Hi all:
As promised, I’m going down my list of reviews. As it’s in alphabetic order, it’s luck of the draw what comes up, genre-wise, but you won’t have to wait long for the next one.
All I Ever Wanted by Lucy Dillon I recommend it to anybody who loves a gentle story about families, with no scandals, major shocks, histrionics or extremes
FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A HUNDRED PIECES OF ME AND ONE SMALL ACT OF KINDNESS COMES A HEARTWARMING, BITTERSWEET AND UPLIFTING STORY OF MISSED CHANCES AND UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES.
‘Lucy Dillon’s books make the world a better place’ Heat
‘Bittersweet, lovely and ultimately redemptive; the kind of book that makes you want to live your own life better’ Jojo Moyes
‘So satisfying and clever and deeply moving’ Sophie Kinsella
Caitlin’s life is a mess. Her marriage to a man everyone else thinks is perfect has collapsed, along with her self-esteem, and breaking free seems the only option.
Nancy, her four-year-old daughter, used to talk all the time; in the car, at nursery, to her brother Joel. Then her parents split up. Her daddy moves out. And Nancy stops speaking.
Nancy’s Auntie Eva, recently widowed and feeling alone, apart from the companionship of two bewildered pugs, is facing a future without her husband or the dreams she gave up for him.
But when Eva agrees to host her niece and nephew once a fortnight, Caitlin and Eva are made to face the different truths about their marriages – and about what they both really want . . .
Links:
About the author:
Lucy Dillon grew up in Cumbria and read English at Cambridge, then read a lot of magazines as a press assistant in London, then read other people’s manuscripts as a junior fiction editor. She now lives in a village outside Hereford with two basset hounds, an old red Range Rover, and too many books.
ONE SMALL ACT OF KINDNESS is Lucy’s sixth novel. The people are made up, but the basset hound, unfortunately, isn’t.
Lucy won the Romantic Novelists’ Association Contemporary Romantic Novel prize in 2015 for A HUNDRED PIECES OF ME, and the Romantic Novel of the Year Award in 2010 for LOST DOGS AND LONELY HEARTS.
You can follow her on Twitter @lucy_dillon or find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/LucyDillonBooks.
My review:
Thanks to NetGalley and to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC copy of this book that I voluntarily review.
This novel tells the story of a family, as unique as all families, and it starts seemingly at a point of crisis. What is supposed to be a fun trip to London for the kids, just ahead of Christmas, somehow marks the beginning of the end for of Caitlin and Patrick’s marriage. In the aftermath of the separation between them, Patrick’s sister, Eva, who was widowed a couple of years ago, ends up becoming roped into the situation and making interesting discoveries about herself.
The story is told in the third person, mostly from the alternating points of view of Caitlin and Eva, although there are a couple of fragments from the point of view of little Nancy. This is a book dominated by the female perspective, although it is not chick-lit. Each character is very distinctive and the reader gets to share in their point of view, although the alternating voices help to give more perspective to the story and to create a fuller understanding and a richer picture. Whilst at times we might identify completely with the characters and share their thoughts and feelings, they are not presented as perfect or always right. In fact, it is easy to feel annoyed and frustrated at times with some of the decisions they take, and we start questioning our alliances. But, as is the case with real human beings, nobody is perfect, and in this case, the story helps us understand their circumstances, why they behave as they do. By the end, we conclude that they all love each other, sometimes even if they are not aware of it, but they needed to work through their difficulties communicating and to get rid of the secrets they kept from each other.
The novel offers us two very different female protagonists, Caitlin, reckless, impulsive, disorganised, with a big heart, a fierce mother who’d do anything to protect her cubs, but less than perfect, and aware of her weak points, and Eva, a far more rational, business-like and determined woman. Both of them thought they’d found the perfect husband but they discover things aren’t quite as they think. As mentioned, we might feel closer to one or the other, but they both come through the pages as real people. We share their fears, hopes, puzzlement, even if at times we might not agree with what they do. The two children, Joel and Nancy are beautifully depicted, with their very different temperaments, and they also function well as stand-ins for children in similar situations, trying their hardest to cope and make sense of what’s going on around them. In a way, Nancy and her predicament, when she stops talking, is an embodiment of the difficulties between the adults, who are also keeping secrets and are unable to communicate effectively their feelings, even if they are still talking. The men in the story, although only seen through the perspective of the women, are neither knights in shining armour (no matter how hard they try), nor villains, but good people trying their best to be worthy of their partners and their families. And if you love pets, the two pugs, Bumble and Bee will melt your hearts, with their individual personalities, their ways of communicating and providing a safe haven to humans, and their winning ways.
This is a touching novel that makes us think about families (standard and alternative), about the impact of expectations and childhood experiences on our adult behaviour, and about the risks of trying to impose impossible standards on others. We need to remain true to ourselves to be the best for our families. The author invites us to become members of this extended family and we feel a bit orphaned at the end. I recommend it to anybody who loves a gentle story about families, with no scandals, major shocks, histrionics or extremes. A feel-good story with its heart in the right place.
Thanks to NetGalley, to the publishers and to the author for this wonderful novel, thanks to all of you for reading, and remember, like, share, comment and CLICK! More tomorrow!
Excellent review and the book sounds interesting. Have you read Elizabeth Stout? Her characterizations are so psychologically on the mark, and her story telling, pure brilliance.
Thanks, Cindy. It is a lovely book. I will keep my eyes open for Elizabeth Stout’s books too. I must check! She might be on my TBR list. It’s very long!
No scandals, major shocks, histrionics or extremes — now that sounds like the sweet life. Thanks for the review, Olga. Mega hugs.
Thanks, Teagan. A lot of things go on, but everyday stuff. Not many exclamation marks either!
When I read at the start about the breakdown of a marriage, my heart sank! But the more I read of your review, the more interested I became in putting it on my list. Thank you!
Thanks, Sarah. I don’t want to give too many clues, but let’s say things end up on a positive note.
Once again, I am left thinking, ‘TV drama serial’. I hope that Lucy gets a suitable offer, and I wish her luck with the new novel.
Best wishes, Pete.
Yes, Pete, I think you’re right. Although I’m not watching much television these days, for what I’ve heard the writing could improve…;)
There have been a couple of interesting dramas on, but they never seem to able to write good endings! 🙂
Yes, I was reading about that. People seemed to get quite irate!
This is my kind of book. I tried to order it, but it is out of stock.
Hi, Michelle. I read mostly e-books these days so I don’t have that problem. I suspect they have made a bigger launch in the UK but hopefully, they’ll get more soon.