-A Book Review
I’m most guilty of frequently judging books by their covers – I’ll admit I get drawn in by colours, images and even selected fonts. So when I saw the cover for Kylie Ladd’s I’ll leave you with this, I was intrigued. I had located it as part of a book club and the Kindle cover had me purchasing it within minutes. The cover wasn’t the only thing to hold my attention, by the end of the prologue, I was hooked. I hadn’t even read the blurb.
What I soon discovered between the covers was a dramatic family story which touched on a number of sensitive topics. For some, these may seem somewhat controversial, for me however, I personally found them to be intriguing, emotionally charged, interconnected and at times, heart breaking. The journey that the sisters travelled, could have just as easily been the ‘family next door.’
My favourite character was Emma, who, at the beginning of the story, I had bumped aside for a couple of reasons, however, as the storyline progressed and Emma’s character evolved, I soon learnt that I resonated with her. She displayed a true sense of strength and sacrifice for those she loves, and given the opportunity, I would make the same choices. It wasn’t only Emma that I resonated with, I found that there were actions, thoughts, and viewpoints from all the sisters that I understood and respected, though unsure how I would handle the same situations as them.
The moment that made me laugh out loud was learning the meaning behind their dog’s name. I thought it was an entirely fictitious reference for story purposes only, until I opened Google. I was surprised to find it a reference to an actual book originally published in 1928. Due to my halt on reading the classics, this is not one that I had come across. I won’t give away the direct name as I don’t want to spoil the laughable moment for you.
The flow of the story kept me coming back for more due to its easy reading nature, it is clearly divided into sections, just watch the dates though, it will make a little more sense once you start reading as it jumps around in time a little.
The only tiny thing that irked me about this book was that I wasn’t ready for it to end. Yes, everything was resolved, no story line left open, except one. The very final character we meet. I would love to one day see another book extend from here, and from their perspective, not the sisters. And this is purely only a personal opinion – I wanted more. This opinion does not subtract from my overall captivation and love of the story.
Once you have finished the book, I would be most interested in hearing your thoughts or comments especially if you have had personal experiences like the sisters. Please, share the love and the comments as the topics are fantastic conversation starters. Happy Reading.
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