Family drama doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of Why She Left. Family dysfunction is more like it.
Regardless of the label, it is a compelling read that touches on some important nuances in families.
When is it okay to bulldoze a family member’s dreams? Is being stubborn helpful or detrimental to personal growth? Is anything worth sacrificing a family member’s trust?
All these and more are addressed thoughtfully (and often cleverly) in Why She Left.
You can get an idea of the plot from the blurb (as usual). If it doesn’t sound odd to say, I enjoyed Isobel’s dilemma. In some ways, it is unique – especially given her mother’s position.
Isobel is more like her mother than she wants to admit. They both bury their heads in the sand to preserve their pride – and their egos.
Isobel’s stubbornness makes her blind to a lot of things, mostly personal, which results in incidents that could have been prevented. She is the very definition of a train wreck.
Apple: http://ow.ly/dAH550Gpfwx
Kobo: http://ow.ly/7BPf50Gpfww
Google: http://ow.ly/I4i550Gpfwy
Which also begs the question: does an incident that happened decades prior control a person’s life forever? Or is there a way to fight and overcome it? Isobel addresses this subconsciously at first, and then full-on later in the story.
I guessed one of the twists in the story fairly early on, but it took a long time for the motivation of the character to become clear. This definitely kept me reading.
There is also a bit of a mystery element as Isobel and her mother, Ruth, try to figure out who is behind some unfortunate (and dangerous) incidents. The culprit was not who I thought it would be.
I did get the feeling that the author didn’t know exactly what to do with Cecily. She is on the periphery of the story for most of the novel. I guess in a way that mirrors her position within the family as well. (No spoilers).
I will also say that there are examples of gross abuse of power from a couple of characters. Again, not to give anything away, but I want to note it in case any readers have issues with that.
Ultimately, Isobel finds the strength she needs to move forward for both her and her son, Isaac. The journey for the two of them is the stuff that makes a family drama, realistic. This also means Why She Left is a good read.
Also, try another family drama by this author: A Mother’s Lie
About Leah Mercer
Leah Mercer was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada. Her first ambition was to be a journalist, but after completing a master’s in journalism, she soon realised she preferred anything other than reporting the news. After trying her hand at public relations, teaching and recruitment in various countries around the world, she finally settled in London and returned to writing… fiction, this time. Her first two novels, Who We Were Before and The Man I Thought You Were, were shortlisted at the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards. Leah loves books, running and visiting historic houses with her husband and their son.
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