In my opinion this is by far the best from this author so far, and yet interestingly it is perhaps her most straight forward novel, dealing with human frailty in its many forms.
The novel revolves around Laura and the fall out from her mother Judy's rapid decline from Alzheimer's. As Judy became aware that whole chunks of her memory were starting to elude her she wrote down what she could remember of her life and loves, before she settled down into conventional married life. Laura stumbles across the writings and the terrible secret they partially reveal and she somewhat reluctantly roots around in the past, aided by her rather more enthusiastic sister, Kelly.
The author deftly handles Laura's emotional vulnerability as she manages her mother's decline, the demands of her own apparently unsupportive husband and the weight of the unfolding secret. There are no great moments of high drama and even the final denouement is handled in a beautifully controlled manner, which makes it all the more powerful.
Great writing, juggling lots of difficult subjects with an incredibly delicate and light touch.
A rare five stars from me.
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