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Small Blessings
Rosie Larson doesn't trust people - and with good reason. Her violent ex-boyfriend, Joel, is out of jail and she's determined he won't find her or their eleven-year-old son.
For Isobel Hutchins, the cost of success is beginning to prove too high. Her impressive career and comfortable lifestyle can't protect her from the news her mother is dying or the need to face her past.
When tragedy strikes, Rosie and Isobel are thrown together despite their differences. In this difficult space, they draw strength from each other and form an unlikely friendship that may just see them through.
Small Blessings is a poignant and uplifting tale of secrets, motherhood, innocence and heartache, and ultimately what we're willing to do for love.
For Isobel Hutchins, the cost of success is beginning to prove too high. Her impressive career and comfortable lifestyle can't protect her from the news her mother is dying or the need to face her past.
When tragedy strikes, Rosie and Isobel are thrown together despite their differences. In this difficult space, they draw strength from each other and form an unlikely friendship that may just see them through.
Small Blessings is a poignant and uplifting tale of secrets, motherhood, innocence and heartache, and ultimately what we're willing to do for love.
- GenresContemporary
248 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2019
About the author
Emily Brewin
7 books32 followersEmily Brewin is an author, freelance writer and learning designer. She has published two novels, Hello, Goodbye (2017) and Small Blessings (2019), both with Allen & Unwin. Her first YA novel is due for release in April 2024.
Emily has been awarded an Australian Society of Authors Emerging Writers’ and Illustrators’ mentorship for her fiction writing and has been shortlisted for two manuscript development programs. Her short stories appear in a number of anthologies.
Currently, Emily is writing her fourth novel. When she isn't hunched over her computer writing, she enjoys cycling and spending time with her lovely family and friends.
Emily has been awarded an Australian Society of Authors Emerging Writers’ and Illustrators’ mentorship for her fiction writing and has been shortlisted for two manuscript development programs. Her short stories appear in a number of anthologies.
Currently, Emily is writing her fourth novel. When she isn't hunched over her computer writing, she enjoys cycling and spending time with her lovely family and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 16, 2019
Rosie Larson had turned her life around once she discovered she was pregnant. The beatings she’d taken were a thing of the past with Joel in jail. Now, Petey was eleven and Joel had been released from prison – Rosie kept hearing footsteps behind her; the phone would ring with no one there. She knew it was Joel, but she was determined not to let him win this time.
Isobel Hutchins’ career as a top-notch lawyer had been a driving force for her for so long; Marcus, her husband had wanted a family, but Isobel wanted her career more. When her mother called her to let Isobel know she had terminal cancer, she was shocked. But the feelings she’d always held for her mother kept getting in the way.
Rosie and Isobel were two completely different people – one struggling as a single mother, trying to make ends meet, and the other, well-off and living her dream. But when disaster struck, and the two women met, an uneasy friendship was formed. Would it be enough? Could their trials become a thing of the past?
Small Blessings is my first by Aussie author Emily Brewin and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Poignant, heart breaking, emotional – motherhood with its ups and downs; its love and heartache – there’s survival and devotion – there’s the things a mother does for her child. An exceptional novel which I highly recommend.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Isobel Hutchins’ career as a top-notch lawyer had been a driving force for her for so long; Marcus, her husband had wanted a family, but Isobel wanted her career more. When her mother called her to let Isobel know she had terminal cancer, she was shocked. But the feelings she’d always held for her mother kept getting in the way.
Rosie and Isobel were two completely different people – one struggling as a single mother, trying to make ends meet, and the other, well-off and living her dream. But when disaster struck, and the two women met, an uneasy friendship was formed. Would it be enough? Could their trials become a thing of the past?
Small Blessings is my first by Aussie author Emily Brewin and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Poignant, heart breaking, emotional – motherhood with its ups and downs; its love and heartache – there’s survival and devotion – there’s the things a mother does for her child. An exceptional novel which I highly recommend.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2019
I’m not sure why, but as soon as I picked this book up and looked at the cover I knew I was going to love it and thankfully I was right.
Small Blessings by Aussie author Emily Brewin is not just a story about unlikely friendships, but it’s also a story about motherhood, secrets and a whole lot more. For a book of this size I was surprised at just how much was packed into this story. A heartwarming story that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in highly recommending. With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof copy to read and review.
Small Blessings by Aussie author Emily Brewin is not just a story about unlikely friendships, but it’s also a story about motherhood, secrets and a whole lot more. For a book of this size I was surprised at just how much was packed into this story. A heartwarming story that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in highly recommending. With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof copy to read and review.
March 16, 2019
Isobel and Rosie are as different as two women could be. Rosie is a single mum looking over her shoulder after a violent ex-partner is let out of gaol, and Isobel is a lawyer who has finally decided to ditch her high powered career and take time off to go ahead with IVF. Isobel’s mother also has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. These women’s lives meet each other when a tragedy occurs, closer to the end of the book. Rosie’s character was the one I warmed most to, and her son was lovely. Told in alternating chapters from both women, I did not fully engage with this book, the characters did not warm to me and I felt I was missing out on something. It was a quick read, but not one I would recommend. I may be in the minority here though, as most of my friends loved it.
With thanks to Allen and Unwin for my uncorrected proof copy to read and review.
With thanks to Allen and Unwin for my uncorrected proof copy to read and review.
December 25, 2018
Small Blessings is the second novel by Australian author, Emily Brewin. Just as high-power lawyer, Isobel Hutchins decides to stop putting career advancement before having a family, she learns her mother has terminal cancer. Grace Taylor, the larger-than-life woman, with her bright clothes, her big smiles and her eternally red lips, is fading to grey, dying. As Isobel takes steps towards motherhood, she is reminded just how much Grace and Jim sacrificed for their children’s future. And how unappreciative she and her brother have been. But visits to her parents have, for a long time, been uncomfortable. Has Isobel left it too late?
Rosie Larson’s childhood was very different from Isobel’s: an absent father, a drunken, careless mother and later an abusive, drug-addicted boyfriend. Pregnancy with Petey changed all that, helped her get clean and gave her a reason to aim for a better life. At eleven, Petey is a handful: a high-functioning autistic, demanding, but quick, clever and lovable. But, despite Rosie’s best efforts, their circumstances are not good, and just a couple of adverse events see a potential tragedy strike.
Brewin uses a twin narrative in alternating chapters to tell the story, with both Rosie and Isobel occasionally sinking into recollections to fill in the back story. Brewin’s plot is realistic, and the dialogue is natural. Her characters are more than one-dimensional: while Rosie has some very human flaws, her genuine efforts make her admirable; the more the reader learns of Isobel’s life, however, the more selfish, self-absorbed and ungrateful she seems.
A misleading jacket description may have readers proceeding through the story with an unrealised sense of expectation as, apart from some fleeting encounters, Isobel and Rosie don’t really engage until quite near the end. There are several aspects of the story that would make it an excellent book club read. Brewin’s second novel is a moving, thought-provoking and heart-warming read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin
Rosie Larson’s childhood was very different from Isobel’s: an absent father, a drunken, careless mother and later an abusive, drug-addicted boyfriend. Pregnancy with Petey changed all that, helped her get clean and gave her a reason to aim for a better life. At eleven, Petey is a handful: a high-functioning autistic, demanding, but quick, clever and lovable. But, despite Rosie’s best efforts, their circumstances are not good, and just a couple of adverse events see a potential tragedy strike.
Brewin uses a twin narrative in alternating chapters to tell the story, with both Rosie and Isobel occasionally sinking into recollections to fill in the back story. Brewin’s plot is realistic, and the dialogue is natural. Her characters are more than one-dimensional: while Rosie has some very human flaws, her genuine efforts make her admirable; the more the reader learns of Isobel’s life, however, the more selfish, self-absorbed and ungrateful she seems.
A misleading jacket description may have readers proceeding through the story with an unrealised sense of expectation as, apart from some fleeting encounters, Isobel and Rosie don’t really engage until quite near the end. There are several aspects of the story that would make it an excellent book club read. Brewin’s second novel is a moving, thought-provoking and heart-warming read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin
January 6, 2019
This is a story of two women. Rosie Larson has come out of a background of drug use and abuse with the father of her baby. It was that baby that got her clean and gave her the impetus to leave Joel. Now that baby is a ten year old and Rosie’s prime concern is keeping him from being found by his father who is recently out of jail. The other main woman in the novel is Isobel Hutchins. She has built a successful career and comfortable lifestyle. Her mother is dying and that starts Isobel thinking about a lot of things and imagining the future. What happens when tragedy strikes?
The novel alternates between these two voices and theirs stories. And here is where I ran into a few issues, the main one being that I didn’t warm to either of these characters and so never really became involved. Though it deals with issues that are around us in our world today, I always felt I was on the outside looking in and never in the situations with these women.
While this book is an interesting read in many respects, it just didn’t live up to my expectations. Perhaps this is partly the fault of it being next book in my reading queue, following on from The Summer of New Beginnings by Bette Lee Crosby, which I adored. These characters didn’t engage me as those characters did. Had I read this at another time this book I may have responded differently. As it is, I liked it but didn’t love it. I suspect I may end up being in the minority her, so best to give it a go and make up your own mind.For me, it could have been more the wrong book at the wrong time. Thanks to Allen&Unwin for my uncorrected proof copy to read and review.
The novel alternates between these two voices and theirs stories. And here is where I ran into a few issues, the main one being that I didn’t warm to either of these characters and so never really became involved. Though it deals with issues that are around us in our world today, I always felt I was on the outside looking in and never in the situations with these women.
While this book is an interesting read in many respects, it just didn’t live up to my expectations. Perhaps this is partly the fault of it being next book in my reading queue, following on from The Summer of New Beginnings by Bette Lee Crosby, which I adored. These characters didn’t engage me as those characters did. Had I read this at another time this book I may have responded differently. As it is, I liked it but didn’t love it. I suspect I may end up being in the minority her, so best to give it a go and make up your own mind.For me, it could have been more the wrong book at the wrong time. Thanks to Allen&Unwin for my uncorrected proof copy to read and review.
April 29, 2019
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**2.5 stars**
Small Blessings by Emily Brewin. (2018).
Rosie doesn't trust people. This is related to her violent ex Joel, who is out of jail now. Rosie is determined he won't find her or their 11 year old son.
Isobel is starting to find the cost of success too high. Her impressive career and comfortable lifestyle doesn't protect her from the news her mum is dying.
When tragedy occurs, the two women are thrown together despite their differences. They draw strength from each other and form an unlikely friendship.
I didn't really get into this book much but I can see why others found it haunting and poignant. The two main characters felt very realistic to me, however I didn't feel very attached to either and I found both of their life circumstances depressing. The tagline on the front says "through the unlikeliest of friendships comes a second chance" - this friendship only comes about at the very end of the book so while the synopsis in relation to this friendship is technically correct, I felt it was a bit misleading. It's an easy and pretty quick read, however I feel it could have benefited from being slightly longer so certain things could have been detailed a bit more. There were things I liked about the book; the storylines were interesting and immersive, and there were some important messages/life lessons to be gained from this novel. Just overall it wasn't really my cup of tea this time around.
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**2.5 stars**
Small Blessings by Emily Brewin. (2018).
Rosie doesn't trust people. This is related to her violent ex Joel, who is out of jail now. Rosie is determined he won't find her or their 11 year old son.
Isobel is starting to find the cost of success too high. Her impressive career and comfortable lifestyle doesn't protect her from the news her mum is dying.
When tragedy occurs, the two women are thrown together despite their differences. They draw strength from each other and form an unlikely friendship.
I didn't really get into this book much but I can see why others found it haunting and poignant. The two main characters felt very realistic to me, however I didn't feel very attached to either and I found both of their life circumstances depressing. The tagline on the front says "through the unlikeliest of friendships comes a second chance" - this friendship only comes about at the very end of the book so while the synopsis in relation to this friendship is technically correct, I felt it was a bit misleading. It's an easy and pretty quick read, however I feel it could have benefited from being slightly longer so certain things could have been detailed a bit more. There were things I liked about the book; the storylines were interesting and immersive, and there were some important messages/life lessons to be gained from this novel. Just overall it wasn't really my cup of tea this time around.
May 3, 2019
4 Emotional ★★★★'s
Rosie
She turns slowly, remembering she'd promised herself he'd never frighten her again. The headlights of an approaching car illuminate the street. There's nothing. Every fiber in her body says he should be standing there, stony-faced and mean, but he's not.
'What do you want?' she screams into the dimness, fists clenched at the shadows. But she is alone.
The drumming in her chest slows back to a steady beat. Maybe she's going mad. Somewhere above her the soft form of Petey is waiting.
Isobel
The phone on her desk lights up before Penny announces that her mother, Grace, is on the line.
'Ask her to wait,' she tells Penny, annoyed at the interruption.
These calls have a way of making her feel guilty and slightly unsettled.
So her mother waits, a flashing light, while I Isobel orders the papers on her desk.
'Belly?' she asks when Isobel finally picks up the phone.
Isobel stares out the window again as the sun retreats behind a cloud.
'Yeah, it's me, Mum.' She hopes her tone will hurry things along.
'I've tried calling a few times.... '
'Mmmm.' She doesn't want to explain again how busy work is.
'I've got news.'
Isobel readies herself for an update on her father's thriving tomato crop or the neighbor's recent lotto win. She puts her mother on speaker, places the reciever in it's cradle, and turns back to her desk to search a witness statement.
Her mother mentions something about her pancreas.
'Can't they give you medication for that? Isobel frowns, sure the statement was here a minute ago. 'Antibiotics?'
Silence.
Then: It's terminal, sweetheart.'
********
Small Blessings by Emily Brewin is a beautifully written, emotional story that will tug your heart strings.
Rosie and Isobel have very different lives. Or so it seems.
As the story unfolds, both woman are suddenly in a situation that makes them see their lives differently, forcing them both to look at their past.
Now, what matters most is what the future holds.
Eventually, it all comes down to perception.
Rosie
She turns slowly, remembering she'd promised herself he'd never frighten her again. The headlights of an approaching car illuminate the street. There's nothing. Every fiber in her body says he should be standing there, stony-faced and mean, but he's not.
'What do you want?' she screams into the dimness, fists clenched at the shadows. But she is alone.
The drumming in her chest slows back to a steady beat. Maybe she's going mad. Somewhere above her the soft form of Petey is waiting.
Isobel
The phone on her desk lights up before Penny announces that her mother, Grace, is on the line.
'Ask her to wait,' she tells Penny, annoyed at the interruption.
These calls have a way of making her feel guilty and slightly unsettled.
So her mother waits, a flashing light, while I Isobel orders the papers on her desk.
'Belly?' she asks when Isobel finally picks up the phone.
Isobel stares out the window again as the sun retreats behind a cloud.
'Yeah, it's me, Mum.' She hopes her tone will hurry things along.
'I've tried calling a few times.... '
'Mmmm.' She doesn't want to explain again how busy work is.
'I've got news.'
Isobel readies herself for an update on her father's thriving tomato crop or the neighbor's recent lotto win. She puts her mother on speaker, places the reciever in it's cradle, and turns back to her desk to search a witness statement.
Her mother mentions something about her pancreas.
'Can't they give you medication for that? Isobel frowns, sure the statement was here a minute ago. 'Antibiotics?'
Silence.
Then: It's terminal, sweetheart.'
********
Small Blessings by Emily Brewin is a beautifully written, emotional story that will tug your heart strings.
Rosie and Isobel have very different lives. Or so it seems.
As the story unfolds, both woman are suddenly in a situation that makes them see their lives differently, forcing them both to look at their past.
Now, what matters most is what the future holds.
Eventually, it all comes down to perception.
March 1, 2019
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Small Blessings is the second novel by author Emily Brewin. It is a book with a title that contained a great but subtle life lesson. In our busy modern lives, where we are trying to balance love, life, family and careers, it is often difficult to focus on the smaller details. Often we feel overwhelmed by the big picture. Small Blessings reminds us to pluck out those finer details, the minute happenings and celebrate the joy they provide us. A fragile and poignant novel about relationships, friendships, trust and emotion, this is a wonderful second novel from an author I admire, Emily Brewin.
Told through the eyes of two separate protagonists in alternating chapters, Small Blessings introduces the reader to Rosie Larson and Isobel Hutchins. These two women are chalk and cheese, in every aspect of their lives. Rosie is a true survivor. She left an abusive relationship and will do anything to protect her son from her ex, who has recently been released from jail. Rosie is trying hard to be a good mother, despite the challenges being a single parent with a child with special needs brings. On the flip side, Isobel is a career woman, she has devoted her life to her job. She is successful, powerful and affluent. But this achievement has come at a cost, Isobel has a faltering marriage and the recent news of her mother’s imminent death forces her to examine her difficult past. An unexpected set of circumstances arises, resulting in a fateful encounter between Isobel and Rosie. It is an experience that will change both women forever. A story of love and sacrifice, Small Blessings is a book that will both break and warm your heart.
Emily Brewin’s much anticipated second book, really is a blessing in disguise. This compact book manages to condense a number of emotive themes all within the one novel. Reflective, contemplative, relatable and life affirming, Small Blessings is a book that I consumed in less than twenty four hours.
Emily Brewin has taken two characters who are polar opposites. For much of the novel, I questioned how Rosie and Isobel would find a connection. But I needed to trust Brewin as she placed her characters in situations where we watch on as they both thrive and falter, as well as confront their difficult pasts. I found the leads, Isobel and Rosie, both hard to like, however, this does not mean that I am unable to understand their problems and issues. Part of the appeal of Small Blessings is simply how raw, honest, connective and relatable it is to life.
Small Blessings is a debatable read, I think there is plenty by the way of themes to raise. From parenting, infertility, infidelity, relationships, friendships, abuse, fear, reconciling the past with the present, trust, communication, protection, success, lifestyles and innocence. There is a real moral, social and emotional minefield that goes with Small Blessings, which is why I feel it would be the perfect book to discuss with others.
Small Blessings is a book that offers a compressed introspection into set characters that are flawed, but at the end of the day they are human. Life enriching and life affirming, add Small Blessings to your pile if you want to read a book that makes you feel more alive and grateful for the small gifts or blessings of everyday life.
*I wish to thank Allen & Unwin for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Small Blessings is book #38 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
Small Blessings is the second novel by author Emily Brewin. It is a book with a title that contained a great but subtle life lesson. In our busy modern lives, where we are trying to balance love, life, family and careers, it is often difficult to focus on the smaller details. Often we feel overwhelmed by the big picture. Small Blessings reminds us to pluck out those finer details, the minute happenings and celebrate the joy they provide us. A fragile and poignant novel about relationships, friendships, trust and emotion, this is a wonderful second novel from an author I admire, Emily Brewin.
Told through the eyes of two separate protagonists in alternating chapters, Small Blessings introduces the reader to Rosie Larson and Isobel Hutchins. These two women are chalk and cheese, in every aspect of their lives. Rosie is a true survivor. She left an abusive relationship and will do anything to protect her son from her ex, who has recently been released from jail. Rosie is trying hard to be a good mother, despite the challenges being a single parent with a child with special needs brings. On the flip side, Isobel is a career woman, she has devoted her life to her job. She is successful, powerful and affluent. But this achievement has come at a cost, Isobel has a faltering marriage and the recent news of her mother’s imminent death forces her to examine her difficult past. An unexpected set of circumstances arises, resulting in a fateful encounter between Isobel and Rosie. It is an experience that will change both women forever. A story of love and sacrifice, Small Blessings is a book that will both break and warm your heart.
Emily Brewin’s much anticipated second book, really is a blessing in disguise. This compact book manages to condense a number of emotive themes all within the one novel. Reflective, contemplative, relatable and life affirming, Small Blessings is a book that I consumed in less than twenty four hours.
Emily Brewin has taken two characters who are polar opposites. For much of the novel, I questioned how Rosie and Isobel would find a connection. But I needed to trust Brewin as she placed her characters in situations where we watch on as they both thrive and falter, as well as confront their difficult pasts. I found the leads, Isobel and Rosie, both hard to like, however, this does not mean that I am unable to understand their problems and issues. Part of the appeal of Small Blessings is simply how raw, honest, connective and relatable it is to life.
Small Blessings is a debatable read, I think there is plenty by the way of themes to raise. From parenting, infertility, infidelity, relationships, friendships, abuse, fear, reconciling the past with the present, trust, communication, protection, success, lifestyles and innocence. There is a real moral, social and emotional minefield that goes with Small Blessings, which is why I feel it would be the perfect book to discuss with others.
Small Blessings is a book that offers a compressed introspection into set characters that are flawed, but at the end of the day they are human. Life enriching and life affirming, add Small Blessings to your pile if you want to read a book that makes you feel more alive and grateful for the small gifts or blessings of everyday life.
*I wish to thank Allen & Unwin for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Small Blessings is book #38 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge
February 12, 2019
Small Blessings by Emily Brewin
When Rosie Larson found out that her violently abusive ex boyfriend Joel was out of jail she was understandably nervous, looking over her shoulder at every turn.
When she started to receive anonymous phone calls with no-one answering, she was doubly nervous because she just knew it was Joel.
Rosie has been single handedly raising her 10 year old son Petey, though she is grateful for the generous help of an elderly neighbour who looks after Petey before and after school while she works long hours in a grocery store. Without his help she would really struggle to make ends meet, she is trying to scrape together enough money to take Petey on a holiday.
Isobel Hutchins is a very successful lawyer who, much to the chagrin of her husband, put her career ahead of having children. Now she has reached a point in her life where she feels ready to start a family before it's too late. She convinces her now reluctant husband to start an IVF program in the hope of quickly falling pregnant.
Life however, is not that predictable, and when Isobel's mother calls her with the news she has terminal cancer, Isobel's world begins to slowly unravel as all her worlds begin to collide.
Fate also has another blow to deliver to Rosie, and it is in the midst of this crisis that she has a series of random encounters with Isobel Hutchins, who also appears to be lost in a world of her own confused and troubled mind.
It was through these random yet meaningful encounters that the two eventually formed an unlikely alliance which ultimately proves to be of great support to each of them in their time of need.
Small Blessings is a moving story about love, loss and friendship, even in the strangest of circumstances there is room for healing and emotional restitution.
4*s from me.
Many thanks to Allen & Unwin for providing this advance uncorrected copy for me to read and review.
When Rosie Larson found out that her violently abusive ex boyfriend Joel was out of jail she was understandably nervous, looking over her shoulder at every turn.
When she started to receive anonymous phone calls with no-one answering, she was doubly nervous because she just knew it was Joel.
Rosie has been single handedly raising her 10 year old son Petey, though she is grateful for the generous help of an elderly neighbour who looks after Petey before and after school while she works long hours in a grocery store. Without his help she would really struggle to make ends meet, she is trying to scrape together enough money to take Petey on a holiday.
Isobel Hutchins is a very successful lawyer who, much to the chagrin of her husband, put her career ahead of having children. Now she has reached a point in her life where she feels ready to start a family before it's too late. She convinces her now reluctant husband to start an IVF program in the hope of quickly falling pregnant.
Life however, is not that predictable, and when Isobel's mother calls her with the news she has terminal cancer, Isobel's world begins to slowly unravel as all her worlds begin to collide.
Fate also has another blow to deliver to Rosie, and it is in the midst of this crisis that she has a series of random encounters with Isobel Hutchins, who also appears to be lost in a world of her own confused and troubled mind.
It was through these random yet meaningful encounters that the two eventually formed an unlikely alliance which ultimately proves to be of great support to each of them in their time of need.
Small Blessings is a moving story about love, loss and friendship, even in the strangest of circumstances there is room for healing and emotional restitution.
4*s from me.
Many thanks to Allen & Unwin for providing this advance uncorrected copy for me to read and review.
March 27, 2019
I picked up this book with absolutely no expectations and was not disappointed. Isobel and Rosie could not be more different, yet both feel socially isolated and that they are missing out.
Rosie is a single mum, doing it hard but striving for a better life for her and her son Petey who has special needs. Isobel is a lawyer, who appears to have it all, but is now yearning for a child. She is somewhat ashamed of her working class background, and tries hard to distance herself from her family.
Both find themselves facing a great loss, it takes a while for their paths to cross, and it is a meeting that will make or break them.
Thanks Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof ARC to read for an honest review.
Rosie is a single mum, doing it hard but striving for a better life for her and her son Petey who has special needs. Isobel is a lawyer, who appears to have it all, but is now yearning for a child. She is somewhat ashamed of her working class background, and tries hard to distance herself from her family.
Both find themselves facing a great loss, it takes a while for their paths to cross, and it is a meeting that will make or break them.
Thanks Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof ARC to read for an honest review.
May 1, 2019
In similar style to a Diane Chamberlain novel, Small Blessings is told in alternate chapters between two voices Rosie & Isobel. Rosie has had quite a struggle to get where she is, now a single mother of an 11 year old and attending TAFE. Isobel, who seems to have a lot in life, has decided it’s time later in life to have a baby whilst caring for her drying Mum. Their lives come together and hence the title of Small Blessings – the situations help us to appreciate what we have in life. Although I enjoyed the story, I dropped a star because I found the characters, especially Isobel, so hard to like and connect with. A great read.
February 13, 2019
I really like Emily Brewin’s writing. She has a pared back, insightful and unflinchingly honest approach to her novels. The character development is strong and the emotional pull is tight. Small Blessings is not a very long novel, but a lot of themes are condensed into its short and powerful chapters. I read this novel in two sittings, and if I’d had the time, I would have read it in one. It’s that good, ‘un-put-down-able’.
‘Good and bad are just flip sides of a coin. She wouldn’t have Petey without Joel. Maybe life’s all about perspective, or hindsight.’
The novel is tagged on the cover as a story of unlikely friendship, which is a theme I really enjoy, although the further into the novel I got it seemed, given the short length of this novel, that this friendship was going to come too late in the story. I should have just trusted in Emily though, as of course, she has it timed to perfection. Rosie and Isobel are very different people whose paths would not normally have crossed. It was hard at first to envisage these two developing an acquaintance much less an actual meaningful friendship, but the power of this story lies in those connections we sometimes make as humans, the ones that aren’t orchestrated or forced or developed for personal gain. The ones that evolve out of meeting the right person at the right time with all other determining factors falling away.
‘She clutches the woman. Despite her slightness the woman half carries Rosie to the bench next to the playground then sits beside her. Petey is everywhere. She doesn’t want the woman to let go in case the broken pieces of her fly away. No one has held her like this for so long.’
I admired Rosie as a character and championed for her instantly but Isobel rested uneasy within me. She was not an overly likeable character, driven by her own goals and selfish really, somewhat conceited and standoffish, very judgemental. As her background unfolded, I came to understand her more thoroughly but that didn’t equate to liking her. I think elements of her reminded me of myself a little too much, if I’m honest, just in terms of origins and pathways chosen. It’s not easy to transition from working class into middle and/or upper. Being the first in your family to cross that divide and go to university and work on a whole different level to your parents involves a lot internal adjustment. You begin to move in different circles and experience life in different shades to what you ever have before. I still struggle to relate to my father at times. Uneasy lies the beast within, or something like that. Isobel struggled with the shame of her origins and guilt over feeling the shame, a cycle that had wound itself around her so tightly that she missed the opportunity to have the type of relationship with her mother that they both deserved. It was very grounding, emotionally, to bear witness to Isobel’s unravelling as she lost her mother for the last time. It becomes a bit of a catalyst for her, along with her fertility struggles, and she is forced into some heavy introspection prior to changing the direction of her life.
‘Her parents worked hard too. And what did they have to show for it? Definitely not a wardrobe full of designer clothes. No, they got two highly educated, very successful adult children instead, who didn’t want a bar of them.’
Small Blessings is a novel about real people living out real lives and it seemed to me that so many of the problems the characters experienced stemmed from a lack of communicating with each other. It also deals with some big issues ranging from domestic violence, infertility, prejudice against young single mothers, raising a child with special needs, drug addiction, cancer, and extra-marital affairs. Sounds like a long list and you might be reeling right now wondering if it’s all too much. It isn’t. It’s amazing. Emily Brewin is a rare talent, one of those authors that can tightly weave so many issues together into a novel that is truly fitting for our times. Small Blessings is an extremely accessible novel for readers of all tastes and I highly recommend it to all.
‘It comes out, a big angry gasp, as if she’s releasing something sickening into the air. It hurts like hell then feels like freedom, as if the words contain all the others that have been left unsaid for so long.’
Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of Small Blessings for review.
‘Good and bad are just flip sides of a coin. She wouldn’t have Petey without Joel. Maybe life’s all about perspective, or hindsight.’
The novel is tagged on the cover as a story of unlikely friendship, which is a theme I really enjoy, although the further into the novel I got it seemed, given the short length of this novel, that this friendship was going to come too late in the story. I should have just trusted in Emily though, as of course, she has it timed to perfection. Rosie and Isobel are very different people whose paths would not normally have crossed. It was hard at first to envisage these two developing an acquaintance much less an actual meaningful friendship, but the power of this story lies in those connections we sometimes make as humans, the ones that aren’t orchestrated or forced or developed for personal gain. The ones that evolve out of meeting the right person at the right time with all other determining factors falling away.
‘She clutches the woman. Despite her slightness the woman half carries Rosie to the bench next to the playground then sits beside her. Petey is everywhere. She doesn’t want the woman to let go in case the broken pieces of her fly away. No one has held her like this for so long.’
I admired Rosie as a character and championed for her instantly but Isobel rested uneasy within me. She was not an overly likeable character, driven by her own goals and selfish really, somewhat conceited and standoffish, very judgemental. As her background unfolded, I came to understand her more thoroughly but that didn’t equate to liking her. I think elements of her reminded me of myself a little too much, if I’m honest, just in terms of origins and pathways chosen. It’s not easy to transition from working class into middle and/or upper. Being the first in your family to cross that divide and go to university and work on a whole different level to your parents involves a lot internal adjustment. You begin to move in different circles and experience life in different shades to what you ever have before. I still struggle to relate to my father at times. Uneasy lies the beast within, or something like that. Isobel struggled with the shame of her origins and guilt over feeling the shame, a cycle that had wound itself around her so tightly that she missed the opportunity to have the type of relationship with her mother that they both deserved. It was very grounding, emotionally, to bear witness to Isobel’s unravelling as she lost her mother for the last time. It becomes a bit of a catalyst for her, along with her fertility struggles, and she is forced into some heavy introspection prior to changing the direction of her life.
‘Her parents worked hard too. And what did they have to show for it? Definitely not a wardrobe full of designer clothes. No, they got two highly educated, very successful adult children instead, who didn’t want a bar of them.’
Small Blessings is a novel about real people living out real lives and it seemed to me that so many of the problems the characters experienced stemmed from a lack of communicating with each other. It also deals with some big issues ranging from domestic violence, infertility, prejudice against young single mothers, raising a child with special needs, drug addiction, cancer, and extra-marital affairs. Sounds like a long list and you might be reeling right now wondering if it’s all too much. It isn’t. It’s amazing. Emily Brewin is a rare talent, one of those authors that can tightly weave so many issues together into a novel that is truly fitting for our times. Small Blessings is an extremely accessible novel for readers of all tastes and I highly recommend it to all.
‘It comes out, a big angry gasp, as if she’s releasing something sickening into the air. It hurts like hell then feels like freedom, as if the words contain all the others that have been left unsaid for so long.’
Thanks is extended to Allen and Unwin for providing me with a copy of Small Blessings for review.
December 23, 2018
Small Blessings is told in two voices; Rosie Larson and Isobel Hutchin. Rosie is trying to get her life back in order; she attends TAFE to finish her schooling and works part time at the local supermarket in order to provide a life different from her own upbringing for herself and her son Petey. Isobel appears lost in life, she takes some time off from work, hoping to fall pregnant and care for her dying mother. It’s when tragedy strikes both women that brings them together and reminds the reader to appreciate the small blessings in life.
February 12, 2019
In Small Blessings we meet two women who have totally different life styles and have both reached a crisis point in their lives.
Rosie is a single mum who works at the local supermarket while studying at TAFE to complete her high school education. She’s a former drug addict who has turned her life around for the sake of her son, Petey. Life’s a battle with juggling work, TAFE and caring for Petey, but it’s all worthwhile. In her most optimistic moments she dreams of the new life she and Petey will have one day. When she realises that Joel, Petey’s physically and psychologically abusive dad, has been released from gaol the fear from her old life begins to seep into her new life.
Isobel is a lawyer who has poured years of hard work into achieving her current level of success. She and her husband, Marcus, have a beautiful home and a lifestyle that includes all the trimmings they’ve earned with their prosperous careers. They don’t have children. Marcus has expressed an interest in starting a family in the past but the timing hasn’t been right for Isobel. Children would impact too greatly on the career she’s building. Isobel’s perspective on life changes when she learns her mother is dying.
Rosie and Isobel are both remarkably strong characters and, through chapters that alternate between the two, we discover their stories from childhood to present day and see how the past impacts on the challenges they each face in their current lives. While they both demonstrate great courage and determination we also see their flaws and vulnerability. The honesty in sharing the imperfections in both Rosie and Isobel’s characters and lives added a very human element to the story which I admired.
Small Blessings isn’t a particularly long book but I found it very powerful. Really, more a 4.5 star rating.
I was fortunate enough to win a copy of this book as part of a completion. My thanks to the publishers, Allen & Unwin, for their generosity in providing that opportunity.
Rosie is a single mum who works at the local supermarket while studying at TAFE to complete her high school education. She’s a former drug addict who has turned her life around for the sake of her son, Petey. Life’s a battle with juggling work, TAFE and caring for Petey, but it’s all worthwhile. In her most optimistic moments she dreams of the new life she and Petey will have one day. When she realises that Joel, Petey’s physically and psychologically abusive dad, has been released from gaol the fear from her old life begins to seep into her new life.
Isobel is a lawyer who has poured years of hard work into achieving her current level of success. She and her husband, Marcus, have a beautiful home and a lifestyle that includes all the trimmings they’ve earned with their prosperous careers. They don’t have children. Marcus has expressed an interest in starting a family in the past but the timing hasn’t been right for Isobel. Children would impact too greatly on the career she’s building. Isobel’s perspective on life changes when she learns her mother is dying.
Rosie and Isobel are both remarkably strong characters and, through chapters that alternate between the two, we discover their stories from childhood to present day and see how the past impacts on the challenges they each face in their current lives. While they both demonstrate great courage and determination we also see their flaws and vulnerability. The honesty in sharing the imperfections in both Rosie and Isobel’s characters and lives added a very human element to the story which I admired.
Small Blessings isn’t a particularly long book but I found it very powerful. Really, more a 4.5 star rating.
I was fortunate enough to win a copy of this book as part of a completion. My thanks to the publishers, Allen & Unwin, for their generosity in providing that opportunity.
May 24, 2019
I enjoyed reading this novel, the writing was engaging and I was interested in the story, but as others have found, I never really felt emotionally connected to it. I would have loved if it was a little longer and the characters were fleshed out more. I spent the first half of the book waiting for the characters to meet and when they did was confused about how and why that came about. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention.
I enjoyed it enough that I would try this author again. With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy.
I enjoyed it enough that I would try this author again. With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy.
January 17, 2019
Small Blessings is the story of Rosie, a single mother with an 11 year old son, juggles work and TAFE as she tries to make a life for them both. Isobel is married, working a high pressure job as a criminal defense lawyer, when she gets word her mother is terminally ill.
Two very different women who's lives intersect at a time when both need it most.
Each chapter alternates between the ladies and their stories, and jumps between memories and present day.
Look, it's quite a harsh, despondant sort of book. Both Rosie and Isobel have things in their past that they are struggling to move past. They are flawed, and those flaws are what make these characters so real. Rosie or Isobel could be any woman you see on the street.
It's not light reading, it's quite intense and would be triggering for some. Small Blessings is beautifully crafted though, an incredible study of motherhood and the ties that bind.
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Two very different women who's lives intersect at a time when both need it most.
Each chapter alternates between the ladies and their stories, and jumps between memories and present day.
Look, it's quite a harsh, despondant sort of book. Both Rosie and Isobel have things in their past that they are struggling to move past. They are flawed, and those flaws are what make these characters so real. Rosie or Isobel could be any woman you see on the street.
It's not light reading, it's quite intense and would be triggering for some. Small Blessings is beautifully crafted though, an incredible study of motherhood and the ties that bind.
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
December 31, 2018
Rosie is a single mum to Petey. She is trying to get her life back again by going to Tafe to better herself and give her son a brighter future. Rosie knows her ex boyfriend is due to be released from prison soon and is worried he wil track her down.
Isobel is careered driven and now her mother is dying and her time is running out for her to have children.
This story is told individually by each chapters told by Rosie and Isobel.
Although the blurb for the book says they strike up an unlikely friendship this isn't until towards the end of the novel when they meet.
I liked the novel and was turning the pages to see what happens next. I enjoyed reading this novel.
Thank you Allen & Unwin for the ARC.
Isobel is careered driven and now her mother is dying and her time is running out for her to have children.
This story is told individually by each chapters told by Rosie and Isobel.
Although the blurb for the book says they strike up an unlikely friendship this isn't until towards the end of the novel when they meet.
I liked the novel and was turning the pages to see what happens next. I enjoyed reading this novel.
Thank you Allen & Unwin for the ARC.
January 28, 2019
To say I was eagerly awaiting the release of Small Blessings is an understatement. Emily Brewin’s debut Hello, Goodbye still gives me good book feelings years later and after reading Small Blessings, I think it will have the same effect. This is a quietly powerful, more serious book but it packs no less of an emotional punch.
The story is told in alternate chapters from the point of view of Rosie and Isobel, who couldn’t be more different. Rosie is a single mum, struggling to finish Year 12, work and look after her autistic son Petey. Rosie’s also scared that her ex (and father of Petey) is going to hunt her down. Isobel is a lawyer at the top of her game with a lovely husband, house and all the trappings of wealth. But now her mum is dying and she wants a baby. Both Isobel and Rosie are scared. As their past is brought up to revisit them, they need to confront it instead of running away. For Rosie, this is complex. It involves a past that she has left behind but that may have had lasting effects on her beloved Petey. It goes back to her fractured relationship with her mother, one that is tenuous at best now. Isobel’s past also is influenced by her mother – what she was, but more importantly to teenage Isobel’s eyes, what she wasn’t. Isobel’s teenage years were coloured by the expectations of those she went to school with, and now she feels even more guilty for distancing herself from her working-class roots.
Small Blessings isn’t a huge book, but there is a lot to unpack beyond the words. Neither Rosie nor Isobel are particularly likeable characters but you can’t help but feel their pain, shame and embarrassment. They are relatable – who hasn’t felt shame at something they said or did? Or didn’t do? Both are running from a past that is shameful in their eyes but now the past is looming. Rosie is particularly ashamed of her poverty and that others find her worthless, even though she’s dug herself out of a huge hole. Isobel is guilty of this, using words to wound Rosie exactly where it hurts. Isobel is also very good at wounding herself, examining past decisions and finding herself at fault.
The supporting characters in the novel range from sweet (Petey and Rosie’s neighbour Mr Granthall) to downright obnoxious (Rosie’s mother Vera and Isobel’s brother Lachie). Some are very selfish, others attempting to do their best in their own way. The cast of characters is just what you’d expect to see throughout society, making the novel very realistic. The fact that Rosie and Isobel’s problems are internal also demonstrates that you can’t judge a person’s suffering by how they look or dress. As Isobel tells Rosie, she’s lucky even though Rosie thinks she’s sorely mistaken.
Small Blessings would be an excellent read for book clubs as there’s a lot to discuss from motherhood to the effect of teenage years on the adult. It’s an authentic representation of the struggles of moving past the past and accepting yourself as you are. I devoured this book but Rosie and Isobel will stay with me for much longer.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
The story is told in alternate chapters from the point of view of Rosie and Isobel, who couldn’t be more different. Rosie is a single mum, struggling to finish Year 12, work and look after her autistic son Petey. Rosie’s also scared that her ex (and father of Petey) is going to hunt her down. Isobel is a lawyer at the top of her game with a lovely husband, house and all the trappings of wealth. But now her mum is dying and she wants a baby. Both Isobel and Rosie are scared. As their past is brought up to revisit them, they need to confront it instead of running away. For Rosie, this is complex. It involves a past that she has left behind but that may have had lasting effects on her beloved Petey. It goes back to her fractured relationship with her mother, one that is tenuous at best now. Isobel’s past also is influenced by her mother – what she was, but more importantly to teenage Isobel’s eyes, what she wasn’t. Isobel’s teenage years were coloured by the expectations of those she went to school with, and now she feels even more guilty for distancing herself from her working-class roots.
Small Blessings isn’t a huge book, but there is a lot to unpack beyond the words. Neither Rosie nor Isobel are particularly likeable characters but you can’t help but feel their pain, shame and embarrassment. They are relatable – who hasn’t felt shame at something they said or did? Or didn’t do? Both are running from a past that is shameful in their eyes but now the past is looming. Rosie is particularly ashamed of her poverty and that others find her worthless, even though she’s dug herself out of a huge hole. Isobel is guilty of this, using words to wound Rosie exactly where it hurts. Isobel is also very good at wounding herself, examining past decisions and finding herself at fault.
The supporting characters in the novel range from sweet (Petey and Rosie’s neighbour Mr Granthall) to downright obnoxious (Rosie’s mother Vera and Isobel’s brother Lachie). Some are very selfish, others attempting to do their best in their own way. The cast of characters is just what you’d expect to see throughout society, making the novel very realistic. The fact that Rosie and Isobel’s problems are internal also demonstrates that you can’t judge a person’s suffering by how they look or dress. As Isobel tells Rosie, she’s lucky even though Rosie thinks she’s sorely mistaken.
Small Blessings would be an excellent read for book clubs as there’s a lot to discuss from motherhood to the effect of teenage years on the adult. It’s an authentic representation of the struggles of moving past the past and accepting yourself as you are. I devoured this book but Rosie and Isobel will stay with me for much longer.
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
March 1, 2019
I found Brewin's debut, Hello, Goodbye, very moving, so it's no surprise she's managed to leave me in tears again (the good sort, I promise) with her second novel, Small Blessings. Readers should note the story contains triggers for domestic violence, drug use and miscarriage.
Small Blessings tells the story of two women whose life circumstances seem radically different; successful lawyer and IVF hopeful Isobel, and former-junkie and mother Rosie. Both women face emotionally difficult situations as their worlds skirt against one another, and an unlikely friendship begins. We experience alternating, first-person chapters from both perspectives.
I adore novels that celebrate female friendship and Brewin's effort is a great contribution to this category. Rosie and Isobel's relationship is complex and fraught, but also serendipitous and genuine, with neither woman compromising who she is or what she believes in. This honesty of character is both empowering and refreshing, but also leaves room for them to grow. Isobel and Rosie both show great vulnerability too, making them relatable despite their diverse circumstances.
Both women are also given such rich backstories, including their relationships with their parents, which helps them pop off the page. I loved how naturally Australian they both are - you know or have seen women like both, but neither is a cliche or stereotype.
Brewin has a knack for drawing out reader empathy, and I had my heart in my throat more than once and Rosie verged on a terrible decision, or Isobel didn't act on yet another sign of her marriage deteriorating. By the end of the novel I truly cared about these women and their lives.
In addition to it's focus on female friendship, Small Blessings is also a novel about class. Isobel's rise into the upper middle class is in stark contrast to Rosie's poverty and struggle to better herself, illustrating the on-going impact of entrenched disadvantage. Brewin doesn't shy away from the darker face of this struggle, including drug use and domestic violence, but neither does she trivialise middle class concerns in Isobel's chapters.
Autism also comes under the spotlight. Rosie's son Petey is also portrayed with great sensitivity, and his autism isn't named until a fair way into the book, allowing readers to accept him for who he is. Neighbour Mr Grantham's kindness and thoughtful care of Petey is both heartwarming and instructive.
Brewin's underlying message is not to judge by appearances, and she conveys it cleverly throughout, bringing the reader along for the ride. It's a pleasure to watch a debut author mature and come into their stride, as Brewin has. A future Stella Prize contender.
I received a copy of Small Blessings from Allen and Unwin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Small Blessings tells the story of two women whose life circumstances seem radically different; successful lawyer and IVF hopeful Isobel, and former-junkie and mother Rosie. Both women face emotionally difficult situations as their worlds skirt against one another, and an unlikely friendship begins. We experience alternating, first-person chapters from both perspectives.
I adore novels that celebrate female friendship and Brewin's effort is a great contribution to this category. Rosie and Isobel's relationship is complex and fraught, but also serendipitous and genuine, with neither woman compromising who she is or what she believes in. This honesty of character is both empowering and refreshing, but also leaves room for them to grow. Isobel and Rosie both show great vulnerability too, making them relatable despite their diverse circumstances.
Both women are also given such rich backstories, including their relationships with their parents, which helps them pop off the page. I loved how naturally Australian they both are - you know or have seen women like both, but neither is a cliche or stereotype.
Brewin has a knack for drawing out reader empathy, and I had my heart in my throat more than once and Rosie verged on a terrible decision, or Isobel didn't act on yet another sign of her marriage deteriorating. By the end of the novel I truly cared about these women and their lives.
In addition to it's focus on female friendship, Small Blessings is also a novel about class. Isobel's rise into the upper middle class is in stark contrast to Rosie's poverty and struggle to better herself, illustrating the on-going impact of entrenched disadvantage. Brewin doesn't shy away from the darker face of this struggle, including drug use and domestic violence, but neither does she trivialise middle class concerns in Isobel's chapters.
Autism also comes under the spotlight. Rosie's son Petey is also portrayed with great sensitivity, and his autism isn't named until a fair way into the book, allowing readers to accept him for who he is. Neighbour Mr Grantham's kindness and thoughtful care of Petey is both heartwarming and instructive.
Brewin's underlying message is not to judge by appearances, and she conveys it cleverly throughout, bringing the reader along for the ride. It's a pleasure to watch a debut author mature and come into their stride, as Brewin has. A future Stella Prize contender.
I received a copy of Small Blessings from Allen and Unwin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Read
February 4, 2019SMALL BLESSINGS by Emily Brewin is published by Allen & Unwin 1 February 2019
Review by Lorraine Parker
Having just read Small Blessings it is very difficult to believe that this is Emily’s debut novel.
I am immediately gripped by her very first lines. “The night sky is spilt ink as she steps off the train. She stands for a moment and stares up at it. The station’s deserted, and for once in her life there’s a sense of space. It stretches out, a rubbery band, all round her.”
Beautiful eloquence such as this flows through the pages. Straight forward words that cast visions and paint an inkling about Rosie’s life.
I am so disappointed to leave Rosie and to meet Isobel in the second chapter. I cannot help but think, “yet another trendy book that requires immense concentration swapping from one character to the other” or, worse still, from one time to another. Wrong!
This book flows so smoothly between Rosie and Isobel using articulate stirring prose. I know exactly where I am, caught willingly in the pages of their lives. This is the story of two such contrasting women, both caught up in challenges of motherhood, relationships and the constraints of their past.
Rosie has a son Petey and works part time to support them both in a meagre flat. She attends TAFE and yearns to improve her education and gain a university qualification. Her drug filled past and emotional and physical punishment at the hands of Joel have left her often feeling inadequate as a mother to Petey. An immediate older neighbour, Mr. Granthall, and his dog Churchill, care for Petey before and after he goes to school. Petey loves this arrangement.
Isobel is a lawyer of some repute, she has planned her career meticulously. Isobel is married to Marcus and they have everything except a child. A phone call reveals her disregard for her mother but also brings shocking news. Her mother is terminally ill.
I hope that other readers will find Isobel’s reaction as bizarre as I did. She decides instantly to have IVF and subsequently goes on leave from her firm. Marcus receives both pieces of news with nonchalance but goes along with the IVF plan. He wanted a child some years ago. (Isobel also had a ‘fling’ some years ago).
Both stories running congruently in the present with snippets of their memories establishing empathy and intrigue and eventually a build-up of quiet tension.
Isobel’s story is a classic in parenting where poorer parents see the benefit of education and want more for their children than what they have had themselves. They had worked long hours for Isobel to attend a private school. As an adult Isobel is still keenly aware of her unhappy childhood and not belonging in her peer group.
The parenting of Rosie reveals a different scenario. One that establishes understanding and empathy for Rose. Vera, her mother, adds colour to the pages.
How do the paths of Rosie and Isobel come to cross? Petey will be the link as they eventually meet in the most understated, believable way, which neither will forget even though their chances of meeting again will be co-incidental but just as important.
I could not stop turning the pages of this remarkable, tender, heart-rending read. It can but touch all readers emotionally. It is an uplifting read of human fears, behaviour, generosity, perseverance, bonding and love.
Emily Brewin is an Australian author who has revealed so much talent as a writer. She is a natural and I will wait with anticipation for her next book.
Review by Lorraine Parker
Having just read Small Blessings it is very difficult to believe that this is Emily’s debut novel.
I am immediately gripped by her very first lines. “The night sky is spilt ink as she steps off the train. She stands for a moment and stares up at it. The station’s deserted, and for once in her life there’s a sense of space. It stretches out, a rubbery band, all round her.”
Beautiful eloquence such as this flows through the pages. Straight forward words that cast visions and paint an inkling about Rosie’s life.
I am so disappointed to leave Rosie and to meet Isobel in the second chapter. I cannot help but think, “yet another trendy book that requires immense concentration swapping from one character to the other” or, worse still, from one time to another. Wrong!
This book flows so smoothly between Rosie and Isobel using articulate stirring prose. I know exactly where I am, caught willingly in the pages of their lives. This is the story of two such contrasting women, both caught up in challenges of motherhood, relationships and the constraints of their past.
Rosie has a son Petey and works part time to support them both in a meagre flat. She attends TAFE and yearns to improve her education and gain a university qualification. Her drug filled past and emotional and physical punishment at the hands of Joel have left her often feeling inadequate as a mother to Petey. An immediate older neighbour, Mr. Granthall, and his dog Churchill, care for Petey before and after he goes to school. Petey loves this arrangement.
Isobel is a lawyer of some repute, she has planned her career meticulously. Isobel is married to Marcus and they have everything except a child. A phone call reveals her disregard for her mother but also brings shocking news. Her mother is terminally ill.
I hope that other readers will find Isobel’s reaction as bizarre as I did. She decides instantly to have IVF and subsequently goes on leave from her firm. Marcus receives both pieces of news with nonchalance but goes along with the IVF plan. He wanted a child some years ago. (Isobel also had a ‘fling’ some years ago).
Both stories running congruently in the present with snippets of their memories establishing empathy and intrigue and eventually a build-up of quiet tension.
Isobel’s story is a classic in parenting where poorer parents see the benefit of education and want more for their children than what they have had themselves. They had worked long hours for Isobel to attend a private school. As an adult Isobel is still keenly aware of her unhappy childhood and not belonging in her peer group.
The parenting of Rosie reveals a different scenario. One that establishes understanding and empathy for Rose. Vera, her mother, adds colour to the pages.
How do the paths of Rosie and Isobel come to cross? Petey will be the link as they eventually meet in the most understated, believable way, which neither will forget even though their chances of meeting again will be co-incidental but just as important.
I could not stop turning the pages of this remarkable, tender, heart-rending read. It can but touch all readers emotionally. It is an uplifting read of human fears, behaviour, generosity, perseverance, bonding and love.
Emily Brewin is an Australian author who has revealed so much talent as a writer. She is a natural and I will wait with anticipation for her next book.
June 1, 2019
Unfortunately, this was written from the perspectives of two different people, chapter by chapter, and this is my pet peeve. However, it was easy to follow, so I kept on reading :)
For about a third of the book, I thought it was set in London, till she mentioned visiting the Gold Coast...and I knew a girl in her position would never be thinking of flying to Australia - maybe I should take in more of the synopsis next time :)
It was a decent read - not the best I've ever read, but enough to make me want to know what the end would be.
For about a third of the book, I thought it was set in London, till she mentioned visiting the Gold Coast...and I knew a girl in her position would never be thinking of flying to Australia - maybe I should take in more of the synopsis next time :)
It was a decent read - not the best I've ever read, but enough to make me want to know what the end would be.
January 22, 2019
Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming Small Blessings is a quietly beautiful book about motherhood and sacrifice and family and survival.
Told in alternative chapters of the two main characters Isobel and Rosie, I felt a deep connection and sympathy for these two women and both their day-to-day and bigger-picture life problems.
Isobel is a career-driven lawyer resisting the idea of children until her mother announces she is dying of cancer changing Isobel’s whole perspective on life. And Rosie is a single mother raising a son with autism after dragging herself out of the gutters. These two women cross paths in a most unexpected way that ultimately benefits them both.
I had a huge soft spot for Mr Granthall and his dog Churchill and felt the story was so much more enhanced by their inclusion. I was less than thrilled with the characters of Marcus, Vera and Lachlan. But isn’t that the sign of great writing? That the author can stir up emotions about a character, good or bad may those emotions be.
This was an easy read and I am keen to read Hello, Goodbye and any other books Emily Brewin may publish.
Many thanks to @allenandunwin for this review copy.
Told in alternative chapters of the two main characters Isobel and Rosie, I felt a deep connection and sympathy for these two women and both their day-to-day and bigger-picture life problems.
Isobel is a career-driven lawyer resisting the idea of children until her mother announces she is dying of cancer changing Isobel’s whole perspective on life. And Rosie is a single mother raising a son with autism after dragging herself out of the gutters. These two women cross paths in a most unexpected way that ultimately benefits them both.
I had a huge soft spot for Mr Granthall and his dog Churchill and felt the story was so much more enhanced by their inclusion. I was less than thrilled with the characters of Marcus, Vera and Lachlan. But isn’t that the sign of great writing? That the author can stir up emotions about a character, good or bad may those emotions be.
This was an easy read and I am keen to read Hello, Goodbye and any other books Emily Brewin may publish.
Many thanks to @allenandunwin for this review copy.
March 13, 2019
Heartrenching story. Beautifully written. My first time reading Emily Brewin but won't be my last.
November 9, 2021
I really enjoyed this. Nothing ground breaking but the story was engaging and I'm a sucker for the device where each chapter is told from the perspective of two different characters- it really worked for me here. I hated one character and loved the other so I was eagerly turning the page to see what happened next. 3.5 stars.
April 16, 2019
Small Blessings is the second novel from Australian author Emily Brewin. It’s a story about two women: Rosie Larson, a former addict and single mother to an eleven-year-old boy, and Isobel Hutchins, a successful lawyer who appears to have it all. Rosie and Isobel’s lives could not be more different but when tragedy strikes and their worlds collide, they form an unlikely friendship and draw strength from one another.
This was such a raw, honest and moving story. Brewin’s pared back writing style is lovely and so easy to read. I found the characters to be very believable, even if they weren’t always likeable, and I loved the growth that both Rosie and Isobel experienced as the story progressed.
I received a free copy of this book from Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was such a raw, honest and moving story. Brewin’s pared back writing style is lovely and so easy to read. I found the characters to be very believable, even if they weren’t always likeable, and I loved the growth that both Rosie and Isobel experienced as the story progressed.
I received a free copy of this book from Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 16, 2019
The crossing of paths of two unlikely women leads to an interesting story. Isobel would appear to have it all and she doesn’t, Rosie hasn’t got much but she values what she has. This novel explores a variety of issues, motherhood, friendships, success, drugs and violence in a pared back way. The ending was a little abrupt, however, overall an enjoyable and entertaining read.
December 16, 2019
Gritty story of some sort of redemption, set in the divide between Melbournes West and It’s gentrified and/or lost children. Aspiration, things you lose amongst the things that may be gained and what good may emerge from hopelessness.
Found it thoroughly real and enjoyable.
Listened to as audiobook in RBdigital app.
Found it thoroughly real and enjoyable.
Listened to as audiobook in RBdigital app.
May 3, 2023
I’m sorry but what the hell did I just read
The concept and the characters were all really nice but I could not get into this book for the life of me, I was so unmotivated to read this book and I was just really dissatisfied I also feel like the whole book was really slow and then they got to the end and it all went down in the last 5 pages
The concept and the characters were all really nice but I could not get into this book for the life of me, I was so unmotivated to read this book and I was just really dissatisfied I also feel like the whole book was really slow and then they got to the end and it all went down in the last 5 pages
March 22, 2019
I liked this a lot. The characters of Rosie and Isobel are well drawn and empathetic. I mainly chose this book because of its stunning cover. I wasn’t expecting anything, but it really delivered. Engaging and sensitive, this modern Melbourne story could be read in one pleasant afternoon.
May 16, 2020
Engaging characters who grow on you as the story unfolds. I enjoyed the parallel plot and the way the book highlights that we all have our dramas, no matter what walking life we come from. Recognising and appreciating the small blessings is what gets us through.
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