In the wake of the 2005 London bombings, Sara returns to her childhood home in Oxfordshire to find that her sister, Polly, has finally come back after being missing for over ten years. Why now-and where has she been?
As girls, the two sisters could not have been more different-only perfect Polly could meet the exacting standards of their nanny, Bridie, while Sara lived in her shadow. But Sara had been heartbroken the day she learned that Polly had run away, leaving her behind.
For Bridie, the news that Polly has returned threatens to revive a family secret she'd long kept hidden. Bridie cares deeply for both girls, and had done her best to raise them as if they were her own, but her own past always remained off-limits, to them as well as to herself. Now, all that may change.
As Polly's return sets in motion events that will stretch the three women's fragile bond to its breaking point, all three must confront the weight of this hidden history. Playing out across three generations, Another Day Gone reveals the enduring consequences of violence-and the restorative powers of love and loyalty.
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[The girl with the cut face sitting up in the hospital bed closed her eyes for a moment]***
(Lake Union Publishing, 22 November 2016, Kindle Owner's Lending Library)
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I chose this book because I was impressed by the author's novel The One I Was. This is a very different book but equally enjoyable.
I loved the way this book explores complex relationships and family secrets.
Bridie is a great character, so real and filled with pain and regret she's painful to read at times. Her whole life has been damaged by the fact her father was hanged for planting an IRA bomb that killed many people.
Sarah and Polly are great as well, sisters who are the opposite of each other. They have their disagreements mainly caused by the fact Polly is seen as the perfect sister and Sarah as the black sheep of the family. I loved how their sisterly bond is still there, even when Polly comes back after ten years.
This is the first book I've read (to my knowledge anyway) that touches on the IRA. I found the tragic events in Bridie's past heart-breaking.
Another Day Gone is much more complex than it would originally appear touching on the power of secrets and family ties. I loved it.