I have to admit I haven't read any of her previous books but after reading this delightful novel you can bet I am going to go back and read them. This is a novel about friendship that has faded and then been resurrected again. It explores friendships the through the prism of class and how it affects each woman. I enjoyed reading about how each woman perceived how the friendship ended and how different people can view the same event differently.
I grew up poor nd I can tell you that the author got that part spot on. I could relate to Rachel and how she felt. I found myself sympathizing with her and rooting for her. I also found myself wanting to reach through the pages and tell her that everything will be ok and that not everyone is out to hurt her.
At first, Claire got on my nerves. I don't do well with the poor little rich girl but as I got to know her I could see things from her point of view. As someone who was born profoundly Deaf and is culturally deaf, I also wanted to reach through the pages and smack her and tell her that being deaf in ONE ear is not nothing to be all wishy-washy about. I grew up with strong Deaf role models, so I guess if someone had been treated like they were going to break all of their lives I could see how they would start to act that way. Still, it irked me.
Over the course of the novel, we see both women grow and change. I loved seeing how they resolved their friendship. I also loved the author from staying away from tired tropes and painting a more realistic picture of how such a scene would be played out.
Like I said I haven't read this author before but now I am going to go back and read her earlier books in this series. I loved this book, and it comes Highly recommended.
About Kate Hewitt: Kate is the USA Today-bestselling author of over 40 books of women's fiction and romance. She is the author of the Hartley-by-the-Sea series, set in England's Lake District and published by Penguin. She is also, under the name Katharine Swartz, the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell. Other series include the Emigrants Trilogy, the Amherst Island Trilogy, and the Falling For The Freemans series.
She likes to read romance, mystery, the occasional straight historical and angsty women's fiction; she particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.
Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in the English Cotswolds with her husband, five children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever. You can read about her life at http://www.acumbrianlife.blogspot.co.uk.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/katehewitt1
Website: http://www.kate-hewitt.com/
This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land