Friday 24 March 2017

The Idea of You - Amanda Prowse


With her fortieth birthday approaching, Lucy Carpenter thinks she finally has it all: a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and the chance of a precious baby of her own. Life couldn’t be more perfect.
But becoming parents proves much harder to achieve than Lucy and Jonah imagined, and when Jonah’s teenage daughter Camille comes to stay with them, she becomes a constant reminder of what Lucy doesn’t have. Jonah’s love and support are unquestioning, but Lucy’s struggles with work and her own failing dreams begin to take their toll. With Camille’s presence straining the bonds of Lucy’s marriage even further, Lucy suddenly feels herself close to losing everything…
This heart-wrenchingly poignant family drama from bestselling author Amanda Prowse asks the question: in today’s hectic world, what does it mean to be a mother?

What I thought:

Amanda Prowse is one of those authors whose new book goes straight to the top of my wish list. I've always found her books to be emotional, heartbreaking, yet surprisingly uplifting. They're usually about real women, if you know what I mean, and they tend to stay in my thoughts long after I've turned that last page.

The Idea of You is all about Lucy Carpenter. Lucy, at thirty nine, was beginning to think she was running out of time to settle down and have a family of her own. A successful career and plush apartment were no consolation and she watched with envy as all her friends had children, spending her time thinking of ways she could achieve her dream of finally becoming a mother. Then she meets Jonah and at last she feels she has everything - well almost. This is when Lucy's real heartache begins, as she sets off on a road that is strewn with despair, seeing her hopes of being a mother constantly dashed. Then, just at a time when she needs that little bit of extra love and support, her teenage step-daughter comes to stay.

Losing a baby early in pregnancy is something I'm lucky enough never to have experienced, but Lucy's plight really brought it home to me just what an incredibly private kind of grief it can be, lonely even, at times. Lucy tried to put on a brave face, but inside she was screaming. Her pain was so raw.

Then there was the book! I don't want to spoil what can only be described as an exceptional reading experience, but segments from the book she was reading and the letters she wrote, took this story of heartache to another level.

I did think that Lucy's thoughts about the relationship between her husband and his daughter were very honest. I felt so sorry for her when she was trying so hard to forge a place for herself in this relationship and at the same time going through such personal trauma.

This book isn't just a story, it is a piece of the author's heart. It isn't just about Lucy's battle to become a mother, it is so much more. The Idea of You is about relationships and families, love and heartache and hidden secrets. Prepare yourself for a journey rich in emotion. This is a book you won't forget, another winner from Amanda Prowse's library of bestsellers.

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