There was a stillness in me after I read the book as I didn’t know how to review it. There was so much pathos and pain and guilt in this story, and above that, a need to escape the irredeemable truth of chronic illness in a newborn child.
Cathy’s daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, and the world as she knew as a new mother ended. All that remained was a world of pain and fear for her daughter’s life which gripped her almost every waking second. Countless hours of cleaning, antibiotics, antibacterial spray, keeping her daughter free of germs, preventing lung infection was the norm of life. Then one day, she met a man and embarked on an affair with him, cutting hours of her time with her daughter. Hypocrisy became her way till the story heralded off to a natural finish.
My first book by author Hannah Begbie, I was gripped with the prose where I knew the main character was embarking on a slippery slope of the end of her marriage. Pain makes us take horrible decisions in order to escape it. Cath did the same, one part of me didn’t want to judge her because I have taken some rotten decisions too. But one tiny sliver of me hated the fact that she was risking everything for those moments of lust.
I found myself standing at the bank of the river where I couldn’t gauge how deep it was. Such were the emotions evoked in me where I couldn’t understand what I felt. Cystic fibrosis was shown in an authentic manner. Fear of infection that parents deal with jumped off the pages.
The characters were off with their reactions, but then again I didn’t know how each human would react in such a situation. Something niggled in me, I didn’t mind the affair, I didn’t mind her lies. What I minded was the main character leaving her sick child to have sex, even when she knew he was the harbinger of bacteria.
I do understand mothers are humans, and they make mistakes. Hence I was in a dilemma about this book where I felt I was on the precipice where I shouldn’t even begin to judge her. A difficult story to say the least where I was catapulted to an indecisive place at the end of it.
I received a free ARC from Edelweiss and publisher HarperCollins, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.
All my reviews can be read here
Cath had twenty-five perfect days with her newborn daughter before Mia’s deadly illness was diagnosed.
As her life implodes, Cath’s despair drives her to a parental support group where she meets a father in a similar situation, the dangerously attractive Richard – charming, handsome and adamant that a cure for their children lies just over the horizon: everything Cath wants to believe.
Their affair – and the chance to escape reality – is unavoidable, but carries catastrophic consequences: the nature of Mia’s illness means that Cath’s betrayal endangers not just her marriage but the life of her baby.
Can she stop herself before it’s too late?
Publication Date: 26th July 2019
Publisher: HarperCollins
34 Responses
Wow, this most definitely sounds like a very heavy and emotion filled story. It really shone through in your review. I hope you are alright. These kind of books can certainly make their impact on you. Terrific review though!
This was quite a difficult read about the disease. But why the mother did what she did was anybody’s guess. Thank you so much
P. S. Who is your ideal woman.. Hint? 😂😂😘
You are welcome. I know you and emotional books, so I just wanted to make sure you are alright 😘
Ps…LOL….😂😂
Your review was beautifully written! I don’t think I am ready for the amount of emotion in this book but I’ve added it to my list. xo
Hmmm, I’m kinda not sure what to say, save that it sounds like it’s a complex story.
It was… I too wasn’t sure of the Mother’s reactions
Beautiful review Shalini. This sounds like quite the heavy read. I think I’d take issue as well with the mother’s actions as well.
Thank you so much… This was quite different but in pain, we take lousy decisions
I can understand that. BTW, I just started reading the upcoming Vendetta in Death and Roarke is as yummy as ever.😏
EXCUSE ME – YOU GOT THE NEW BOOK? *SCREECHING LIKE A BANSHEE*
He is do yummmmmmm
I do. I totally scored with Edelweiss this week! I have this and Golden in Death which isn’t out until 2020. 😁
Whaaaaaaaaaaat!!!! They rejected me… Hot damn… Now Roarke is mine since you have the Eve Dallas books
It was so weird Shalini. First I was rejected, then about two weeks later I got appproved.🤷🏻♀️I’ll tell you what. Since I have the books, you can have Roarke Mon-Thurs, and I’ll have him Fri-Sun.😏
That works for me… I need the rest on weekend and so will Roarke… 😂 😂 😂 So you can have him over the weekend… 😂 😂
And he is ALL MINE 💃💃
MINE!
Of course, yours BUT only in your DREAMS…
IN REALITY, HE IS JUST MINE!!
It’s On!
Them the fighting words.. Baby… We can cut him in half and switch hahaha OK this is risqué conversation
Hahaha! We are sooo crackers!😁😂
Excellent review – this one sounds too intense for me
It is a different book… Sorry can’t share your posts, I am in Twitter jail
Hmm. I’m kind of confused. The cover makes me think “thriller” or maybe even a bit of “horror” but then your review makes it sound more like an emotional women’s fiction type of story. All the same, a great review, Shalini! Have a great weekend! 🙂 🙂
Thank you so much.. It was both. Have a great weekend
Love your emotional review, Shalini. I can’t imagine the pain of having a critically ill child. I am reading After the End which has the same topic. It’s devastating to read.
Omg I read that book too a few days ago. Reminded me of a patient of mine. Cried for 2 days… Difficult books
Definitely!
Great, your review really brings the emotions up too. Thank you so much, and have a nice weekend! Michael
Thank you so much ❤️ have a great weekend Michael
Thank you! 🌹🌹 You too, Shalini! 🌹🌹
Oh dear, I can see why this review was difficult to write. Such an emotional story.
So unexpected Toni.. Thank you so much ❤️
Oh, ugh. Shalini, you write some of the most beautiful reviews about books with some really ugly premises. A chronically ill child, I can only relate to a minute degree the life. STILL, that she would expose her to infection? No, no, no, no…groan.
Exactly… That too resistant to antibiotics, the superbugs… So I am still pondering about that mother’s reaction