6
Publication Date 29 November 2017
Advance Review Copy courtesy of Bookouture and Netgalley
Book Description:
Just for a moment, I was young and invincible again, back before I made the decision that changed the rest of my life…
Susie did something that she knows she will always regret: giving her baby son up for adoption, to keep her infidelity secret from her family.
Louise, Susie’s daughter, feels the effects of that decision echoing down through the years – her mother has always been difficult, too strict with her but not strict enough with her sister Grace, who is wild and out-of-control. And Danny, Susie’s husband, adores her, but has always sensed something wrong at the heart of their marriage.
When tragedy strikes the family, and a chance discovery threatens to bring the truth to light, the sisters’ relationship is put to the test as they are faced with an impossible choice…
Susie did something that she knows she will always regret: giving her baby son up for adoption, to keep her infidelity secret from her family.
Louise, Susie’s daughter, feels the effects of that decision echoing down through the years – her mother has always been difficult, too strict with her but not strict enough with her sister Grace, who is wild and out-of-control. And Danny, Susie’s husband, adores her, but has always sensed something wrong at the heart of their marriage.
When tragedy strikes the family, and a chance discovery threatens to bring the truth to light, the sisters’ relationship is put to the test as they are faced with an impossible choice…
My thoughts:
When I requested this book I really wasn't sure whether it might not be my kind of book. How could I have got it so wrong??? I wanted to know how the story ended but it was so good that I wanted to keep reading.
The tale is set in the south of England in the late 1960s and the story covers half a century of life within the Duarte family. Dad Danny is a sailor in the navy and mum Susie is a stay at home mum to toddler Louise. Susie loves to sing and one night a week goes to the dance hall where she takes to the stage with a local band. Life reaches a crossroads after a talent scout arrives in town making offers of recording deals and Susie realises that she can never be part of that scene with a family in tow but finds herself with bigger decisions to make. The dilemma she faces is one of the biggest ones any woman can face and we follow her life afterwards as she copes with the consequences and secrets. The emotional effects of her decision are written brilliantly and I felt like I was taking every step of her journey with her.
The tale is set in the south of England in the late 1960s and the story covers half a century of life within the Duarte family. Dad Danny is a sailor in the navy and mum Susie is a stay at home mum to toddler Louise. Susie loves to sing and one night a week goes to the dance hall where she takes to the stage with a local band. Life reaches a crossroads after a talent scout arrives in town making offers of recording deals and Susie realises that she can never be part of that scene with a family in tow but finds herself with bigger decisions to make. The dilemma she faces is one of the biggest ones any woman can face and we follow her life afterwards as she copes with the consequences and secrets. The emotional effects of her decision are written brilliantly and I felt like I was taking every step of her journey with her.
The second part of the story is told from Susie's daughter Grace's perspective which demonstrates the effects Susie's decision had on her family without them knowing the reasons why she treated life and people the way she did. As a reader we have that insight and I felt this added depth to the storyline. The conclusion to the story I found satisfying and made me love Danny and Grace even more. The only character I didn't warm to was Louise but I feel that this was deliberate on the author's part as it reflects the whole dynamic of the relationship between her and her mother.
Kerry Fisher has presented us with a very believable story which will pull on your heartstrings from every direction possible. A sure fire bestseller.
Kerry Fisher has presented us with a very believable story which will pull on your heartstrings from every direction possible. A sure fire bestseller.
Great review Sandie!
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