Staying On

En savoir plus sur le livre

Staying On is a geriatric coming-of-age story and a comedy-drama centered on an expat family, featuring a working patriarch and his charming daughter-in-law. Tony Metcalfe, a seventy-year-old Yorkshireman, and his wife Laney operate Viva Espagne, a bar in a small village in the mountains beyond the Costa Blanca. Among the lively working-class expats of Spain, these retirees—post-war babies enjoying their pensions—once flocked to the dream of sun-soaked leisure. However, their paradise is now clouded by Brexit: the pound's decline, frozen pensions, and a long-ago property crash. Tony dreams of returning to his childhood home, while Laney wishes to remain in their happy valley, avoiding the unresolved issues from their past. He keeps his dreams and the bar's financial struggles to himself, knowing that selling an ailing business in a recession is nearly impossible. The arrival of their son Nick, along with his young wife Jo and son Fred, marks a turning point for Tony. This new chapter could offer him a chance to confront the silence and blame in his marriage, potentially leading to the realization of his dreams.