Happy Families

by Julie Ma

WINNER OF THE RICHARD & JUDY SEARCH FOR A BESTSELLER 2020


'Fabulously, witty and warm – what a talent!' Milly Johnson


'A rare find' Richard Madeley


Three generations, two secrets, one extended family . . .

Amy is thirty-four and has just given up her glittering career in the big (Welsh) city to move back in with her grandfather, returning to work in the small-town Chinese takeaway where she spent her bookish and boring childhood. Why? That's a secret she won't tell.

Just like the secret of why her grandfather, Ah Goong, and her father, TC Li, haven't spoken to each other in thirty years. Weirder still, they've lived in the same small flat about the takeaway for the majority of those years, with Amy's mother Joan acting as their unfortunate go-between and buffer.

Now Amy's parents have moved, leaving her in charge of looking after the old man. But then Ah Goong collapses in the street and Amy realises time is running out if she wants to play happy families again . . .
___________

'Fabulously witty and warm – what a talent!' Milly Johnson

'A rare find' Richard Madeley

'Delightful . . . You'll want to devour this in seconds' Heat, 'Read of the Week'

'A take-away success of a novel. Family antics, affectionately drawn characters – this is a spit-your-noodles-out-laughing kind of read' My Weekly

'Heartening and down-to-earth, Ma's debut is one of February's must-read books' Culturefly

'Funny, sparky and heart-warming' Fabulous Magazine – The Sun on Sunday

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Unfinished, China, Family, British Literature

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 18, 2021

About the author

Julie Ma's debut novel - Happy Families - was the winner of the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller Competition in 2020. It went on to have one of those very nice 'Best Seller' badges on Amazon.

Born in Wales, with Chinese heritage and a career that includes postwoman, fraud investigator and customer service manager, Julie believes in finding the extraordinary in the ordinary and then writing about it.

When not reading, researching and writing, she continues to work hard in the day job to find material for this, her 'other' job. Also, so her dog can have a better life.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has such an honest snapshot of three generations of Chinese immigrants and their family run takeaway shop (the authors own experiences adds warmthness to the novel) that it's a shame that I didn't quite enjoy it as much as I'd have liked.

The things that I really liked still made for a fascinating read.
It was the little observations the family experience like racial stereotypes from a small number of customers - though they were more than happy to eat from that culture.
Tragically these passages felt like a common occurance and deeply upsetting to read.

Especially as the family were more than happy to integrate within the small Welsh village (though naming their cats after Prime Ministers seemed a step too far!) and these family run businesses are cornerstones in any town - even outlasting the likes of Woolworths.

Oddly winning the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller award probably hindered my enjoyment somewhat.
Many of their book club picks feature psychological thrillers with big twists and I was half expecting similar here.

As much of the plot focuses on both the mystery as to why the main protagonist Amy at the age of 34 has deciding to leave a great career in Cardiff for a return the small takeaway shop.
Also the big family secret as to why her grandfather Ah Goong and father TC Li haven't spoken to each other in thirty years. 

Both were revealed pretty swiftly near the conclusion and felt a little underwhelming, I guess I was expecting something a little more impactful.

Nevertheless it's still great that Richard and Judy have used their status to bring this to a wider audience, Julie Ma herself taken over the family takeaway business in 2008 brings to life types of people abd their lives of which I don't normally tend to read about.

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Happy Families is a gentle family drama about three generations of a slightly dysfunctional Chinese family living in the small town of Cawsmenyn in Wales and the family run takeaway they own. The story opens with thirty-four-year-old Amy Li having returned from Cardiff to work in the takeaway and live in the flat upstairs with her grandfather, Ah Goong. Exactly why Amy has returned is not discussed but it’s clear that it’s a sensitive subject and one of several that are off limits within the family, although the declining health of Amy’s beloved grandfather is about to change all that. Until Amy’s recent return, her parents, Joan and TC, lived together with Joan’s father, Ah Goong, making the frosty silence between the two men that has lasted thirty years insane and left Joan acting as a go-between. When Ah Goong collapses in town it is a wake up call for the entire family and his health scare leaves Amy determined to uncover the source of the animosity and finally get both men to bury the hatchet. Amy’s older brother, Ray, is none the wiser on the source of tension and their mother is tight-lipped, but the return of her mother’s best-friend, Elaine, and a new supply teacher’s town history project starts to uncover a few home truths.

The story itself didn’t grip me and the narrative is very meandering, seeming to flounder at points and I really think Julie Ma needed to make her aims for the novel clearer. As it is the story probably tries to do too much with its complete overview of the family history and it doesn’t succeed in achieving anything other than being a forgettable family drama that lacks impetus. Whilst the writing was very readable I did feel the humour throughout was tired and I was frustrated that the novel left me with so many unanswered questions. Whilst I did enjoy the flashbacks to the 1950s onwards which charted Ah Goong’s arrival in the UK and Joan’s childhood they were all too brief. I would have been interested to understand more about the experiences the first generation to arrive faced given they are now an accepted part of the community and the takeaway regarded as something of a local institution. The fact that the reader never discovers more that vague details about Amy’s return disappointed me and I suspect this was part of the reason why I felt so detached from Ma’s characters. The reader never gets more that a superficial knowledge of each of them and I finished the novel feeling no closer to understanding the family dynamic or protagonist Amy.

Personally I also found the direction of the storyline became a little unpalatable as Ah Goong’s secret was revealed and I was completely bemused by Julie Ma’s need to introduce Walter, a dementia suffering care home resident, into the later stages of a novel that is essentially a family drama. A disappointing read given the backing of Richard and Judy.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Familes is Julie Ma's debut novel, a fun family comedy drama! It was the winner of Richard and Judy's Search for a bestseller award and I can see why! 


I really enjoyed this book! I love books that feature a large family with lots of different characters and personalities and this one had the added interest that it was based around a Chinese family! 


The family spans 3 generations and I loved the Grandfather, Ah Goong particularly, as well as Amy the main character. Amy has recently left her job in the big city of Cardiff and returned to help her family run their Chinese takeaway in a small town in Wales.


Why Amy has left her job, and why Ah Goong and Amy's father TC Li haven't spoken to each other in 30 years, are two of the main secrets the story centres around. 


I just loved reading this book! It's charming and enjoyable, the characters feel real and are likable. I loved the family dynamics and enjoyed learning more about different characters in previous years when flashbacks of important events were shared. 


This is a feel good book that will leave you feeling a bit warm and fuzzy. It's quite slow moving and there isn't a ton going on but it was a nice change of pace for me and a lovely insight into family life! Will be keeping my eye out for what Julie Ma writes next! 

[Melanie O'Neill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book will suit someone wanting a nice easy read, but sadly I was expecting a lot more than that. I usually trust Richard and Judy’s judgement when reading a book (this one won the 2020 search for a bestseller). Unfortunately, for me this just didn’t hit the spot. I enjoyed the first part if the book and was hoping that something good or exciting would happen... it didn’t really. It
might be me but I found the latter part a tad confusing with a mixture or characters, some of them
a bit unnecessary. Again I will say I was possibly expecting more and it is a nice story which will suit a lot of people but sadly wasn’t for me this time. 2 1/2 🌟from me.

[Glyn Bawden · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea how this book won any awards, it is the dullest, slowest, most plotless book I’ve read with thinly drawn, irritating characters.
There is no spoiler alert because there is no plot to spoil.
My tip would be, if you have a tin of paint , go and paint a wall, get yourself a chair and sit and watch the paint dry. It’ll be more exciting than this.
Richard and Judy are normally a safe pair of hands with book recommendations, but they have dropped the ball on this one.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the first half, the writing simple, and funny, with an insight into first, second and third generation Chinese families in Wales. I must be losing my brain cells, found the second half hard to keep up with the people and their connections to each other.

[Sara Eames · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a lot happens and most of the characters are unlikable.

[Tilly Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel with so much warmth and humour that I just wanted to wrap myself up in it to be quite honest! I completely fell for Amy Li and her grandfather Ah Goong, who were the real heart of the story for me. Ah Goong was just one of those brilliant oldies who march to the beat of their own drum and cause mischief, and I found myself laughing out loud A LOT.

There were so many layers to this story, and so many characters all deftly woven together, but it never felt overly complicated or confusing to read which I am always grateful for with multigenerational stories. Some twists I saw coming and others were a total surprise so it hit a great balance, but the beauty of this novel is that even though there is a great deal of family drama, it never feels too heavy or dramatic - the author has managed to create a lightness and joy to this novel from the very beginning, so you can just enjoy the story for what it is.

And that is a beautiful, moving tale of the family behind the local takeaway and what they bring to the community, but mostly what they mean to each other. Wonderful, witty characters, and a story to keep you smiling - what more could you ask for?

An absolutely cracking debut!

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Families is a funny, heart-warming, bittersweet novel about family and memories, and how the past shapes and defines us. It follows the story of Amy and her extended Chinese family who live in a small town in Wales and run a Chinese takeaway. Just like the tastiest Chinese dish, Happy Families is full of spice and flavour, sweetly funny, with a tiny dash of sour. I loved it, devoured it in one sitting, and it left me craving for more from the talented Julie Ma.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

'It's not normal to be so scared of everything. Bad things happen and they can't be helped. You have to make the best of what you have. People can stop loving you and it's their fault, not yours. They might stop loving you for a little bit or they might stop loving you forever. The secret is to bounce back'.

'I think of Claudio, the elderly widower, Rory and his sister left in charge of getting their own tea, Reg Bubbles, life stories revealed in snapshots over our counter'.

[Alastair · Rating 2 out of 5]

I often find that disappointing books have bad blurbs. This probably makes sense. Marketing professionals want to sell the book and, once you’ve figured out that the blurb doesn’t really reflect what’s inside, you’ve already paid for it and lost the receipt.

Happy Families by Julie Ma is a case study in this phenomenon and, in lieu of a better way of structuring this review, I thought I’d go through the blurb.

Paragraph 1: Amy is thirty-four and has just given up her glittering career in the big (Welsh) city to move back in with her grandfather, returning to work in the small-town Chinese takeaway where she spent her bookish and boring childhood. Why? That’s a secret she won’t tell.

Amy’s glittering career is barely talked about in the book, yet this is the first thing mentioned on the back. I anticipated inner turmoil at losing her identity, struggles coping with the shame of returning home. This is alluded to but clunkily. We never believe she is finding readjusting tough; she appears to be getting on just fine. The benefit of a novel is to be privy to characters’ inner thoughts, but our view of Amy is no different to seeing her acting out the book on stage. She is, simply, a dull vessel for the story no matter how dramatic the blurb makes her out to be.

As for her secret? Aside from driving her to leave her career, this ‘mystery’ is barely featured in the book. I expected family questions or town rumours: why has the big shot Amy, who left them to their simple rural ways, suddenly returned if not for some heinous act? Not only is the ‘secret’ deeply anticlimactic, but the mental anguish it entails is perfunctorily resolved near the end, paving the way for her to return to her job.

And (to be overly critical of what was probably a marketing decision), in what world is her actual career (a doctor) a career considered “glittering”? If you were to contrast it to the limited opportunities of the locals, perhaps, you could make it comparatively glittering? Maybe there would be resentment from neighbours and former schoolmates. This could render her career important to the story, and could overlay the racism that we do see meted out to Amy and her family. This would have introduced a subversive classism to the book. But, alas. Returning to the back cover…

Paragraph 2: Just like the secret of why her grandfather, Ah Goong, and her father, TC Li, haven’t spoken to each other in 30 years. Weirder still, they’ve lived in the same small flat above the takeaway for the majority of those years, with Amy’s mother Joan acting as their unfortunate go-between and buffer.

Another secret is highlighted here and at least this one is a prominent part of the novel. Rather than the ‘fish out of water’ story evoked by paragraph 1, this book is actually a family drama involving a set of mysteries that are slowly revealed across the book through current and historical episodes.

A more accurate blurb does not make a better book, though. The secrets rapidly stack up and become convoluted. I struggled to navigate them all, a problem not helped by my waning interest.

The author then cops out in disentangling them by way of a huge exposition dump as the father simply explains everything to Amy (in a cupboard, almost highlighting the bizarre nature of the plot’s unravelling). This has the odd consequence of rendering a book with a lot of plot lines curiously plotless: information is simply revealed to us, nothing is shown.

The resolution itself is not gripping. This is not a murder mystery nor are we emotionally close enough to the characters to be rattled or shocked when we find out this or that about their lineage.

Amidst all the melodrama, however, there are glimmers of what this book could have been. The scenes with Amy and her mother, father and grandfather, moving between stilted English and (translated) Cantonese have depth. Characters start to feel like real people. The family’s interactions with the local community likewise show what the book could have been – a tale about being outsiders, about generational integration or lack thereof, about racism in the UK.

These aspects are not fantastically executed to be sure, but had the author focussed her efforts on the family dimension, on the more pedestrian aspects, on the community we may have got a better book. Albeit one, perhaps, with a less exciting blurb. To which we return one last time.

Paragraph 3: Now Amy’s parents have moved, leaving her in charge of looking after the old man. But then Ah Goong collapses in the street and Amy realises his time is running out if she wants to play happy families again….

This paragraph seems to want to recast the book a third time, here as some sort of against-the-clock thriller. It is not: Ah Goong collapses early on but his condition is not a huge concern for the rest of the book. Or if it is, the book does a dismal job of letting me know that he is ailing and it is this that precipitates our protagonist searching for the truth.

Finally, I quibble with the final sentence – so clearly included to ‘neatly’ join the blurb back to the title: I do not believe Amy wants to play happy families. She seems to have little affection for anyone other than her grandfather. In one revealing episode, a character Amy is ostensibly attracted to is drunk and upset. He is not obnoxious or boorish, but she dismisses him as being in the “maudlin stage of drunk” and can only think about going to bed. Typical of the author’s clunky style we hear, delightfully, how “he stops to sniff revoltingly and I can hear tears and mucus threading their way down the back of his throat”. This is a person we have been told our protagonist likes.

OK, enough gratuitous blurb-exegesis. Julie Ma’s Happy Families has the skeleton of a good book inside it. Yet a poor plot and worse writing leave the reader racing to the end (if, like me, they struggle not to finish a book once started).

[Liz Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were parts of this that I didn't understand the relevancy, but parts I enjoyed. It was a pretty easy going read about families being a bit dysfunctional from time to time. I enjoyed the Asian background of this novel and the insight into the racism that the characters had experienced.

On the other hand, I still have answers as certain characters stories weren't fully completed which is rather irritating. Towards the end my head was just baffled with the different links betweens the families and I couldn't seem to make head or tail of what was happening (I started to zone out at this point as I just wanted to finish the book asap rocky).

Overall it was an alright read, just didn't have enough plot for me - nothing that exciting happened.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️3.75⭐️

"Fretting about decisions you've already made. Stressing over what you can't control any more. Letting the little things get you down. Let's not do any of those things any more, eh?"

"It's not normal to be so scared of everything. Bad things happen and they can't be helped. You have to make the best of what you have. People can stop loving you and it's their fault, not yours. They might stop loving you for a little bit or they might stop loving you forever. The secret is to bounce back."

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely read.

[Linnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely story about families and their complications - a comforting read with fun characters and a mischievous plot.

[Sue Hickling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely story , well done on your furst Novel .

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure why it was Richard & Judys winning book, found it a bit lame and confusing towards the end. Started off well and i thought i would enjoy it but I’m afraid not.

[Kathryn Curran · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn’t see the point in this book. Kept hoping it would get better but, for me, it didn’t.
Such a shame as I usually like the Richard and Judy recommendations.

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy Families by Julie Ma will be published February 18th with Welbeck. In October 2020, Happy Families was chosen as the winner of The Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller competition. With over nine hundred entries, Julie May came out tops becoming a debut author at the age of fifty-one.

“We thought Happy Families was GREAT – absolutely, bloody great. It’s a wonderful story, and she’s such a talented, funny writer. We think this has real appeal to a wide audience and are thrilled to choose it as the winner. Julie Ma is a rare find.” – Richard Madeley

Described as ‘refreshing and original, perfect for fans of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Rosie Project and Gavin & Stacey' Julie Ma has written a novel set in a place you never really read about in fiction, a Chinese take-away. Julie Ma has had various careers since qualifying from Aberyswyth University before she finally ‘took up the helm at the family takeaway.’ This was her inspiration for Happy Families.

‘The desire to write had always been there and, aware that the stereotypical view of British-Chinese women she saw on TV, film and in books didn’t represent her life, she set about to write a story she recognised.’

Happy Families is set in a small Welsh village where Amy Li has returned home from Cardiff, moved in with her grandfather, Ah Goong, and is now back working in the family takeaway. Wonderfully depicted, the relationship between Amy, Ah Goong and her extended family captivates the reader immediately. If you watched the brilliant series Kim’s Convenience on Netflix, you will instantly be enamoured by all the characters featured in this tale. A family caught up in the everyday, making ends meet. A family that were originally outsiders in this small town but are now an accepted and enjoyed institution among the local community.

As the story reveals itself we are given snippets of life for Ah Goong when he first arrived in the UK. With dreams and ambitions, he was very much in love with his wife. Together they could conquer this strange new world. But life has a way of throwing curve balls and Ah Goong’s journey was to change dramatically in those early years, which was to have a huge impact on his daughter, Joan, Amy’s mother.

Joan married TC Li but his relationship with Ah Goong is brittle. The two men haven’t communicated for years, for reasons never explained to Amy and her brother. It just became an accepted part of their lives. But now all is to be upended for Amy when Ah Goong collapses in the street.

For the most part of the book, we never really know why Amy returned home but as the story reveals itself, Julie Ma expertly threads the past and the present together, and we slowly understand why she is there. Amy, now fearful that her grandfather will slip away before the rift between her father and grandfather is repaired, sets about exploring the family history and piecing together the secrets of her family’s past.

Julie Ma has written a truly wonderful piece of fiction. There is a genuine humour running through this novel supported by a very natural style of writing. Authentic is the word that can best be used to describe this marvellous debut. It is a very warm and fulfilling story about the everyday dramas and secret pasts of an immigrant family living in Wales, who also happen to own a Chinese takeaway. What is there not to love about that?

Happy Families is a delightfully charming story filled with lovable characters and was an absolute joy to read. Julie Ma’s writing has a very sincere feeling to it, unaffected and clean, making it very appealing and accessible to all. I was thoroughly entertained and I wish Julie Ma every success with Happy Families and her future writing. Where will she go next I wonder?

“I would like everybody to read my book but especially anyone who has ever been in a shop and given a thought to the other life led by the person serving them. Everybody has something more to them than being a woman behind a counter in Next or a man on the till in Aldi. Or even the girl who’s serving you a Chinese takeaway!” – Julie Ma

[Chloe (libraryofchlo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in a small Welsh village, we encounter Amy Li, a former doctor who has returned home from her life in Cardiff to move in with her grandfather, Ah Goong, in the flat above the Chinese takeaway her family owns. The reason for her reappearance is kept a secret, but there are hints sprinkled throughout that her return may not be for the happiest of reasons. Throughout the story, we witness interactions between Amy, Ah Goong and her extended family whilst they work and live near the takeaway that is not only their livelihood but their heritage. Amy's life is encapsulated by the mundanity of her days; interactions with villagers, the local school, and also trying to find out why her grandfather and her father, TC Li, haven't spoken in years. Their feud and Amy's reason for leaving Cardiff are simmering secrets that soon come to fruition in the climax of the story.

Julie Ma's descriptions of the Li family relationships are moving and comedic at times, and there's an ooze of charm and relatability to small village life found in the interactions with those around them. It reminded me so much of the Welsh village I grew up in where small local businesses like the Li's Chinese takeaway can form the heart of the community. More interesting still, you can tell that Julie has used her own experiences working at her own family's takeaway to introduce fascinating customer interactions and to build believable and entertaining characters into her stories.

I loved the heritage aspect to the story which looked at the history of the takeaway itself, and also the context we are given into the lives of three generations of one immigrant family. We read about their emigration to the UK, how they settle into village life, and the struggle to adapt to a new area and new languages. There's also a heart-wrenchingly sad depiction of Amy's mother Joan and her childhood to buffer the more humorous aspects of the story. My only downfall for this story that it was a little too slow-moving for my liking, as many of the dramatic elements happen in the latter part of the book and I'm a little too impatient for so much context and background building.

Often we are served in a shop, or our local takeaway and give little thought to the person serving us after the exchange. Happy Families looks at the family and history behind the local Chinese takeaway in a new perspective, by giving them a sense of humanity and exposing their secrets to us - showing that despite having the recipe for delicious food, they don't have the recipe for a perfect happy family.

*I was kindly gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review, and will be posting this review on Instagram.com/libraryofchlo on publication day (18th February)

[Holli C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new author to me, this story focuses around Amy, in her thirties and having left her job in the city to move to back to her hometown in Wales, to work in her family Chinese take away. The story focuses on her family and a secret fall out between her dad TC and her grandpa, Ah Goong. No one knows why they fell out however this fallout affects everyone.

This story reminded me of my life growing up in a Chinese Takeaway - being one of only 2 chinese families in a small town, and knowing practically everyone as you walk down the town. Teachers as customers, doctors as customers, local electrician as customers and more! It was a little like going down memory lane when she talks about knowing people by what they order - giving them nicknames and being one of the main translators in the family.

This wasn’t my usual genre - I love twists, I love surprises and I love secrets and whilst this one had secrets/surprises, it wasn’t anything to the degree of my usual reads. A pleasant enough read.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75
Happy Families focuses on a family business and the secrets behind it. For me, it was a light easy read that was humorous and quirky.

I wish the novel would have focused more on the earlier generations as there was so much potential to go into the immigrant experience. I loved this earlier part of the novel and wished we got more. I also thought the plot was a little slow but the characters made up for that being easy to connect and sympathize with.

My reasoning for not rounding this up was that I wanted more but Happy Families is a debut and Julie Ma has so much more to give. I will definitely be looking out for her in the future.

[That show will never end · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5
Strasznie o niczym jest ta książka. Nie za bardzo rozumiem czym chciała być. Z jednej strony mamy tu jakieś tajemnice rodzinne, z drugiej napięcie rodem z thilleru aby finalnie skończyć się "zwyczajnymi, codziennymi" rodzinnymi sekretami. Nie żeby było w tym coś złego, ale budując coś takiego potrzeba odpowiedniej kreacji bohaterów, odpowiedniej dawki emocji, czego tutaj kompletnie nie było. Tak obrzydliwie poprawna jest ta pozycja, co czyni ją miałką.

[Caroline Mo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alas this is a 2 star but even though for some strange reason it has been changed to 3 (not by me). Being British born Chinese, I had to buy this book and show my support. Whilst I found this book nostalgic, the story was bland and I only finished it because I don’t like to leave a book unfinished. The overly descriptive writing was often unnecessary which made reading this a chore thus resorting to skim reading. That being said there are a few funny parts.

[Georgia Howlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read which encompasses family dramas we all have - made me laugh out loud on places really enjoyed

[Alafair · Rating 2 out of 5]

?

[Jaward · Rating 2 out of 5]

confusing plot with a lot of potential. disappointed.
also the syntax was often quite problematic and disjointed which made reading difficult to enjoy

[Nicky Lee-Delisle · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's difficult to form any sense of empathy for the characters as their back stories felt rushed yet dragged out simultaneously. Therefore when the big mystery/scandal was revealed it was rather anti-climatic.

[Ayomikun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty sweet, only took me a month because I had to return it to the library and find another copy

[Kirsty · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has a pretty simple set up; a woman returns to her small childhood home town without telling anyone why and as she tries to settle back into life with her family nearby, more secrets threaten to come out.

Richard and Judy normally back some pretty decent novels, but this one didn't really reach the level of great storytelling previous recommendations have.

The structure is very loose and meandering and new characters get brought in so often without any real purpose. I can read a 300 page novel in a day and yet this took me over a week to finish. There was a slight pull of wanting to know what the secrets were, but both "big reveals" were massively disappointing.

Going for a story where the focus is family, you'd expect it to end up somewhere with the reader realising the importance of family and acceptance etc, but that mark is missed by a long shot.

I didn't really care about any of them, as they had no real depth or redeeming features to make them come alive.

Shame really, as the source material was there for something that could have been heartwarming, if only there'd been more focus and a clearer idea of what the book wanted to say.