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Book Review - Maureen Fry and The Angel of The North By Rachel Joyce

  Maureen Fry and The Angel of The North By Rachel Joyce My Rating ★★★★★ Goodreads: 3.96/5 Genre: Women’s Literary Fiction Maureen Fry and The Angel of The North was first published in 2022.  The finale to a moving trilogy.     Synopsis Ten years ago, Harold Fry set off on his epic journey on foot to save a friend. But the story doesn't end there. Now his wife, Maureen, has her own pilgrimage to make. Maureen Fry has settled into the quiet life she now shares with her husband Harold after his iconic walk across England. Now, ten years later, an unexpected message from the North disturbs her equilibrium again, and this time it is Maureen's turn to make her own journey. But Maureen is not like Harold. She struggles to bond with strangers, and the landscape she crosses has changed radically. She has little sense of what she'll find at the end of the road. All she knows is that she must get there.   My Review I was gifted this book for Christmas and having
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Book review - The Second Child by Caroline Bond





By Caroline Bond 

My rating: ★★★★☆
Goodreads: 3.96/5
Genre: Modern and Contemporary fiction

This is Caroline Bond's Debut novel. Published in March 2018. Selected for radio 2 book group.

Synopsis 

Why do you love your child? Is it because they're a straight A student, a talented footballer? Or is it simply because they're yours?

Sarah and Phil love both their children, James and Lauren. The couple have the same hopes and aspirations as any parent. But their expectations are shattered when they discover that their perfect daughter has been born with a flaw; a tiny, but life-changing glitch that is destined to shape her future, and theirs, irrevocably. 

Over time the family learn to adapt and even thrive. Then one day a blood test casts doubt on the very basis of their family. Lauren is not Phil's child. Suddenly, their precious family is on the brink of destruction. But the truth they face is far more complex and challenging than simple infidelity. It tests their capacity to love, each other and their children, and it raises the question of what makes - and what breaks - a family.

My review 

I received The Second Child through a book subscription, which I received in July. Its an author I had never heard of but I loved the cover and was definitely intrigued to read.
After reading chapter one i could not put it down. It was a compelling, emotional and heartbreaking read. The way in which it is written, allows a deeper understanding of what everyone is going through. Several characters perspective are put forward, allowing all sides of the story to be told. 
This book for me highlights a families trust, love and loyalty and the disarray that can be caused if the family life balance is broken.  
Everything was going well until the last chapter.  I read the last paragraph and then turned the page expecting more only to find it had ended. The abrupt finish surprised me. I found it a little disappointing. After taking time to reflect I can see what the author wanted to achieve by finishing there, but I personally think it needed to just round things up a little more and end with a chapter set couple of years later. There are a lot of outcomes that could happen to both families and I feel that the story has not been concluded.

Overall this book is a real page tuner, it was well written and at times even thought provoking. You certainly are left thinking what would I be doing in that situation. Would I do things differently.


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