Much as I have enjoyed reading Barbra Streisand’s nearly thousand-page opus My Name Is Barbra*, its sheer volume and level of detail had become tedious. So, about two-thirds of the way through, I switched to a nice little book I downloaded from the library called “Breaking And Entering” by Toronto Author Don Gillmor. It turned out to be the perfect diversion. I’ll return to Barbra later.

What do middle-aged urban Gen Xers do when they reach middle age and life suddenly seems boring? Thankfully, we boomers have already passed through that stage of life, but it’s interesting to read how the next generation is handling the transition. Do they reassess their jobs, their marriages, and their trajectory in life? They absolutely do and everyone has their own way of coping.

Bea Billings has just celebrated her fiftieth birthday. She owns a modest art gallery on College Street and is married to a history professor. They live in the trendy Annex area of Toronto and their millennial son attends McGill University in Montreal. As empty nesters, they’re left with their jobs and their like-minded friends to fulfill their lives. Those lives turn out to be not as fulfilling as they had hoped at this stage of life, which constitutes the gist of the story.

Gen X is now faced with middle-aged life challenges. The kids are launched; one parent has passed away and the other is in a care home struggling with advancing dementia. Careers no longer have the same priority or provide the satisfaction they once did. So, what do they do, apart from attend wine-soaked dinner parties and barbecues with friends?

One day, when Bea happens to have access to a house for sale, she snoops around for the sole thrill of spying on the occupants’ lifestyle. She investigates their medicine cabinet, their closets, and even desk drawers. The experience gives her a significant buzz and prompts her to take up a new hobby—picking locks and breaking into houses. She enjoys the guilty pleasure and the clandestine thrill of snooping into other people’s lives without their knowledge.

There may be consequences to breaking the law, or maybe not. Will it affect her lifestyle, her marriage, her friendships? Those questions are what keep the reader engaged as Bea goes about pursuing her new hobby. Those of us who enjoy peeking into people’s living rooms as we walk by after dark when the owners have left their drapes open will understand. Is this new hobby a cause or effect of her stasis in life?

I always enjoy reading and supporting Canadian authors (posing as one myself) and Don Gillmor does an excellent job writing the female main character. It was also fun reading a story set on streets, in neighbourhoods and places familiar to me. Breaking And Entering is an entertaining little book and you’ll even learn a little bit about the nuances of lock-picking in case you’re contemplating a new hobby or late-in-life career. I suggest adding this book to your “To Read” list. It’s low-key fun and I enjoyed it.

*My review of Barbra Streisand’s memoir My Name Is Barbra will come at some time in the future. It could take a while.

If you are unable to obtain Breaking and Entering at your local library or bookstore, it can be delivered directly to your door from Amazon by clicking on this link. (Disclosure: I may receive a teeny, tiny commission. Thank you.)

And, don’t forget to order my latest book We’re Not Dead Yet! A Light-Hearted Look at Baby Boomer Lifestyle from Amazon. It’s only $14.99. Gift yourself or a friend.