I have conflicted feelings about this book. I found it a pretty decent read till I came to final section of the book where the author has written acknowledgements and other related notes. The heartfelt statements made in this section, and the way they were written made the rest of the book pale in comparison for me. This comes with the knowledge that the author passed away earlier this year after multiple battles with cancer.
The story is of a close-knit family of five which does not really include the mother, instead it includes their ‘Nanny’ May. The three daughters are each battling their own demons but maintain a tenuous hold on their siblings and father. The tale begins with Nanny May’s passing and we see how each deals with the situation and their feelings. The parts I liked involved how the sisters and father interact but I found it hard to have any feeling for the mother Martha. She is a pivotal part of the story, the people are who they are only because of her behaviour. Despite being so important, I could neither wholeheartedly dislike her or like her and likewise the treatment by her children towards her ranging from obedient to the downright rude. This conflict ( I need to sympathize with some part of a book in order to be fully vested) did not let me enjoy the book to the extent that I could have. After having read that note by the author though, I think I might appreciate some of her other books more.
I received a free copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Superfluous Reading 