the heroine of fantasy or romance, but of a brutal, hard and cold reality. She is barely literate, with dyslexia that has held her back since an early child. She is born into a background of poverty and neglect, with shocking prospects, and no ability to absorb education, except the kind afforded in the school of hard knocks. The kind of places that shouldn’t exist in our society anymore but are becoming increasingly more common. And being of diminutive stature, Maggsie has had to learn to stand up for herself even more, and stand up much taller than she actually is. She has been called a ‘Spitfire’ in the past and, when she learns what the word means, she is proud to have that as an appellation. She has bad teeth, a badder (sic) attitude, and in an environment that has conditioned people like her to ‘fight or flight’ – she never takes the second option. I hate giving plot away in reviews so I won’t. I will just say that we meet Maggsie in prison. This isn’t the first time she has been there and won’t be the last. She has become institutionalised to it. It’s a life she knows and can deal with. In prison, she knows how to act and what to expect. Fists first, consequences later. Nobody ain’t never going to stand up for Maggsie - so she’s going make damn sure she does it for herself. Bring it on! Is her attitude - Bring it on!!

But in prison she meets a friend who, via the unlikely, transformative world of ‘Woman’s World’ magazine, helps give her a start on a new perspective that she has never had before. And when she is given a ‘second chance’, and is released on probation to a halfway house, Maggsie realises she is going to have to learn all sorts of new survival skills. She is going to make mistakes. Big mistakes, the sort she can’t sort out with just her tiny, battle-hardened fists. She learns that failure can be the hardest lesson of all. And she also learns something very, very valuable indeed. Something we all learn through her eyes, and if we think we already knew it, well we learn it harder. You see Maggsie through the eyes of the judgmental world at first, and nobody in their right minds would envy her. But by the end of the book we realise just how wrong we would be not to envy her. And that is the work of a true Artist!

This is a beautifully crafted, page turning story full of vibrant characters a great plot and like the best of stories do – it gives us all encouragement to make our own world more beautiful - in how we look at people, how we deal and interact with people who are different to ourselves. And, perhaps, most importantly, how we are able to help people who desperately need it, but aren’t able to articulate it, or at least try to!

Like all the best of adventures again, ‘Maggsie McNaughton’s Second Chance’ will leave you invigorated, exhilarated, your heart pumping and your eyes not just wind moistened. You’ll close the cover of the book, desperate to meet the people again sometime soon, and feeling just that little bit better about the world - Fortified with a dose of that most precious of tonics. Hope!

You may gather I recommend this one! And I also apologise for the overuse of the word ‘World’ – I don’t have Frances Maynard’s gifts! ...more

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Jul 20, 2019 Paula Sealey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-books, fiction

What a wonderful character Frances Maynard has created here! Maggsie McNaughton is not your average woman. With a tough childhood and a prison sentence behind her, she determines to grab hold of a second chance that comes her way. As Maggsie battles to improve her lot in life, she becomes embroiled in some rather interesting situations. You can't help but root for her throughout, and I barely put the book down once I'd started. A very engaging story with fresh and interesting characters. I can d ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Elaine Armstrong rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Brilliant

It is rare that I start a book and can’t put it down - but this is one of them. A story about a girl who from a really bad start in life seems to have nothing to look forward to and has no wish to put herself on the road to redemption when she is finally released from jail. From her dyslexia to her lack of a guiding influence since her only good friend in jail looks likely to die of cancer, she pulls herself up to become a worthwhile citizen. Setbacks along the way seem insurmountable b ...more

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Jul 04, 2019 LimeCream rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I adored Maggsie - a refreshingly different heroine - and I liked this story very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Jun 10, 2019 Jo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

Oh my! I absolutely loved Maggsie's story and I just know that she will stay with me for a very long time.

This book is just so full of warmth and hope and humour and the fact that there are good people in this world. It's a book that reaffirms that everyone deserves a second chance and that we all have something to give to the world.

Maggsie had a troubled upbringing and didn't get the best start in life. She is also dyslexic and this has stopped her from achieving many things in life. She has lo ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 Fay Flude rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved this down to earth, funny, quirky and uplifting novel about Maggsie, an ex criminal, trying to start again and learn how to live life the right way. She is dyslexic, cannot read or write and finds it very hard to control her anger. She is living in supported housing and has a job at Scanda, a Danish design company in London which runs a scheme to help women like Maggsie.
The book is narrated by Maggsie throughout and we learn a lot about life through her experiences, how hard it is to do I loved this down to earth, funny, quirky and uplifting novel about Maggsie, an ex criminal, trying to start again and learn how to live life the right way. She is dyslexic, cannot read or write and finds it very hard to control her anger. She is living in supported housing and has a job at Scanda, a Danish design company in London which runs a scheme to help women like Maggsie.
The book is narrated by Maggsie throughout and we learn a lot about life through her experiences, how hard it is to do the right thing when you can't read and write, and how the pain of having to give up her baby for adoption at the age of 15 has left a gaping hole in her heart.
You see, Maggsie doesn't believe she is any good because everyone in her life has told her just that. Small, ginger and alcoholic, Maggsie has mostly only been able to survive in prison rather than navigate the outside world. Her saviour inside is a fellow prison inmate Edna who helps to teach Maggsie to read with copies of a magazine Woman's Weekly. This proves to be the turning point in Maggsie's difficult life,
The characters are bold and likeable, from the girls in the supported housing, Big Shirl, Kasia, Juicy Lucy and cat mad Trudie to probation officer Ruby and Primrose in Scanda's kitchen. But the most important character in this book besides Maggise herself is TJ, a Polish man trying to learn English and send money home for his wife and two children. He works four jobs, including a position in Scanda's kitchens alongside Primrose and Maggsie. He gets Maggsie to teach him what his English classes can't, that is how to understand and use English slang. In return he teaches Maggsie all about London and most importantly how to do the right thing.
Not everything goes smoothly, there is a young man to rescue from electrocution in a lift on her first day, Audrey the cat who needs convincing to come out from under the shed and more seriously ex prisoner Louise who almost ruins Maggsie's hard fought battle to stay on the right side of the law.
It is wonderful how easily the reader can see the challenges Maggsie faces but isn't left feel downhearted. This book is all about how, no matter what we have done, we all deserve a second chance. Funny and uplifting, I loved this novel. ...more

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Aug 25, 2019 Bridget rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: peach-vanilla, general-fiction, netgalley-arc, womens-fiction

I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky, funny, uplifting and heart-warming read! I loved Frances Maynard's character creation of Maggsie - her persistence, drive, stubbornness and hope and I couldn't help but root for her throughout,

Primarily a novel about friendship and deserving another go in life, Maggsie McNaughton's Second Chance was well worth the read, especially for the last exciting chapters.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Pan Macmillan via NetGalley, at my own request. Th ...more

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Jul 20, 2019 Hannah Wingfield rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I loved Frances Maynard's first book, The Imperfect Rules Of Elvira Carr, so was very excited to see she had a new book out. Like her debut novel, this one is about someone living on the edge of society who overcomes challenges in order to improve their day to day life and prospects (apparently this is called UpLit?). At the start of the novel protagonist Maggsie is fresh out of jail and living in a supported house whilst working in a kitchen (is it bad that I am cynical that many of these oppo ...more

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Aug 03, 2019 Hannah Wainwright rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I saw this book on the new releases section in the library and picked it up on a whim but am so glad that I did. It’s a story of the redemption of the main character, Maggsie, who is flawed and endearing in equal measure. Lots of the secondary characters are very colourful and I enjoyed the honesty with which Maggsie appraises them. The book had me hooked from the beginning and will not be quickly forgotten.

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Sep 23, 2019 Barbara Kennard added it · review of another edition

Loved this book. Listened to it through local library service and the recording is well done. Uplifting and highly recommended. I feel the other reviews on Goodreads tell you more if you are interested.

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Jul 18, 2019 Alison Cairns rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Maggsie is the kind of character you are likely to judge if you met her in real life. But as we get to know her we see how background and circumstance can affect someone's entire life. It's good to get to know Maggsie as the book continues and to root for her doing the right thing. We see Louise taking advantage and I know I was hoping against hope that Maggsie would see through her. It's heartening to see her growing in confidence as the book goes on, and learning how it feels to do the right t ...more

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Mar 22, 2019 Alexandra WhimsyPages rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-2019

My name is Marguerite. (...) and flowers aren't the first thing you think of when you see me.

I desperately keep searching for books similar to «Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine». I would love to experience again the same emotions I felt towards Eleanor and her complicated and messed up life. And I keep falling for the blurbs “for the fans of Eleanor Oliphant” and then get disappointed when the book doesn’t live up to my expectations.

There were two main conflicts between me and the book: the lack of emotion from my part and the lack of immersiveness from the book. So let’s discuss these first before I talk about some positive elements.

1 - I love reading books about characters that are different from me, I love experiencing with them situations I’d usually never put myself into. The differences are usually what intrigues me, but the emotions are what sucks me into the story. Maggsie McNaughton didn’t make me feel anything, except annoyance at her attitude.

Maggsie is not a lovable character, and that would be alright if I’d experience some other positive emotion towards her or her life story - respect, pride, interest, affection, or even pity. Instead, I felt like I was SUPPOSED to root for Maggsie, but couldn’t stop rolling my eyes at every outburst of her temperament or silly actions.

2 - Everyone has their own bookish pet peeves. My biggest two are (1) swear words and (2) weirdly constructed sentences. They work like a switch, immediately pulling me out of the story.

Maggsie is dyslexic. So, of course, I understand the need to portray that as part of her character, showing through dialog her struggles and also her improvements. But I found it very distracting. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Besides these two points, the rest was rather alright. Not as surprising or impressive as I hoped for, but not bad either:

1 - The highlight of the whole story for me was the friendship between Maggsie and the Polish guy, an immigrant from Poland, who was just the right character to balance out Maggsie’s imperfections - kind, eager to help, he took it upon himself to show Maggsie that life can be beautiful and interesting. Full of struggles, yes. But worth every moment nonetheless.
He was by far the most wholesome character of this book.

2 - Although I completely bashed Maggsie’s character, I have to admit that she had a few qualities that deserve some appreciation - stubbornness, and persistence. She has a goal that she wishes to accomplish. It drives her forwards and gives her hope. And maybe sometimes it felt as if she was only taking baby steps to achieve it, but those steps were huge leaps for Maggsie. ...more

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Aug 26, 2019 Ainscough rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I wasn't expecting to love this but it was brilliant. I enjoyed it, I laughed and I cried. I swore and hoped things would't happen but they did. An unexpected hit for me. ...more

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Aug 01, 2020 Mrs Lindsey E King rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Frances Maynard expertly handles the subject of dyslexia and low literacy to create an unexpectedly delightful character the reader is soon rooting for. The first person narrative from Maggsie a defensive former convict with anger management issues is brilliantly crafted without relying on ugly prose or profanity which I don't particularly enjoy reading, personally. Maynard still manages to write believable dialogue and through addressing the reader directly, Maggsie expresses herself in the way ...more

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Jul 27, 2020 Kitty Brown rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Another brilliant book by this author (I recently read The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr). I couldn't put it down - Magsie is just as engaging as Elvira and the other characters are so well drawn. Without sugar-coating, Maynard knows how to draw to a satisfying conclusion. ...more

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May 06, 2019 Krepde rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A novel that reassures you that, when things aren’t going your way, there’s a door to be opened to a better and deserved tomorrow.
Maggie is a delightfully-crafted character who can make you stare wide-eyed at the page or tighten your muscles as you root for things to work out for her despite mistakes she might make.
Once again, Frances Maynard kicks off with a powerful start that makes you want to run to the next page and the one after, right on the conclusion.
It is insightful and empathetic and ...more

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Jul 15, 2020 Tanya Hunter-Robinson rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was a really sweet read about a woman desperate for a second chance. I really enjoyed the way it was written so the reader could really hear Maggsie’s thoughts, her feelings and really get inside her head. Her kind nature comes out through her caring of the stray cat - Audrey - and her unusual friendship with her colleague TJ. This is my first novel by Frances Maynard and I’ll certainly be reading more. It says in her bio that she lives in Dorset, which is my home county and it always makes ...more

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Oct 16, 2019 Sue Bakker rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A light hearted feel good read. everyone deserves a second chance and its what you do with it that counts. I liked Maggsie as a character and I think this book would make a good movie!

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Oct 01, 2019 Donna Derons rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Oh Maggsie! Though I am definitely one of the people you scoff about who loves a good, long book, I won’t hold it against you. I LOVED this book. Positive, uplifting and funny, it’s the best book I’ve listened to for a while. Great for fans of Eleanor Olliphant, quirky, well-crafted character driven fiction.

Maggsie is unapologetically herself. Once a kid from a bleak place, she’s now an adult trying to find hope, despite a crushing lack of self esteem and an all-too-recent criminal record. This ...more

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Oct 02, 2019 Sarah Jane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Actual rating 3.5.

A very easy & uplifting read. Maggsie is a bright and opinionated narrator, surrounded by a supportive and loving community. The story traverses into issues of crime & punishment, as well as the shame that can build through illiteracy. It was beautiful to witness compassion & empathy helping Maggsie to move past this.

There was also a delicately developed representation on adult mothers reuniting with lost children. Frances Maynard put a lot of care and consideration into this ...more

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Apr 24, 2020 Samantha Dear rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was classed as an 'Uplit' book in a magazine article I read (along with The Lido by Libby page - which is an EXCELLENT BOOK! & Eleanor Oliphant) as it is meant to be uplifting and have kindness at it's heart. If there is ever a time to be reading 'Uplit' it is now (currently in Lockdown April 2020). This was a lovely book, gentle, easy to read and I was personally really rooting for the main character to be able to turn her life around like she so desperately wanted to. It's worth a read! ...more

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Nov 13, 2019 Karen Keane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Magsie has spent time in prison, but she now has a second chance of making life right and with the help of TJ, a workmate, Enid a prison inmate and her friends at the hostel she sets about doing this. A lovely, uplifting book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

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Nov 23, 2019 Sian Morant rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A wonderful quirky read. Maggsie is an unlikely, but not unlikeable heroine. The story of her overcoming adversity has you rooting for her all the way. The moral of the book must surely be that you must never give up as there is always hope.

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Jan 15, 2020 Nikki Houghton rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I really want to like this book, I really do. So I’m not going to review it and I’m going to re-read it next year in the hope I can, then, appreciate it; but for now I will simply dislike it and feel a bit ashamed at my distaste and worry that such a novel should have ever been published.

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Mar 01, 2020 Jill added it · review of another edition

Amazing lots to think about on her difficult first year out of prison and she overcomes them

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May 02, 2020 Peg rated it liked it · review of another edition

I read the audio book.

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Jul 17, 2020 Victoria Sorensen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Very entertaining read!

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Jul 27, 2020 Barbara Kennard rated it liked it · review of another edition

Did enjoy this book and thankful for the recommendation. It's a while ago. Highly recommend. ...more

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About Frances Maynard

Frances Maynard

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I teach English part-time to adults with learning difficulties, including Asperger's.
I'm married with one grown-up daughter and live in Dorset, on the south coast of England. I also spend time in Blackheath, south-east London.
The Seven Imperfect Rules of Elvira Carr is my first novel. It was runner-up in the Good Housekeeping 2014 First Novel Award and shortlisted for both the 2016 Mslexia First ...more