COCO THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

A fairy tale theme is interwoven through the fabric of Coco’s journey during her first foray into internet dating. The narrative is constructed around Coco’s personal experiences; a 50+ naturalised Australian of French background who grew up in Australia in the sixties. Make no mistake, the journey you are about to begin does not guarantee a happy ever after. The challenges of cyber dating for the mature, hopeful dater are not to be underestimated. Coco wears her heart on her sleeve as she throws herself into the hedonistic playground of Millennials, creating awareness of the pitfalls of internet dating, as well as the joys of friendships formed. The charm of online suitors is relentless, the screen cocooning her from a lifetime of vulnerability. But the compliments are fleeting, and interactions often illusory. Her looking glass is harsh, and she expects less but wants more. The lessons for Coco, as a result of changes to her identity, are worthy of investigation for the self-awareness exercise they represent for her cohort of daters. You can witness Coco’s mental gymnastics, take a front row seat as she probes into her private philosophical and psychological meanderings that expose her weaknesses, her delights, her doubts, her loneliness, her trials and tribulations. A self-professed contradiction, she is invincible, yet vulnerable at the same time. All names and identifying details of individuals featured in Marie-Claire Patron's audiobook have been changed to protect their identity.