The Coordinates of Loss by Amanda Prowse
Published by Lake Union Publishing on September 25, 2018
Genres: Domestic Life, Literature & Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Pages: 330
Format: ARC
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From bestselling author Amanda Prowse comes a tale of a blissful life, a happy marriage, a beloved son…and a tragedy that destroys it all.
When Rachel Croft wakes up on her family’s boat in Bermuda, it’s to sunshine and yet another perfect day…until she goes to wake her seven-year-old son, Oscar. Because the worst thing imaginable has happened. He isn’t there.
In the dark and desperate days that follow, Rachel struggles to navigate her grief. And while her husband, James, wants them to face the tragedy together, Rachel feels that the life they once shared is over. Convinced that their happy marriage is now a sham, and unable to remain in the place where she lost her son, she goes home to Bristol alone.
Only when she starts receiving letters from Cee-Cee, her housekeeper in Bermuda, does light begin to return to Rachel’s soul. She and James both want to learn to live again—but is it too late for them to find a way through together?
I kept seeing this book on social media, and I read a little about it and the author. Then, when I saw the book available for review on NetGalley, thanks to my relationship as a book blogger, I requested the book and was approved.
James and Rachel Croft are blissfully married and have a wonderfully perfect life in paradise — literally, on the island of Bermuda. James and Rachel and their seven year old son, Oscar, set out on a three-day trip on their yacht. They have a fantastic first night, but when they wake the next morning, Oscar has disappeared and is presumed to have drowned. The worst thing that could happen to parents.
Rachel is out of her mind with grief and it is so overwhelming nothing can help and no one can comfort her. Rachel puts distance between herself and everyone, except she connects with her housekeeper Cee Cee who shares her own story of loss through letters she writes to Rachel and how she had been through this herself. Cee Cee writes these letters in an effort to help Rachel through her grief, as parts of her life parallel Rachel’s.
The story alternates between Rachel’s story and Cee Cee’s story of loss and together they learn how to find the strength to keep living. The Coordinates of Loss mainly provided readers with Rachel’s point of view while sharing Cee Cee’s story of loss with the letters she sends Rachel.
The author provides a well-written and engaging story of a very difficult and incredibly sad subject. The book tugs at the heartstrings and absorbs you into its sadness right from the beginning. As I was reading, I found myself unable to tear myself away from the story and I had to read it in a few hours, in long stints at each sitting. The Coordinates of Loss is a great book and if you are new to Amanda Prowse’s books, this will give you a great idea of what she is capable of.
About Amanda Prowse: She has had twenty novels published along with six short stories in dozens of languages. Her recent chart topping No.1 titles What Have I Done?, Perfect Daughter and My Husband’s Wife have sold millions of copies around the world.
Other novels by Amanda Prowse include A Mother’s Story which won the coveted Sainsbury’s eBook of the year Award and Perfect Daughter that was selected as a World Book Night title in 2016. Another recent novel The Food of Love went straight to No.1 in Literary Fiction when it was launched and she has been described by the Daily Mail as The Queen of Family Drama for her ability to make the reader feel as if they were actually in the story.
Published by Lake Union, Amanda Prowse is the most prolific writer of contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also score the highest online review approval ratings for several genres.
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I was provided with a complimentary electronic advanced reader copy through Net Galley in exchange for my post. I was not required to post a positive review.
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