Rach Wood
Written on Jan 6, 2022
The story is about the journey of a woman who finds herself trapped and wishes to rebuild her life. Vanessa is married, has an eight-year-old daughter and a steady job in management. But she is far from happy. Married life is no longer what it used to be. Her daughter gets into her nerves. And her boss is a dictator.
In a moment of exhaustion, she ends up making a decision that takes her to the office of a psychiatrist who will have to be convinced that Vanessa is mentally sane. However, more important than dodging four months of effective imprisonment is breaking free from the shackles of routine and the pressure of others' expectations and opinions. That's why she goes on a journey of no return.
With an unpretentious but entertaining writing, which allows the reader to create immediate empathy, Filipa Fonseca Silva invites the reader to watch the midlife crisis of a woman, who discovers that it is never too late to put everything in question.
With fully fleshed characters that have problems like everyone else, it's easy to understand that not everything is what it seems. Behind apparently cruel attitudes, there may be individuals who have not overcome their traumas. But Vanessa M. doesn't want to live off the misfortunes of others, but to resist the straightforward path of self-destruction. And, as she reflects on the meaning of life, she learns to be a happier woman, a more attentive mother, a more understanding daughter, a more passionate worker and a more tolerant friend.
Along the way, this woman makes unremarkable decisions, commits sins, feels lost and frustrated and even takes refuge in unrewarding love relationships. However, because it's sometimes harder to see the truth when we're too close, all the difficulties you inevitably face teach you you'll be nothing without love. And the happiness you seek will be of no interest if you can't share it.
Sometimes we just have to talk to someone, even when no one has answers to give, because the truth is we only found the answers within us. There are no recipes or miracle cures: there is only the desire to do more and be better, and the ability not to conform or let society dictate everything to us. If we receive stones along the way, we pick them up and build castles. Anyone can understand what this book is trying to convey. We all come across less than good phases. We know that nothing is black or white and that living is as good as it is confusing and draining.