Damp Ceilings and Dead Ends

Lucy Young's life is a series of small indignities: a leaky ceiling, flatmates who cook bones in the bath, and a job in TV where she's still the runner despite a "promotion." Her best friend Zoya is moving out, and Lucy feels left behind, broke, and invisible. She's desperate for her life to start, for the "good part" to arrive. After a disastrous day—bin-diving for croissants, a failed date, and a rain-soaked walk home—Lucy stumbles into a strange newsagent's. There, a kindly Scottish woman offers her a go on a mysterious wishing machine. Lucy, at her lowest, wishes to skip to the good part of her life, where everything is sorted. The wish feels like a joke, but it's a desperate plea for change.

Wishing for the Good Part

Lucy wakes up in a world that is not her own. She's in a beautiful house, in a body that's older, with a husband and two children she doesn't recognize. Her memory is a blank slate for the last sixteen years. The shock is overwhelming—she's gone from struggling twenty-something to a forty-something wife and mother overnight. The man beside her, Sam, is loving but confused by her panic. Her children, Felix and Amy, call her "Mummy," but she feels like an imposter. Lucy's wish has come true, but she's skipped all the messy, formative years in between. She's landed in the "good part," but it feels alien and unearned.

Skipping Sixteen Years Forward

Lucy tries to piece together her new reality. She's now a successful TV producer, co-running Badger TV, and living in suburban comfort. Her husband Sam is kind and attractive, her children are sweet but strangers, and her bank account is flush. Yet, she's haunted by the absence of memory—she doesn't know her friends, her routines, or even her own preferences. Attempts to reach out to old friends reveal how much has changed: Zoya is gone, Faye is married with a child, Roisin is divorced. Lucy's sense of self is fractured, and she's terrified she'll never belong in this life she supposedly wished for.

Stranger in My Own Life

Lucy's amnesia is diagnosed as "transient global amnesia," but she suspects the wishing machine is to blame. She struggles with the guilt of not knowing her children, the pain of learning her best friend Zoya has died, and the realization that she's missed the most important moments of her life. Her marriage to Sam is loving but strained by her memory loss. She's both grateful for and alienated by her "good part." The grief for Zoya is overwhelming, and Lucy spirals into depression, unable to reconcile the life she has with the life she remembers.

The Family I Never Knew

Forced to care for her children alone, Lucy stumbles through parenting by instinct. She bonds with Felix over imaginative games and learns to comfort Amy. Small victories—making a heart model for Felix's school project, surviving a day of chaos—help her feel more like a mother. Sam, patient and supportive, becomes less a stranger and more a partner. Their intimacy grows as Lucy lets herself fall for him, experiencing the thrill of new love with the comfort of old. Yet, the shadow of her missing years and the loss of Zoya linger, making every joy bittersweet.

The Price of Fast-Forward

Lucy discovers that her "good part" is not without pain. She learns she and Sam lost a daughter, Chloe, a grief that shaped their family. The knowledge is devastating—she mourns a child she can't remember, and Sam mourns the wife who shared that loss. Lucy realizes that skipping the hard parts means missing the love, the growth, and even the heartbreak that make life meaningful. She's torn between wanting to stay in this life she's grown to love and the desire to return to her own timeline, to live the years she missed.

Searching for a Way Back

With Felix's help, Lucy searches for the wishing machine, hoping to find a way back to her old life. Their quest leads them through London, to eccentric arcade collectors and dead ends. Along the way, Lucy bonds with Felix, learning to be his mother in the present, even as she contemplates leaving him behind. The search becomes a metaphor for her struggle: can she choose between the life she has and the life she lost? The wishing machine, when finally found, offers her a choice—but not without consequences.

Parenting by Instinct

Lucy's attempts at parenting are messy but heartfelt. She fails at cooking, struggles with school routines, and is overwhelmed by the demands of motherhood. Yet, she finds joy in play, in small victories, and in the unconditional love of her children. Her relationship with Sam deepens as they navigate the challenges together. Lucy learns that the "good part" isn't a destination but a series of imperfect, beautiful moments. She begins to accept that life is never truly sorted, and that meaning is found in the mess.

The Weight of Memory

As Lucy's memories begin to return in fragments, she's forced to confront the pain she's missed—Zoya's death, Chloe's loss, the struggles and triumphs of her thirties. She realizes that memory is both a burden and a gift. The grief she feels is real, even if the memories are not. With the support of her friends and family, Lucy learns to forgive herself for what she cannot remember and to cherish the connections she has now. The past cannot be reclaimed, but the present can be lived fully.

Falling for a Stranger

Lucy and Sam's relationship evolves from awkwardness to genuine love. She experiences the thrill of falling for him as if for the first time, discovering the depth of their connection. Their intimacy is both new and familiar, a second chance at first love. Lucy's friends notice the change in her, and she realizes that love is not just about shared history but about choosing each other every day. The fear of losing this love makes her question whether she should risk returning to her old life.

The Heart of the Matter

The wishing machine offers Lucy a choice: stay in the life she's grown to love, with her memories returning, or go back to her old life and risk losing everything she's gained. The decision is agonizing—she wants to see Zoya again, to live the years she missed, but she's fallen in love with her family and her life as it is. The heart model she builds with Felix becomes a symbol of her journey: fragile, messy, but pulsing with life. Ultimately, Lucy realizes that the "good part" is not a destination but a choice to live fully, wherever she is.

Facing the Past, Choosing the Future

As Lucy's memories flood back, the window to return to her old life begins to close. She rushes to the wishing machine, torn between the desire to go back and the love she's found in the present. The Scottish woman tells her she must choose with her whole heart. Lucy says her goodbyes, realizing that every life has its losses and joys, and that the only way to truly live is to embrace the mess. In the end, she chooses to live her life, not to skip ahead or go back, but to be present for every moment.

The Portal's Choice

The wishing machine grants Lucy's wish—not to skip to the good part, but to live her life, with all its uncertainty and beauty. She wakes up back in her old life, in her damp flat, with her friends and her future ahead of her. The experience has changed her: she's more present, more grateful, and more willing to embrace the mess. She reconnects with Zoya, makes peace with her flatmates, and faces her job with renewed purpose. The "good part" is not a place to arrive at, but a way of living.

Back to the Beginning

Lucy returns to her old life with a new sense of gratitude and agency. She takes charge of her flat, her friendships, and her career, no longer waiting for life to begin. She appreciates the small joys—a dry bed, a shared joke, a croissant—and the people who make her life meaningful. The lessons of her journey stay with her: life is never sorted, but it is always worth living. She vows to be present, to play, to love, and to make the most of every day, knowing that the "good part" is now.

Living the Good Part

Years later, Lucy is surrounded by her friends, celebrating life's milestones and everyday joys. She's learned that the good part isn't something you wait for or wish into existence—it's something you create, moment by moment, with the people you love. The losses and heartbreaks are part of the tapestry, giving depth and meaning to the happiness she finds. Lucy's story is a reminder that life is not about skipping ahead, but about living every messy, beautiful, unpredictable day as if it's the good part—because it is.

Characters

Lucy Young

Lucy is a relatable, witty, and self-deprecating protagonist whose life feels stuck in a rut. She's ambitious but insecure, longing for the "good part" of adulthood where everything is sorted. Her relationships—with friends, family, and herself—are marked by both deep affection and a sense of inadequacy. When she's catapulted sixteen years into her future, Lucy is forced to confront the reality that happiness isn't a destination but a process. Her journey is one of self-acceptance, learning to parent by instinct, and discovering that love and meaning are found in the mess. Lucy's psychological arc is about letting go of the fantasy of a perfect life and embracing the beauty of imperfection.

Sam Rutherford

Sam is Lucy's future husband—a gentle, creative soul with a deep well of patience and empathy. He's a composer, a hands-on father, and a man shaped by both love and loss. Sam's relationship with Lucy is tested by her amnesia; he mourns the wife who shared his grief for their lost daughter, Chloe, and struggles to connect with the version of Lucy who doesn't remember their life together. His steadfastness and vulnerability make him both a source of comfort and a mirror for Lucy's own struggles. Sam's arc is about learning to love Lucy as she is, not as she was, and finding hope in new beginnings.

Felix Rutherford

Felix is Lucy and Sam's seven-year-old son, a bright and imaginative child who craves connection and understanding. He's fascinated by portals, time travel, and the idea of fixing what's broken. Felix's relationship with Lucy is initially strained by her absence of memory, but through shared adventures and creative play, they forge a new bond. Felix's longing for certainty and his fear of loss mirror Lucy's own struggles. His resilience and openness help Lucy learn to parent in the present, and his belief in magic becomes a metaphor for hope and acceptance.

Amy Rutherford

Amy is Lucy and Sam's youngest child, a toddler whose needs are immediate and unfiltered. She represents both the chaos and the joy of parenting. Amy's unconditional love for Lucy, despite her confusion and mistakes, becomes a source of healing. Her presence grounds Lucy in the present moment, reminding her that love is not about memory but about showing up, day after day.

Zoya Khan

Zoya is Lucy's childhood best friend, a vibrant, creative force whose presence anchors Lucy's sense of self. In the future, Zoya's death is a devastating loss that haunts Lucy's journey. Zoya represents the irreplaceable bonds of friendship and the pain of grief. Her absence forces Lucy to confront the reality that life is finite and that the good part is found in cherishing those we love while we have them. Zoya's memory becomes a guiding light, urging Lucy to live fully and love fiercely.

Faye

Faye is one of Lucy's closest friends, a source of wisdom and stability. She's married, a mother, and openly gay, having found love and self-acceptance later in life. Faye's journey is about embracing change, supporting her friends, and finding joy in the everyday. She helps Lucy navigate the complexities of adulthood and reminds her that growth is a lifelong process.

Roisin

Roisin is another of Lucy's school friends, a successful lawyer whose life has taken unexpected turns. She's been through marriage and divorce, and her humor masks a deep capacity for empathy. Roisin's presence in Lucy's life is a reminder that everyone faces setbacks, and that friendship is a source of strength through life's storms.

Mr. Finkley (Leonard)

Mr. Finkley is Lucy's oddball upstairs neighbor, obsessed with baths and plants. In the future, he becomes a friend to Felix and a symbol of the unexpected connections that enrich our lives. His eccentric wisdom and acceptance of life's mysteries help Lucy see that not everything needs to make sense, and that kindness can come from unlikely places.

The Scottish Shopkeeper

The enigmatic woman who runs the newsagent's and the wishing machine is both a literal and symbolic guide for Lucy. She offers the chance to skip ahead, but also the wisdom to see that life's meaning is found in living every moment. She represents fate, choice, and the magic that exists in the ordinary.

Michael Green

Michael is Lucy's business partner in the future, a calm and steady presence who believes in her creativity. He's a mentor and friend, helping Lucy navigate the pressures of work and the challenges of leadership. Michael's own struggles with loss and change mirror Lucy's, and his faith in her helps her find her footing.

Plot Devices

Time Leap as Wish Fulfillment

The central device is Lucy's wish to "skip to the good part," which catapults her sixteen years into her own future. This literal time leap is both magical and metaphorical, allowing the narrative to explore the consequences of bypassing life's mess and struggle. The device is used to interrogate the fantasy of a "sorted" life, showing that happiness is not found in arrival but in the journey. The time leap also enables a dual narrative: Lucy's struggle to adapt to her new life and her quest to return to her own timeline.

Amnesia and Identity

Lucy's amnesia is both a plot device and a psychological metaphor. It allows her—and the reader—to see her life with fresh eyes, questioning what makes us who we are. The gradual return of memory is used to build tension and to explore the interplay between past, present, and future. The device also raises questions about fate, choice, and the possibility of change.

The Wishing Machine

The wishing machine is a classic plot device, granting Lucy's wish but with unforeseen consequences. It serves as both a literal portal and a test of character: Lucy must decide whether to stay in her new life or return to her old one, knowing that every choice has a cost. The machine's rules—requiring a wholehearted wish, closing as memories return—add urgency and structure to Lucy's journey.

Parallel Lives and Sliding Doors

The narrative structure echoes "Sliding Doors" and "Big," exploring the idea of parallel lives and the impact of choices. Lucy's journey is a meditation on regret, longing, and the impossibility of living all possible lives. The device is used to highlight the importance of presence, acceptance, and making the most of the life we have.

Foreshadowing and Symbolism

The novel is rich in foreshadowing—plants as symbols of care and growth, the heart model as a metaphor for love and vulnerability, the recurring motif of "the good part" as both a goal and a realization. The use of games, play, and imaginative quests mirrors Lucy's journey from passivity to agency, from wishing for life to living it.

Analysis

Sophie Cousens' The Good Part is a witty, heartfelt, and deeply relatable exploration of the fantasy of skipping life's mess to arrive at a "sorted" adulthood. Through Lucy's magical time leap, the novel interrogates the myth of the "good part"—the idea that happiness is found in arrival, in having it all together. Instead, Cousens shows that meaning is found in the journey: in the mess, the heartbreak, the small victories, and the everyday connections that make life rich. The novel is both a romantic comedy and a meditation on grief, memory, and the power of choice. It challenges readers to embrace imperfection, to be present for every moment, and to recognize that the "good part" is not a destination but a way of living. In a world obsessed with fast-forwarding to happiness, The Good Part is a timely reminder that the only way to truly live is to show up, play, love, and make the most of every messy, beautiful day.

Last updated: December 1, 2025