Clemence Lathbury is the protagonist of Kerry Clare's new novel Definitely Thriving, the funny, heartfelt, and wildly relatable story of a woman who just doesn't have it all figured out yet. After accidentally-on-purpose blowing up her marriage by having a threesome with the neighbours, Clemence moves into a shabby but charming apartment and vows to live a life of dignified solitude—until she falls for two very different men.

Get to know Clemence in this Q&A from Kerry Clare! 

Kerry Clare: What are three words you’d use to describe yourself?

Clemence Lathbury: Questioning, self-contained, hungry.

KC: What’s your ideal snack?

CL: A hunk of cheese, the end of a baguette, and tinned fish, eaten direct from the can. No washing up.

KC: Your favourite pastime?

CL: Reading.

KC: eBooks or physical books?

CL: Physical books, which are much more forgiving when you drop them in the bathtub.

KC: Your favourite literary Penelope?

CL: Lively, followed by Fitzgerald.

KC: Favourite place to read?

CL: I can read anywhere—unless the eavesdropping is particularly tantalizing, in which case it’s hard to concentrate.

KC: Do you have any pets?

CL: I have a part-time cat, which is as much responsibility for caring for another living creature as I am willing to commit to. I used to have a husband, but I don’t have him anymore.

KC: What are you most proud of?

CL: My friends. My courage. My appetites.

KC: Most useful tool?

CL: Can opener. Tiny screwdriver.

KC: Most treasured possession? 

CL: May I choose two? My yellow teapot, and my first edition copy of Carol Shields’  The Republic of Love.

KC: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

CL: Waking up when I want to, and nobody telling me what to do.

KC: What’s your favourite word?

CL: YES. (And sometimes NO, as required.)

KC: What’s your most attractive physical characteristic?

CL: My eyebrows, which I never interfered with, and I’m so grateful now, as I’m one of the only women I know who actually has hers. Tweezers are a dangerous tool.

KC: Favourite season?

CL: Summer. I like it sultry.

KC: Sweet or salty?

CL: I want it all. Chocolate covered pretzels, please!

KC: Your greatest indulgence?

CL: Expensive cheddar.

KC: Any lingering regrets?

CL: That I never properly appreciated my washing machine while I had one. I don’t have an oven anymore either, but in-house laundry is what I truly miss. I could pen an elegy. I actually might.

KC: Advice for a young woman starting out?

CL: Don’t listen to advice or to anything people try to tell you about how to live your life. Learn to listen to your heart. It’s also never too late to change your mind.

KC: Favourite colour? Favourite print?  

CL: Purple. Gingham

KC: Who is your hero?

CL: I think maybe she’s me.

 KC: What do you worry about?

CL: Creeping fascism. Gaps in the social safety net. Finding my next freelance gig.

KC: What overwhelms you?

CL: Making sure my plants are watered.

KC: What reassures you?

CL: Recalling previous moments when everything mostly worked out. And oh, the goodness of so many people out there.

KC: Favourite way to relax?

CL: Between you and me, it’s wanking in the bathtub.

KC: I won’t tell a soul.

CL: I know, I trust you.

KC: And do you think that’s wise?

CL: Maybe not, but I don’t have a choice in the matter, seeing as you invented me out of thin air.