Each woman sees her complicated life reflected through the magic of cinema: Isabel’s husband is having an affair, and an old pact may keep her from what she wants most . . . June has promised her seven-year-old son that she will somehow find his father, who he’s never known . . . and Kat is ambivalent about accepting her lifelong best friend’s marriage proposal. Through everything, Lolly has always been there for them, and now Isabel, June, Kat—and Meryl—must be there for her. Finding themselves. Finding each other. Finding a happy ending.
Review: Wow! I loved this book and couldn't wait to keep reading it to find out what was going to happen, something that hasn't happened to me with a book for a while now! The story centres around four strong women. Matriarch Lolly, her daughter Kat and her two nieces Isabel and June. The four women in the book were so incredibly written. I wasn't sure I was going to like any of them to begin with, indeed they don't seem to like each other to begin with, however I found each of them endearing themselves to me, as well as to each other as the book went on.
Sisters Isabel and June find themselves back with their aunt in the guesthouse where they grew up, having lost their parents when they were just teenagers. It seemed that this event int he girls lives pushed them apart rather than drawing them together, so when they find themselves back at the guest house they struggle to talk to one another, but soon learn that they have more in common than they think. I really loved the fact that June was a bookseller, she has a passion for books in the same way that lolly has her passion for Meryl Streep movies.
My favourite character in the book was Kat, the way she coped with what life had to the throw at her by baking and cooking I thought was really lovely. There is a wonderful scene in the book where she goes to learn how to make some Italian pastries, the scene was beautifully written and I found myself loving her character even more as well as feeling decidedly hungry. The level of description by March makes you feel as if you are there by the sea in New England with these women. I wanted to roam the rooms of the guest houses further, browse the book store where jan worked and take walks along the sea front with Isabel. She really brought the words on the page to life!
The Meryl Streep movies are almost like a fifth main character in the book. They are woven into the events of the novel so cleverly and each movie comes in at precisely the right point that one is never left wondering why, indeed, the novel has such a title. The lessons and morals that the movies give out, are exactly what is called for at that point in the story.
This is beautifully written novel, one which was a nice quick read and would be perfect to read on an early summers day imagining the waves crashing into the harbour walls, and guests taking cocktails in the garden of the Three Captains Inn. The author deals with some serious life issues in the book so well that one never feels down when reading it, only filled with joy at the relationships that are being built between these four woman and the ways they are living their lives. A properly engaging, heart warming tale!
No comments:
Post a Comment