Kyra Wilder

The book is a little strange because the main character never divulges the names of her husband and children, just mentioning them by an initial. E, B and M. I have never seen this in a book before.

It was quite a dark book, the MC’s mental health declined when she moves to Geneva with her husband and he is working all hours while she is looking after her small children.

I could relate on some level and I am sure a lot of readers could. It was sometimes an uncomfortable, heartbreaking and intense read.… (mere)

I might change my review when I have had some distance, maybe this is not a good choice for when our own mental health feels so fragile, maybe it is too close to home. A previous reviewer suggested reading this in as few sittings as possible, to capture the speed of decline, but I had to take breaks from this to recover my bruised soul, finding it just a bit too much. I was scared by it, concerned, sorrowful. This may suggest it was really well written, which it is, but the star rating in this app reflects how you *like* the story and I could not *like* this, it was just too raw.… (mere)

My thanks to Edelweiss for my e-ARC.

Erika is a fish out of water, an isolated fish. The good news is her husband, M, got a coveted promotion. The bad news is Erika, along with her children E and baby B, have to pack up and leave their family, friends, and life for Geneva. Moving is hard enough, but to a place where both the language and the culture is foreign...But, she is proud of M and will support him(even when he's practically NEVER around). They will make it through this transition. Or will they...?

Although M's job provides accommodation and financial resources are not lacking, the days linger, interminably, with one melding into the next. Consumed with the responsibility and requirements of two young children. Minimal adult companionship. Even the best of us would lose it.

Narrated in the third person, from Erika's perspective, the book is divided into parts. Interspersed are narratives from her time in the mental health facility.

After finishing this book, I must say that the blurb was better. Although brief at 162 pages, it FELT much longer. Usually I enjoy vivid descriptions of settings and characters. But, here, I felt they were excessive to the point of tediousness. Also, like many other reviewers, I could not make sense of the author's use of initials for the members of Erika's family. When the end finally came, it was abrupt and unsatisfying.… (mere)