Handbag and Wellies Yoga Club

by Lucy Edge

What happens when an urban girl swaps her kitten heels in the city for karma in the country? It is a big year for Lucy - she has met the love of her life and they're planning to trade the city rat race for a Norfolk farmhouse, get married, and try for a baby. But country life isn't quite what Lucy imagined. Sure, there's time to stop and chat, but where does she find the people to stop and chat to? She has almost had it up to here when, one day, she stumbles across a local yoga club. There - in a small room above Knit and Knatter - she finds the laughter, friendship and wisdom to steer her through whatever dramas life throws at her. This is a funny and heart-warming true story about one woman's search for love and friendship in the lotus position.

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2009

About the author

I worked in advertising for more than fifteen years; spending my days debating whether the Jolly Green Giant should extend his vocabulary beyond ‘ho, ho, ho’ and my evenings in front of the telly eating Marks & Spencer ready meals for one. One day I decided to give it all up in favour of a quest for life’s deeper meaning in the yoga schools of India. I would become a yoga goddess with zero body fat and a retinue of male followers. Of course things didn’t work out quite as planned but although I came home with all my body fat and no retinue of male followers, ironically I met my man just a few months later - he turned out to live 7 minutes walk from me - in west hampstead. Together we discovered our spiritual homeland – the county of Norfolk - and bought a farmhouse there. Now I divide my time between writing (i have just given my agent a third book) and searching for life’s deeper meaning in the region’s many ‘après yoga’ hot spots.

Reviews

[S.C. Skillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The soft green and pink cover-design prepared me for an engaging light read. Like Lucy, I practise yoga, and have sought the mystic Indians and swoony swamis she described in her previous volume, “Yoga School Dropout”. But Lucy’s autobiographical account touched me on a far deeper level than I had anticipated.
Lucy spent many years as an advertising executive in London. Marriage and babies could wait – long-term. Then, in her early 40’s, she followed her inner yearnings and headed to rural Norfolk with her new man. She wanted to become “fully secure in herself” for the first time in her life.
I spent a similar number of years as a single woman living and working in London. Then, at Lucy’s age, I too moved out to the countryside to become what she would describe as “an earth mother”.
But Lucy longed for children. And this, ultimately, after an agonizing hunt through fertility options, was to be denied her. Some parts of her story, where she accepts that this is one dream that is not going to come true for her, moved me to tears.
In sharing her experiences, Lucy not only made me laugh, in recognition and empathy; but also she inspired me. At her wedding, she thanked her father because “he taught me the importance of holding out for what I wanted – even if it took me more than forty years to find it.”
Lucy’s accounts of female friendship (her après yoga sessions over the Pinot Grigio with ‘the Cappuccino Gurus’ – her London yoga friends – and ‘the Bad Ladies’ of Norfolk) are a joy – and in part reminded me of “The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” by Rebecca Wells.
As she advises her yoga teacher friend Kate: “ ‘I suggest you do a Four Corners Collage – each corner represents an aspect of your life – relationship, home, family, work. I did one the year before I met David… and guess what,’ I said triumphantly, ‘I got everything I wanted’. I stared into my glass of Rioja. ‘Well, almost everything….’”
Lucy’s honesty and gentle humour make her story one to love.

[Jackie Bridgen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extraordinary book. Picked it up by mistake, believing it to be a lightweight chick-lit title misplaced on the biography shelves of the library, only to find they were right and I was wrong, and it was in fact the true story (and the second volume at that) of Lucy Edge and her transformation from driven city over achiever to country dwelling universal mother via yoga and female bonding.
I could not put this book down, and I still don't know exactly why I found it so gripping! I feel as if I have gleaned all kinds of ideas about self realisation, and find myself pondering on Lucy's take on life as I walk my dog, soak in the bath, or work in my garden.
One quibble - I do wish she would just occasionally have 'a glass of wine' - I was mortally sick of the grape detail by the end, but I hope some kind supplier sent her several cases of pinot grigio in return for her relentless promotion.
Other than that, highly recommended, a gracious book, thought provoking and surprising in places, lots of yoga (and pinot blooming grigio) refreshing look at life, religion, the countryside, fertility, infertility, and girlfriends.
According to her website she's now at work on a novel. Should be interesting.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book picks up where "Yoga School Dropout" leaves off. The author finds her prince charming, they settle out in the countryside away from the manic London city life and begin trying to conceive a baby. The author details her struggle with conception after 40 along with the challenges of leaving city life for the country. This book is heart-wrenching as well as heart warming. Lucy finds solace, again, in her yoga practice as well in her old city friendships and her new country relationships, in her new beau and ultimately in herself. Lovely account of her struggles and triumphs and a portion of her personal life story.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book partly beause I love yoga (not sure if you would like it if you don't do yoga). It tells how a move to the country is made easier by finding yoga soulmates but the story is sad too because of the issues of infertility. quick read that I finishd in a couple of days over the mother's day weekend.

[Wabbit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but some aspects were repetitive. Her love of Pinot grigio and her bad ladies, and the yoga wore a bit thin. However, I enjoyed the story of Lucy moving to Norfolk, the people she meets and her relationship with David. Very touching on places and thought provoking. I would recommend a read!

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, I was expecting a novel, not a memoir. It was okay, but a little repetitive. And I felt it went on a bit about the drop in fertility as you age... I kinda thought everyone knew that already. On a totally trivial note, the random words in weird fonts (bang!, spiritual epiphany) really bugged me. it was readable, but I didn't love it.

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I do take on board the comments of some of the other reviewers, but I also have to disagree! This book was exactly what I expected, a light-hearted narrative of a yogini’s life. I often laughed out loud and I did cry in places too. I thought Lucy did a great job of narrating her journey to have a child, with the reality of her feelings, but without making it too much.

Of course Lucy was going to repeat how our fertility does diminish, I think it’s very clear that she doesn’t want other women to make the same mistakes she felt that she made. And I don’t think everyone does know that fertility goes - many women spend a life trying to avoid having children, and it is no wonder they develop an assumption that it is easy to get pregnant, but it’s not always the case.

I found it interesting to be able to walk in another’s shoes and see the world in a different way, whilst sharing the common experience of womenhood. It was fascinating to see Lucy’s transformation from the city to the countryside and I really enjoyed the descriptions of the countryside and the city and Lucy’s sympathetic dealing with things like hunting. It was also really refreshing to have lots of yoga talk and interest. I really enjoyed it.

I am thankful to Lucy for letting us see life from her perspective and sharing her journey with us.

[Jane Woodcock · Rating 2 out of 5]

An ok easy read. Bit repetitive. If you like yoga, this is more for you. And if you are a country gal AND like yoga, you're in!

[Rachel Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this more on a second read seven years later, as my life has reflected hers so much these last few years. A beautifully written book that shows even if you do yoga life will hurl unbearable shit at you. But yoga will always give you the tools to cope.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moving to Norfolk is not like moving to outer Mongolia.... I had no sympathy with the view of look at me aren't I clever leaving London attitude of this book. I will say I did recognise moments that I have had when I've moved here (and elsewhere in the world) its part of the normal process of re-establishing life in a new place. All was written about in a breathless advertising/magazine piece manner - what she wore, looked like, how cool or fashionable she was style - where is the real grit?

I liked the parts about Yoga - I enjoy basic yoga exercise classes but am not a nut on it and reading about the different yoga styles and practises was interesting.

I felt sorry for the author/main character's infertility situation and possible this was the grit and the fluff of the writing style on other subject matter was part of the distancing one may take when dealing with a difficult/ demanding personal health/lifestyle choice issue. Make light of other parts of life as the one particular part can't be made light of?

On the whole a holiday read and one I'd have gotten through on a beach sun bed in a day. And please don't all move to Norfolk there are dirty tractors, unattractive non yoga'ed people and farmhouses can cost a fortune to renovate then are money pits for the rest of your life :)

[Sara De · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent chick lit book- I read it on holiday. Entertaining.

[Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull, dull, dull! I also didn't get on with Eat, Pray, Love, so clearly this sort of book is not for me.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very touching memoir, inspiring and funny.

[Lyndsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really dull. I liked yoga school dropout so hoped I'd like this but found it just tedious. Sorry.