What a year for Rachel. Six weeks after her dad’s death it is her wedding day. When she is jilted by her fiance at the altar she has no option but to move back into the family home with her mother Eleanor. They have had a difficult relationship with Rachel feeling that she has always lived in her mother’s shadow. Eleanor is a famous painter who emerged in Soho in the Sixties and has lived a life where she associated with poets and photographers before marrying Charlie and settling down.
It takes a dramatic event to make Rachel realise just how much her mother has done both for her and with her and for Rachel to come to terms with the losses in her life. Its hard to say any more without giving away a good chunk of the plot.
Kennedy uses a dual perspective to craft this wonderful story. Eleanor’s voice is that of a naive young girl leaving home in the Sixties. Finding her feet at her new Art College in Chelsea, discovering her true self and meeting the love of her life. Rachel’s story is set in the present day and sees her searching through all of the gems she discovers to piece together the lives that her parents led before she came along.
It is a poignant and touching tale that deals with the pain of loss and isolation. The characters are vivid and electrifyingly real. Learning to grieve and to move on is one of the hardest things that we ever have to come to terms with and this book is all about love in every possible aspect. Seeing the differing perspectives makes for a beautiful story of family and belonging.
Supplied by Net Galley and Random House UK, Cornerstone in exchange for an honest review.
UK Publication Date: Kindle Aug 01 2019/ Hardback Aug 22 2019. 416 pages.
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Categories: 5 Stars Book Review
angelnet69
Prolific reader, enthusiastic theatre and movie-goer and ex-Olivier Awards judge who spent twenty years working in the music industry in London. Sharing my house with a gorgeous cockapoo called Harry who has taken over completely.
I love sharing my favourite books with friends - nearly always spoiler-free as I hate reading a synopsis of the whole book in other reviews.
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