Imogen Clark

Thanks to Amazon Prime and Lake Union Publishing for a digital copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I’m glad I finally read this, after having it on my Kindle for over a year! I shouldn’t have waited so long. I enjoyed the premise, the story, and the writing. It’s a tale of two women who at first glance seem to have nothing in common other than a powerful sense of loss.

The author explains that she “wanted to write a novel that examined how people can become trapped, not just by their circumstances but also by the stories they tell themselves in their minds.”

I sympathized with both characters, and appreciated how as soon as they could, they each left the confines of their early lives and reinvented themselves in London. One in 2019 and one in 1979.

“Both Pip and Evelyn are desperate to break free from lives they believe they are not destined to follow but are dragged back as a result of events they can’t control.” The author explains that she “wanted to think about how that might feel and how you could come to terms with having all your plans cast asunder.”

Secrets and healing are revealed in each woman’s story. While there is tragedy, it leads to a heartwarming, feel-good resolution. I highly recommend.… (mere)

My book club selected this for July 2022. Started it twice and gave up. Then I found the audio on Kindle Unlimited. Made all the difference. The accents/dialects added so much! (Although in the audio two main character names came through too similar -- Clio and Leah -- which led to a bit of confusion.) It was a good book, but everyone in the club agreed that the last chapter felt incomplete and felt like it was written by a different author. There were a few inconsistencies through the book but it was still an enjoyable read. One of our members just finished another by this author and said that ending also felt abrupt and incomplete. Glad I read it but doubt I'll follow this author.… (mere)