All you need is The course of true love never did run smooth. So LAUREN WINDLE decided to write a book offering advice on how to navigate being single and dating while retaining a healthy self-worth Interview by Emily Bright
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T times in their days of singleness, many people prefer to swipe left on the whole dating experience and skip those achingly awkward meetings. They try to avoid cringe-worthy Valentine’s Day adverts and bury themselves in a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s after a break-up. During those days, a friend might have mumbled something vaguely consoling about buses, more fish in the sea, or finding that special ‘one’. All the while, they’re fending off Great Aunt Mildred’s questions about when they’ll finally settle down with someone. This may be an unflattering caricature of a single person, but not having a partner is often portrayed in less than flattering ways. However, a new book called Notes on Love, written by journalist Lauren Windle, breaks the mould. Rather than focusing on that imagery, it is a heartfelt, honest and, where appropriate, humorous reflection on singleness, dating and love. She undertook the project after speaking to friends and realising that single people didn’t feel represented or understood. The book is applicable to all people who are single, but Lauren writes specifically from the perspective of a Christian. ‘Everything that was out there for single Christians just felt a bit wishy-washy and was often
6 • WAR CRY • 9 October 2021