Semi-Sweet (46 page)

To my agents, Faith and Lauren, for their invaluable support.

To my Irish editor, Ciara, who always mixes business with pleasure.

To my U.S. editor, Sara, for ensuring that my first book to cross the Atlantic made it in one piece.

To my family, behind me all the way since the very first novel.

To anyone who buys this book—where would I be without you?

You know those writers who get up every morning and sit at their desks for a set number of hours each day, ignoring phones
and doorbells, conscientiously committing words to paper, or to screen, until they’ve reached their quota? I am not one of
them.

I write when I feel like it, or when the humor is on me, as we say here in Ireland. I write when an idea comes calling, or
when a deadline is approaching, or when it’s raining outside and I can’t face the housework. I might write for half an hour,
or I might spend the whole day at it. I take breaks when I want, I make tea when I feel like it, I answer the doorbell when
anyone comes calling. Disciplined I most decidedly am not.

You can see, then, why it’s a source of constant amazement to me that, despite my disgracefully haphazard approach to writing,
I’ve managed to produce seven novels and meet all my deadlines along the way. I have no explanation.

Having said that, whatever the reason that gets me sitting in front of the laptop, I inevitably enjoy the experience. That’s
not to say I always produce something worthwhile—I’ve often deleted every word at the end of a writing session—but the act
itself, tapping away at the keyboard, teasing out a story, shaping a scene, fashioning a conversation, all this I find immensely
satisfying. Not a day goes by that I don’t give thanks to whatever serendipitous circumstances finally allowed me to walk
away from my teaching job and become a full-time writer at the ripe old age of forty-eight.

And when it comes to pleasurable experiences, I have to say that writing
Semi-Sweet
was up there with the best of them. From start to finish, this book is stuffed with self-indulgence. Next to writing, my
favorite occupation is baking. I can’t remember when it started, but for an awfully long time, I’ve absolutely adored tucking
myself away in my kitchen and surrounding myself with cookbooks and mixing bowls and ingredients—and if the wind is howling
outside and the rain is pelting against the windows (which is often the case here), so much the better. I turn on the radio
and tune out the rest of the world, and beat and whisk and knead to my little heart’s content.

Baking, and cooking in general, has featured to a greater or lesser extent in all my novels. I’ve always managed to sneak
in a character who likes to bake, or who’s hopeless at baking but who’s just enrolled in classes, or who simply goes to a
lot of dinner parties. I love writing about food—desserts and confectionery in particular. I love playing around with descriptions
and trying to make everything sound as appetizing as possible, and I’m always delighted when someone says, “Your book made
me so hungry.” It’s right up there with “Your book made me cry.”

You can understand, then, why the idea of writing about someone opening a cupcake shop would appeal. For the time it took
to produce
Semi-Sweet,
I was in my element, tracking down different recipes and trying them out (well, I had to make sure they were okay for Hannah
to use), pondering the merits of coffee over pistachio frosting—bliss, pure bliss.

It’s no coincidence that around the time I was doing all this cupcake testing, I also enrolled in a pilates class and did
more walking than usual. (An added benefit of being a baker, in my opinion, is that it forces you to exercise more, so the
guilt doesn’t take over. Guilt is a big factor in any Irish-Catholic psyche, but it does tend to keep you pretty much on the
straight and narrow.)

I was so thrilled when I heard that
Semi-Sweet
was going to the United States; the first of my books to make the long trip across the Atlantic Ocean. I’ve been to the States
quite a few times myself—in fact I wrote my first novel,
The Daisy Picker
, in my brother’s house in San Francisco—but any future trips will be sweetened with the possibility that I could walk into
a bookstore and see one of my babies on the shelves.

I do hope you enjoyed
Semi-Sweet
half as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope it made you hungry—and if it made you cry, too, my work here is done. For both
conditions I would highly recommend a batch of cupcakes, preferably homemade. And when you’ve polished off the lot, dry your
eyes and get out your walking shoes.

1. At the very beginning of the novel, we learn that Hannah is about to start her own business right in the middle of a recession—a
   daunting challenge. Do you admire Hannah for her decision, or do you think she is taking on more than she can handle? In what
   ways have you challenged yourself professionally? What is the biggest risk you’ve ever taken in your professional life? 
   
2. Soon after Patrick leaves Hannah for Leah, he begins to daydream about his life with Hannah. Why do you think he left Hannah?
   Do you think he would have left her if his circumstances had been different? Has Patrick changed in any way by the end of
   the novel? 
   
3. Hannah and Patrick seem like polar opposites. Why do you think Hannah fell for him in the first place, and why does she have
   such a difficult time getting over him? Have you ever had your heart broken? How long did it take you to heal? 
   
4. What is your opinion of Leah? Do you think she is manipulative, or do you sympathize with her? 
   
5. Alice has concerns about her husband’s drinking, but she doesn’t take any action until it is too late. Should she have done
   more to curb his drinking earlier on? Have you ever been close to somebody with a substance abuse problem? How did you handle
   it? 
   
6. Hannah and Adam have always been best friends, yet they have never been romantically involved. Do you think their relationship
   is believable? Is it possible to be just friends with someone of the opposite sex? 
   
7. Vivienne is not conventionally attractive. Why is Adam attracted to her? Why does he pursue her with such determination? 
   
8. For much of the novel, Leah and Fiona have an uneasy relationship. Why is Fiona critical of Leah? Do you think she is too
   hard on her daughter, or do you understand where she is coming from? Do you think most mother-daughter relationships are similarly
   complicated and fraught? 
   
9. John seems like an ideal match for Hannah. She thinks to herself:
   He was perfect on paper, he was doing everything right. Her feelings would deepen, given time. She was sure of it.
   Does Hannah end up falling for John? What happens between them? In your opinion, how important is chemistry in a relationship? 
   
10. How does Alice handle Jason’s death? Do you think she is too hard on Tom? Or do you think she is too easy on him? Is there
    a “right” way to grieve or to make sense of such a tragic event? 
    
11. How are Nora and Patrick similar? How are they different? Do you think Nora is a bad person? Does she get what she deserves
    at the end of the novel? 
    
12. Semi-Sweet
    takes place in a small Irish town where everyone seems to know one another. In what way does setting play a role in the novel?
    Do you think the Clongarvin community has changed in any significant way by the end of the novel? Why or why not? 
    

ROISIN MEANEY
was born in Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland. She has lived in the United States, Canada, Africa, and Europe. In 2002, Roisin
won the Tivoli “Write a Bestseller” competition with her first novel,
The Daisy Picker
, which was subsequently followed by
Putting Out Stars
. Roisin is currently based in Limerick, Ireland.
Semi-Sweet
is her seventh book.

Hannah Robinson’s Carrot and Fig Cupcakes Recipe

Title Page

Dedication

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

Thanks a Million

How Not to Write a Novel

Reading Group Guide

About the Author

Copyright