Knowing the Score by Ros Roberts
We welcome Ros Roberts to the blog today to share her insights into the inspiration and themes behind her book, Knowing the Score. In this book, it is one girl’s determination to right a wrong that keeps the reader engaged!
Inspiration and themes behind Knowing the Score by Ros Roberts
Knowing the Score is all about memories. Cherished ones, precious ones, difficult ones; we all have them. Gemma, the main character, is 11 years old and determined to fix the big family fallout. She knows very little about it, just snippets of things she has discovered over the years. She has memories of times and events that she struggles to grasp hold of or fit together. We all have these, don’t we? Snippets of days at primary school where one particular event is crystal clear. A day at the beach or a car journey that we can clearly recall out of a thousand others that we can’t. I’m fascinated by this and some of my early ‘snippet’ experiences, definitely inspired this book.
When I was four, my aunty asked me to be her bridesmaid. I loved my aunty but I flatly, emphatically refused. No one could change my mind. The day of the wedding arrived; I have just one clear memory of that day and I can see and feel it like it was yesterday. My sister, in her gorgeous, pink bridesmaid dress climbing into the car to drive home with Mum, Dad, me and my brother. I was so puzzled. Why was she doing that? You see, at the age of four I truly believed that if you were a bridesmaid, you had to then live with the bride and groom. I liked my parents and my bedroom, thank you very much. The fact I can recall that one moment so clearly has always stuck with me and it definitely inspired my desire to write a book that uses reflection and memories to drive the story forwards.
Gemma is quite the tough young lady. She wants to fix the family fallout and heal the relationship between her mum and Gran and Uncle Joe. Forgiveness and healing are strong themes that run through this book. Moving on in life can be tough when people have been hurt and carry pain. Gemma is only 11 and yet this incredible, strong girl somehow leads the adults through the process of coming back together. She understands how important it is for them to make amends and be a family again. I wanted to show how strong young people can be and how they often understand things much more clearly than adults do.
Gemma and her mum Carrie have a close, loving bond but very little materialistically. Carrie has the chance to go on a free, adults only summer cruise with friends and Gemma goes to stay with Uncle Joe for a month. Joe can afford so many things that Gemma has only dreamed of. Being the amazing girl she is, she understands that the love and fun she shares with her mum is worth so much more than anything money can buy. Joe also knows this. He misses the deep family connection. He’s a very special uncle, thrilled to be back spending time with his niece and as keen as she is to heal the family fallout. Together, they find a way to move things forward.
Knowing the Score has a gentle backdrop of the best sport in the world, tennis. As Gemma discovers, ‘knowing the score’ in life is just like ‘knowing the score’ on court; everything makes much more sense when things are clear. Tennis has always inspired me. At the age of ten, I decided I would one day hold the trophy at Wimbledon. Just like my misguided assumption that bridesmaids would have to move out – so my tennis dreams collapsed when, at the age of 13, my fellow teammates got a lot better at hitting the ball than me!
I hope readers feel inspired by Gemma’s story; inspired by her determination to heal her family, her strong, independent spirit and her willingness to try the best sport in the world!
