This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Kelly Allen
Maggie is expecting her first child with her husband James, but her mother-in-law Judith doubts her capabilities as a mother because Maggie is blind. Maggie is an aromatherapy masseuse, but in her spare time she finds herself (and her guide dog Harvey) drawn to Victoria Park. In particular she is fond of sitting on the park bench and reminiscing about old times spent with her mother, who is no longer alive.
One day Maggie meets another woman called Elsa, who is also expecting her first child. Elsa feels scared and alone, threatened with the thought that her baby will be taken away from her once she has given birth. They strike up a bond, and over time Maggie works out there is more to the story than she first thought.
Maggie and Elsa have a lot in common, both constantly being judged on their ability to be a good mother, both frightened of what might stand in the way of motherhood. Maggie and Elsa begin to help each other and together they are determined to grow stronger, intent on dispelling the myths created by others and fixing what they can of the past.
The only problem is that it might be too late.
This book is really easy to get into. The characters are well defined and I didn’t feel muddled by the number of characters as I have with other books. I knew who everyone was and their characteristics bounced off the page through the descriptive writing and dialogue.
Having a main character who is blind was very interesting to read. It allowed for me to look at life differently and to feel more aware of sounds and smells instead of relying on vision. Maggie’s character is beautifully written and the book benefits from using other senses to describe places, people and people’s intentions.I adored Maggie and Elsa and desperately longed for the closure they both needed in this book. I felt the issues with family and trust were sensitively dealt with and the dementia side of the story was beautifully written.
The story is written from Maggie and Elsa’s point of view, but this wasn’t confusing at all. It helped me understand what each character was going through, how they were feeling and what they were afraid of. I particularly loved the moments when Maggie could sense whether somebody was lying or not being very genuine purely by the tone of their voice – something people with sight would simply miss.
This book had me in tears by the end, so get the tissues ready! A lovely autumnal read that’s full of heart.
8/10