Missy Carmichael's life has become small.
Grieving for a family she has lost or lost touch with, she's haunted by the echoes of her footsteps in her empty home; the sound of the radio in the dark; the tick-tick-tick of the watching clock.
Spiky and defensive, Missy knows that her loneliness is all her own fault. She deserves no more than this; not after what she's done. But a chance encounter in the park with two very different women opens the door to something new.
Another life beckons for Missy, if only she can be brave enough to grasp the opportunity. But seventy-nine is too late for a second chance. Isn't it?
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It was bitterly cold, the day of the fish-stunning. CHAPTER 1
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(@HarperCollinsUK, 6 February 2020, 381 pages, e-book, copy from the publisher via # NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed)
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This has been on my TBR list for ages because I've heard so many good things about it. I was delighted to stumble across a copy on NetGalley. This reminds me a lot of the books by Rachel Joyce and both authors tackle similar themes. Missy is a great character, rich and complex. She comes across as quite horrible at times, bad-tempered, unsociable and quite mean. I really wanted to know her story and how she became that person. The book has a lot of flashbacks of Missy's life showing the hurt and disappointment that turned her into a prickly, defensive person. I wanted to hug her. I loved the encounter that leads to her making two friends which completely changes her life. When further tragedy awaits her new friends rally round her and offer their combined strength. This is a powerful book about friendship and love. I really enjoyed it.
