Tuesday, December 31, 2024

From dusk till dawn: "Curfew" by Jane Cowrie

 

Imagine a place where women can stay out as late as they want and not worry about being harassed, followed or attacked. That is the slightly futuristic Britain of Curfew. After there was one crime too many against a woman, a law was enacted that all men, from the time they are 10 years old, must wear an ankle bracelet and have a curfew from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Sounds like an ideal world to some women, right? Women still want to date, have boyfriends or even a husband. Those who are married, find that the woman does most of the breadwinning, while the husbands end up doing most of the child care.

Such was the case for the now divorced Sarah. She had reasons for the divorce and her ex is in jail because he broke curfew! A jailable offense! Their daughter, Cass, is a kind of spoiled daddy's girl who resents her mom, big time, for putting her beloved father in jail. That's how she sees it, anyway.

Meanwhile, the all woman police force is following up on the murder of a woman found in a park. Could it have been a man who committed this horrible act? Surely not! Curfew works, doesn't it?  Could a woman have done it? 

And then there's Cass's teacher, a young woman who is going for "couple's counseling" with her boyfriend. A therapist studies and advises potential couples on their compatibility. If they get a positive answer, they will be granted a Cohabitation certificate and can move in together, but only after weeks and weeks of counseling. If not, they can opt for more counseling or move on.

What happens in this intriguing story will keep you reading. or listening, as the Recommender did (thank you Penguin Random House!).