A Lifetime of Impossible Days

by Tabitha Bird

A thoughtful, uplifting and magical story of childhood, family and finding ways to change the inevitable . . .

Meet Willa Waters, aged 8 . . . 33 . . . and 93.

On one impossible day in.

1965, eight-year-old Willa Waters receives a mysterious box containing a jar of water and the instruction: 'One ocean: plant in the backyard.' So she does - and somehow creates an extraordinary time-slip that allows her to visit her future selves.

On one impossible day in .

1990, Willa is 33 and a mother-of-two when her childhood self magically appears in her backyard. But she's also a woman haunted by memories of her dark past - and is on the brink of a decision that will have tragic repercussions . . .

On one impossible day in .

2050 Willa is a silver-haired, gumboot-loving 93-year-old whose memory is fading fast. Yet she knows there's something she has to remember, a warning she must give her past selves about a terrible event in 1990 . . . If only she could recall what it was.

Can the three Willas come together, to heal their past and save their future . . . before it's too late?

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Book Club, Time Travel, Australia, Audiobook

395 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2019

About the author

In a bayside suburb of Queensland, Australia, Tabitha Bird grew up in a garden. It wasn’t much of a garden, but she told stories to ferns and weeds alike and gave herself something to hope in that was bigger than she was. Eventually, she had to leave the garden and do responsible things like grow up. When her own children came along she read stories with gumption and wild joy and got to thinking that perhaps she had some of her own to tell. The first whispering of story she heard was from a forgotten child that lived in that long-ago garden. Together with her family she moved to Boonah, Australia, where her novel is set. Her Chihuahua, husband and three sons are all the reason she needs to believe there is still magic in this world. A LIFETIME OF IMPOSSIBLE DAYS is her first novel.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone said A Lifetime of Impossible Days is the author's debut novel. Really??? She must be wondering what she can write next to beat this. It is just beautiful.

The story tells the life of Willa, now 93 years old, beginning to be very forgetful and facing a most unwanted move to a nursing home. Her children - well there is a lot of confusion about them including where they are and even how many there are. Willa is definitely an unreliable narrator. However she has a notebook where she writes things which are facts and using this and her intermittent flashes of memory she visits and is visited by herself, at eight (Super Gumboots Willa) and in her thirties (Middle Willa).

Are you confused yet? I was, but it did not matter at all. The whole book is an enchanting chaotic piece of whimsy, and when the pressure is on for the younger Willas to change history I was reading so fast I kept missing bits and having to go back and read them again.

I loved it. Highly recommended!

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 heart-wrenching stars
This book grabbed my heart and squeezed until I couldn't breathe

Willa age 8 is a gumboot wearing, storytelling ball of energy. She is also the protector of her little sister Lottie

Willa age 33 is broken, a mother of two small boys, she scrubs and cleans until her home is spotless but still she feels worthless, a failure.

Willa age 93 is a gumboot wearing old lady full of sass and cheek. She is in the throes of dementia and keeps a notebook listing all the important things she must remember; like staying out of the nursing home.

A Lifetime of Impossible Days is the most heart-wrenching emotional read I have read in a long time. If you loved The Lost Girls by Jennifer Spence or Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer this book will resonate with you.

Super Gumboots Willa is a young girl who has spent her life feeling responsible for her sister and all her mistakes. Silver Willa is an old lady who is starting to lose her memory but she knows that there are things in her past that must be mended and only Middle Willa can do that.

This book is filled with heart-breaking moments and magical realism as the three Willas meet via a time shifting garden that is planted in their backyard. They come together to try desperately to heal the past and mend what is irreparably damaged.

Willa is 93 she needs to go back in time and stop herself from doing something that will change her life forever the only problem is she has dementia and she can’t remember what that thing is.

The story isn’t all heavy there are lots of laugh out loud moments with Willa’s dementia causing funny situations, she has quite some sass and is very cheeky.
Willa’s husband, Sam, and grandmother, Grammy, are the most wonderful supporting characters giving Willa unconditional love and support.

Allusions to child abuse, domestic violence and drug use.
*This review first appeared on Beauty & Lace Bookclub here

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★

After reading a review for this book I really liked the sound of it, although it’s not a genre that I enjoy reading. So I must confess when the author so kindly mailed me a copy of this book I was really worried and in fact I’d convinced myself I was not going to like it as I just can’t get into fantasy or magical realism stories. And then I put off reading this book for many weeks after receiving it, but I knew I needed to get it read so I could review it for the author and for other readers.

I’m pleased to report all that worry and concern was for nothing because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. To my surprise, I was hooked right from the beginning all the way to the very last page. Aussie author Tabitha Bird has done an extraordinary job in not only writing a fantastic story, but also taking the reader on a truly magical journey one you never want to end.

Willa Waters is a character who you will fall in love with right from the start just as I did. As we follow her through different stages of her life we begin to capture a clearer picture and a better understanding of who Willa is and what her life’s journey entailed. And what a fantastic journey it turned out to be.

Tabitha Bird has cleverly written a beautiful story with an equally beautiful cover which I have no doubt will be a best seller. I can’t await to see what she writes next, but whatever it is I’ll definitely be reading it. If you are looking for a book that will lead you on a magical journey unlike any other then do yourself a favour and read this book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.

[Tabitha Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I am the author so of course I've read it and can't wait for you to read it too!

I sincerely hope that readers embrace the Willas. They can't wait to meet you! They are very nervous, all three of them, but I have had a good talk to them all and we are mostly calm and ready to go. Oh, who are we kidding? We are all a ball of gumboot-tapping nervous energy, but so very keen to meet the readers none the less.

Eight-year-old Super gumboots Willa is especially excited. She's got her bravest red gumboots all shined up especially for the occasion. She's told everyone she knows including the milkman, the baker, the lady crossing the street, her little sister and especially her chihuahua that she HAS A BOOK COMING OUT!

Thirty-three-year-old Middle Willa is a bit anxious. She would be though. It's a big moment when you're telling such a vulnerable tale. She's bought three pairs of gumboots just to make sure she is extra brave and standing strong once the book is released.

Ninety-three-year-old Silver Willa is hoping you bought jam drops and will stay for at least one cup of tea. She might forget your name and drive you slightly batty, but she's hoping you'll have a bit of a giggle and settle in for a story. Boy has she got one to tell you! And at the end of it all maybe she's hoping you'll go find your own little boy or girl and see if they have anything they want to tell you. You know? That child you once were? Silver Willa thinks they might have the odd story themselves. The odd dream or fear or sadness or just a gentle reminder that perhaps you stopped playing somewhere along the way.

All the Willas wish you the very best and hope you'll come journey with them when A LIFETIME OF IMPOSSIBLE DAYS hits the shelves on June 4th 2019.
We can't wait!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, I have to say what a beautiful cover this book has! And how utterly enchanting the story is 😊

In 1965 Willa Waters was a precocious eight-year-old, trying to keep her four-year-old sister Lottie safe. In 1990 Willa Waters was a thirty-three-year-old mother of two with a loving husband – but this Willa couldn’t let go of the past that continued to hold her in its memories. And in 2050 Willa Waters was a ninety-three-year-old woman who was being taken over by dementia; didn’t want to go into the nursing home – and knew she had something to warn her younger self about. But could she remember what it was?

When eight-year-old Willa received a jar of water in the post with instructions to plant the ocean in the garden, she did just that. Under the mango tree in the back yard where the smells were suddenly of the ocean, the sounds were of the waves, and the sand was between her toes. But when she slipped through time to visit her 93-year-old self, and her 33-year-old self, well that was amaze-a-loo!

Could the three Willas change the past by coming together and helping each other with the future?

A Lifetime of Impossible Days is the debut novel by Aussie author Tabitha Bird, is set in Boonah, Queensland, and I loved it. Captivating, funny, sad, haunting, magical – a story of hope, family, loyalty and impossibilities. The three Willas – Super Gumboots Willa (8); Middle Willa (33) and Silver Willa (93) – were wonderful characters. Grammy with her special ways and her jam drops was a delight (the recipe is at the back) and Frog Dog the Chihuahua who was always by Willa’s side. A very special novel that I’ll always remember. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Penguin Random House AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5~5★
“You don’t have to be scared if you’re a man and you can stomp around. That’s why I’m Super Gumboots Willa, because with boots on my feet, my steps are bigger.”
1965 Willa Waters, aged 8

“Everywhere I look, the house has broken bits of my memories sticking up like bones under excavation.”
1990 Willa Waters, aged 33

“There are things to say. Very important things. Was it about the swings? Was it about a platypus? My mouth is chock-full of words and so few are making it out alive.”
2050 Willa Waters, aged 93

I loved this. It’s told as a time-slip or time-travel tale, but it could also be something like a multiple personality, because we all have our own inner child tucked away somewhere. In Willa’s case, the child was more than a vague memory stirring, she was real. And of course when she was 8, she couldn’t possibly have imagined her middle-aged and old self – could she?

Also, there are enough other people involved who either can or can’t see what she sees or know what she knows that we just have to accept that she’s discovered a kind of portal in the back yard to escape the abuse and fear of her childhood home. At eight, she has a little sister, Lottie, for whom she feels responsible.

“‘Lottie, I have to go. Pretend you are inside the bottom of a boat floating out to sea. Your special place. But you have to stay under the bed and be quiet. No matter what happens, okay?’”

She has learned how to tune out, to escape into her imagination, and it works so well that she sometimes has trouble knowing what is real and what isn’t. We have a pretty good idea of what’s going on, and I have to say that the author has divided the stories up so well that I was never confused about whose story it was. I did get confused about the house at one point, but she got confused too, so I was in good company.

I enjoyed the writing, the story, the style, and the tension. There were an awful lot of jam drops and cups of tea, tying things together, but that was what soothed her, and with good reason.

The best day of her young life was playing in the ocean at the beach with Grammy, who always baked jam drops, her remedy for any problem, so Willa’s escape was to that memory. An empty strawberry jam jar of water, poured onto the mango tree in the back yard didn’t make a mud puddle, it created an ocean for her.

“I decide that the ocean-garden will be a bit like a cubby hole. Somewhere we can run into and hide until all the steam in Daddy’s brains cools down.”

The author cleverly shows us how much the child understands, what the young mum remembers, and what the old lady tries to remember.

It has the love and warmth of The Time Traveler's Wife and some of the urgency of Stephen King's 11/22/63, but it’s very much Willa’s own, personal story. She was a feisty little girl, a troubled, but loving young mum, and a wonderful, scatty, but determined old lady.

It’s hard to believe it’s a debut. I wasn’t aware of any stumbles or the awkwardness that’s so often present in a first novel. A real delight.

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Jam drops, gumboots, a mango tree and a magic box containing a jar of water are just some of the objects that play an integral role in the Tabitha Bird’s debut novel, A Lifetime of Impossible Days. A book about life, love, family, memories, choices and chances, this magical novel will enchant you from beginning to end, as you come to embrace the three beautiful souls who define the very being of this novel.

Beginning in the year 1965, with an eight year old girl named Willa, life is a battle. Willa’s escape from the crisis that is constantly unfolding in her home is a box containing a simple jar of water. Willa makes sure she carefully follows the instructions set out to her via the box and somehow she manages to open up a time slip portal, welcoming in her future self. The concept seems unfathomable, but it happens again to Willa in the 1990s. Aged in her 30s, with a husband and children in tow, Willa can’t believe it at first when she confronts her eight year old self. Finally, in the year 2050, Willa is now a woman of the grand old age of 93. Her days are numbered, along with her fractured memories. A chance to give a prior warning to a significant event in her past drives Silver Willa. She must summon all the strength she can to help her past selves prevent this tragedy from occurring. A Lifetime of Impossible Days is about taking a leap of faith and salvation, in order to protect the passages of the past, present and future.

Now I have finished this absolutely spelling binding novel, which managed to work its way into my heart and soul, I’m still debating as to whether it was the best time to read this emotionally moving debut from Tabitha Bird. I recently suffered the loss of my Nanna and my last grandparent, who was almost the same age, save a year, as dear Silver Willa. I found I could relate to Silver Willa, there were so many traits that I saw in this character that were mirrored in my own Nanna’s life, especially towards the end. It was emotional at times to feel so connected to this character, especially after my recent loss. But at the same time, I was reminded of the good things about my Nanna and her life. It also helped me to understand a great deal about how Nanna’s fading memories towards the end of her life made her head hurt from trying to recall important key events. Silver Willa, the oldest version of Willa, experiences this very same feeling in the book. Bird covers the ageing aspect of her novel incredibly well, balancing sensitivity and insight, within an engaging narrative.

And then there is the 1965 storyline involving Willa as an eight year old girl. Although tough at times due to the content (domestic violence and abuse), I feel that Bird portrayed this chapter of Willa’s life with honest and brave detail. It may be hard for some readers to get through and it may induce an emotional reaction. Bird is mindful of the nature of what she is presenting, her words are courageous, refined and touching. She manages to bring the goodness and light out of tough times. There is a gentle delicacy to the writing in these areas of the novel that I appreciated very much. The sense of family, duty, loyalty and protection is strong. It will move any hardened reader to tears.

Middle Willa, aged in her 30s, is the Willa that I found I developed the strongest connection to. I think as a woman aged roughly around middle Willa’s age I was able to relate to her life circumstances. I had the cheer squad out for middle Willa, I wanted her to save the day, to reach into the future and protect the potential hurt from occurring. I also wanted middle Willa to save her family, marriage, sister and protect herself. There is a lot riding on middle Willa. I adored this time slip the most, thanks to some solid characterisation and powerful writing.

I have to admit that I was initially more than a little skeptical about how I was going to respond to this novel. Personal connections to the loss of my grandparent, who reminded so much of Silver Willa, resulted in some initial doubts. I was also apprehensive about the time slip aspect. As a realist, I tend to question the authenticity and mechanics of the whole time slip scenario. However, I make the exception A Lifetime of Impossible Days. I was able to overlook the whole time slip/fantasy and magical element of this novel. It lifted this book to great heights and I am so glad I was able to actively cast my doubts aside and come to the party!

A very rare book that captures the delicate cycle of life, A Lifetime of Impossible Days is a brave and bold novel from a talented new voice in Australian fiction.

On a lighter note, I feel inclined to pop an apron on and whip up a batch of those famous jam drops! Thanks for the recipe inclusion Tabitha Bird!

*I wish to thank Penguin Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.

A Lifetime of Impossible Days is book #88 of the 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a little bit of magic in the form of a time shifting ocean planted in the garden, we visit Willa at three stages of her life. First we meet 8 year old Super Gumboots Willa, then 93 year old Silver Willa, suffering dementia but still a fan of gumboots, then Middle Willa who is 33 and thinking of doing something drastic to ease her pain. Can the Willas together help each other to right some of the wrongs they have suffered over a lifetime?

Tabitha Bird has written a beautiful and enchanting story of permitting yourself to take second chances and fix the impossible. She handles the trauma that Willa experiences as a child with an abusive father with sensitivity and compassion and allows Willa's spirit and enthusiasm (so much is 'amaze-a-loo' to her) to shine through. Super Gumboot Willa is the most endearing of the Willas, so earnest, wanting only to be loved and trying her best to protect her younger sister, Lottie. Silver Willa is pretty special too, keeping a list of Things I am Sure of in her notebook (Item 2. 'Stay out of the Nursing Home') and giving her carer and daughter a hard time. Although it was a little confusing switching between the characters at first, once it became clear what was going on there was no difficulty jumping between characters and time lines with the help of a little magic realism. I loved Willa's Grammy who could cure any hurt with Jam Drops and a cup of tea, as well as Willa's little dog, Frog Dog who gave her unconditional love when she most needed it. A truly wonderful read and an amaze-a-loo debut novel. 4.5★

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr

**4.5 stars**

A Lifetime of Impossible Days by Tabitha Bird. (2019).

Willa is 8 in 1965 when she receives a mysterious box containing a jar of water and instructions: "one ocean: plant in the backyard". When she does, she creates a time slip to meet her future selves...
Willa is 33 in 1990 and a mother-of-two when her childhood self appears in her backyard. She's haunted by her dark past and on the brink of tragic decision...
Willa is 93 in 2050 and losing her memory. Yet she knows there's something she needs to remember, a warning to her past selves, if only she could recall...
Can the three Willas come together to heal their past and save their future before it's too late?

This book is both unusual and beautiful. Combining domestic drama with a fantasy element, I was captivated by the three Willas. It was a bit of a slow start for me in that it took me a little bit of time to get used to the narration style used (the story swaps between the different Willas' point of views both in their own timelines and when they visit each other). I would strongly recommend that you shut yourself away in a quiet place so you can fully appreciate what's going on in this story; I enjoyed it a lot more the times I was alone compared to the times other people were around me. There are some dark features to the story but they are crucial to the storyline and the feel of the story ends positively. I loved the inclusion of the jam drops recipe at the end and look forward to giving them a try (you'll have to read the book to find out why the jam drops are important!). I think this novel is an amazing debut for the author, and I look forward to seeing what's next.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I'm trying to think of something snarky to say to you, Katie. But at my age it might take a while and I haven't the time. Think of it yourself and pretend I said it.”

A Lifetime of Impossible Days is the first novel of Australian author, Tabitha Ann Bird. Impossible things keep happening to Willa Grace Waters. They are happening in 1965 to eight-year-old Willa in an ugly, leaky-roofed tin shack In Boonah where she lives with Mummy and Daddy and her little sister, Lottie.

They are happening in 1990 to thirty-three-year-old Willa in the brick house in north Brisbane where she is wife to wonderful Sam and mother of Eli and Sebastian.

And they are happening in 2050 to ninety-three-year-old Willa in the lovely old Queenslander in Boonah, from which several people seem intent on moving her. Willa is resisting: her memory may not be so good, but her notebook (Things I Am Sure of) tells her “stay out of the nursing home”.

The impossible things all seem to have something to do with an old strawberry jam jar with a dribble of greyish water in the bottom. It came through the Post in a soggy cardboard box with a card: “One ocean: plant in the backyard.”

What happens when (eight-year-old) Super Gumboots Willa plants the ocean under the mango tree (impossible, surely?) makes her believe there’s a way to save Lottie and Mummy from Daddy: not the Daddy who stands looking up at the stars, but the angry Daddy who shouts and hits and hurts.

In 1990 and 2050, each Willa is also planting an ocean in the backyard. A voice from the past means Middle Willa finally accepts the need to find her younger self; Silver Willa feels an urgency (she’s on borrowed time and can’t buy any more) to find Middle Willa and save her. That ocean in the backyard has a way of bringing the Willas together.

Bird’s portrayal of senile dementia is an insightful and sensitive one: Silver Willa’s thought processes and the utterances that ensue show just how poor memory, distraction, confusion and occasionally flawed logic can lead to seemingly meaningless sentences. Often, Silver Willa is simply, dementedly delightful:
“In my notebook I write:
13. Find something
14. Find something
15. Find something
16. Find something
17. Find something
She reads over my shoulder. ‘You've written “Find something” five or six times already.’
‘Fifty-six times? It must be important, then. Where would you go if you were a lost thing?’”
And to anyone who has filled the role of carer for an elderly, semi-demented loved one, Eden's reactions, her exasperation born of love and frustration, will seem entirely natural.

There’s so much magic in this book, so much fun: brightly-coloured gumboots, midnight teas, timeslips, scare-conquering stories, Chihuahuas with silly names, Viking forts under beds and jam drops (recipe provided!); there’s lots of laughter, but also tears and sadness; much bravery, kindness and love; many wise words.

This is a heart-warming story that asks: Can we change the past? If not, can we change how we handle it? If you could, what would you tell your younger self? What would you ask your older self? A marvellous debut novel from a talented author.

[Theresa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘We are all the ages we have ever been. We carry around our trauma. And if we have unfinished business at one of those ages we can’t move on to have a healthy adult life.’

A Lifetime of Impossible Days is a novel that has been popping up in my social media feeds with five stars ever since its release last week. It’s a story about childhood trauma, its lingering effects, and the possibility of healing. However, it tells this story in a very different and somewhat strangely wonderful manner. A Lifetime of Impossible Days is magical realism at its most fantastical. Think Alice in Wonderland (which is referenced within this story), throw in some time travel, and your mind might be ready for this adventure.

‘Your mother was grown and married to your father before I could see how little I knew about letting shame go and loving myself. Instead, I gave all these wounded lessons to your mother as a child and she in turn gave them to you. Oh, what a marvellous job we all do of passing brokenness down through the generations.’

As far as debuts go, this is an ambitious way to begin. The story of Willa Waters is a tough one, the trauma profound, and while Tabitha Bird applies a great deal of sensitivity and a lightness of hand to the descriptions, as adult readers, we can infer much from very little, and it’s fairly brutal. It has the potential to distress some readers, and I think this might have been worth adding into the description. It certainly went to spaces that I wasn’t anticipating. But it gives the reader an important message by the end: that the stain of trauma can’t be ignored. We need to put time and effort into healing, because suppressing it doesn’t allow a person to live the rest of their life in the manner that they deserve.

‘No child should take responsibility for saving their sister or the adults in their lives.’

The characterisation throughout the novel was strong. I liked each version of Willa, distinct within their age yet the sparks of them being three different versions of the same person was always present. Many of the supporting characters really shone too, particularly Eden and older Eli, whose consideration of their ailing mother was really touching and brought me to tears like nothing else within the book. And Sam, Willa’s husband, who was a wonderful man, one of the very best, along with Grammy, who was intuitive and supportive on so many levels. But excellent characterisation doesn’t always only have to apply to the good and likeable characters. Willa’s father, with his violence and menace, the manipulating victim blaming he would employ; his presence was insidious and the tension he brought to every scene he was in or mentioned in was extensive. And then there was Willa’s mother, a woman so engrossed in her own survival she was completely unable to care for her children, much less take measures to protect them. The volatility of her own existence manifested itself in violent and defensive episodes directed at Willa. She was a very complex character and I can say from experience that she was well crafted.
In terms of the magic, it’s quite out there, so you really do need to just let go and get lost in the fiction of it all. The time travel within this story is more fantasy that science fiction, the portal involving an ocean that comes in a jar that transforms a backyard into a beach around an old mango tree. There are also some pretty out there notions of houses transforming and people’s lives relocating to whole other towns which leads one of the versions of Willa to wonder if she’s completely lost her mind – I felt intensely sorry for her at this point within the story, as if she didn’t have enough to worry about! It took me almost half of the novel to wrap my head around this magical side of the story, mostly because I was trying to analyse the science of it, and it also seemed to be breaking a few ‘rules of time travel’. Don’t be like this. From the first page, just let go and try not to think about it all too deeply. In many ways, this is refreshing. We are so used to novels that are almost trying to emulate real life to the nth degree. We need more novels that are creative in form and genre, that tell important stories within alternate contexts. So, ambitious it might be, but Tabitha Bird has really pulled it off. Before signing off on this review, I must make mention of the whimsical illustrations that adorn the cover and appear throughout the book. These are not just for decoration. As you progress through the story, the presence of the illustrations will take on greater meaning. This is a brilliant debut: highly creative and visionary in its execution.

‘I think the ocean has done what it was meant to do. It brought me together with my younger and older selves to bring our shame into the light, to show me how to trust our story and begin to heal.’


Thanks is extended to Penguin Random House Australia for providing me with a copy of A Lifetime of Impossible Days for review.

[Lisa Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some writers can really make fabulous reality work and i felt very immersed in this story, only occasionally champing at the bit, "come-on, come-on, get on with it!". But that was mainly because I knew what was to come, partly, and I wanted them to get on with it and make the wrongs right.
This book was one of those that leave you feeling good that it happened to cross your path and move from a TBR to a Read. I think that for some of us, there is also a thing or two to be learned from its' reading.
A Goodreads glitch wouldn't allow me to mark it as such, but, listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator did a wonderful job.

[Claire Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished a story that has touched my heart and soul so deeply. I cried bucket loads for nearly half the book, and I can't stop crying. It's not all sad crying, there's healing in these tears, healing, happiness and hope. I moved from one emotion to the next, on to the next, and found I couldn't and didn't want to put the book down.

"Grammy doesn't wipe my face, but she moves her chair closer. She says you shouldn't wipe people's tears away because they have the right to cry them. Instead you should sit beside them so they don't have to cry alone." 

I'm not sure I've ever read a book that touched me so much, and that's saying something because I've read a lot of books. This was an incredibly powerful story, incredibly written and inspired and brave. This book has some amazing lines and words to live by. Grammy and Silver Willa have some of the best things to pass on to us.

"Believing impossible stuff is the start of how we make it possible."

Three Willa's, aged 8, 33 & 93. Three Willa's who have lived through trauma, and are all still dealing with that trauma at different stages of their lives. It's a story of magic, magic from a jar with an ocean inside and magic from within, magic we aren't always aware we have inside us.

I fell in love with 93-year-old Silver Willa from the first page, with her fabulous gumboots and her fading memories. She's such a character and has some wonderful lines, all the while trying to remember some very important things that she writes in her notebook. Willa is on a mission, when she can remember that is.

"Ninety-three is the kind of age that has infinite potential to shock and annoy people. I'm fabulously old enough to wear red with purple, spots with stripes. To say whatever flitters into my head and pretend I haven't the faintest clue why people are huffing and puffing. To need sensible shoes and then turn around and buy yellow gumboots."

Middle Willa was the hardest character for me to like to begin with, but she definitely left her mark on my heart by the end of it. Middle Willa is still trying to deal with her childhood trauma and it is a struggle to do this. Middle Willa's two children are great, especially Eli who can see the magic that happens with the house and the ocean in the garden that comes from a jar.

8-year-old Super Gumboots Willa is a child full of potential and imagination, who uses her stories to survive those things that are too hard to remember. This small girl has a huge heart and is so full of a mix of emotions.

We travel through this story, uncovering the past and the present from the three Willa's viewpoints. At times heartbreaking and at others life-affirming, the journey is one that will stay with me.

"I'm going to tell you something. It took me too long to deal with the hurt my father caused me. Your mother was grown and married to your father before I could see how little I knew about letting Shane go and loving myself. Instead, I gave all these wounded lessons to your mother as a child and she in turn gave them to you. Oh, what a marvellous job we all do of passing brokenness down through the generations. Maybe you don't want to keep that particular tradition? "

I do want to say there are some definite triggers in this novel, so just be aware when you are picking it up.

A wonderfully brave and powerful story that I can't recommend enough. Thank you to Tabitha Bird and Penguin Books Australia for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lifetime of Impossible Days is an impossibly enchanting debut from Tabitha Bird.

Silver Willa is 93 when she insists that her carer takes her into town on the first of June 2050 to post two Very Important Boxes.
Middle Willa is 33 years old when she receives a collection slip from the post office that she has every intention of ignoring.
Super Gumboots Willa is 8 years old when she finds a battered box, inside is a jar of water, accompanied by a note that says: 'One ocean: plant in the backyard.', which she does, while wishing for the impossible.

“Here’s what I know about impossible things. We can’t command them, but we can allow space for them in our minds.”

When the impossible happens, Super Gumboot Willa hopes it is an opportunity to save herself, and her younger sister, Lottie. Middle Willa refuses to acknowledge that the impossible offers any chance of change. Silver Willa remembers only that the impossible is her only hope.

This is a compassionate, emotional journey of tragedy, trauma, loss, love, forgiveness, and hope. I was moved to tears more than once by A Lifetime of Impossible Days. Though sensitively handled, the pain of Willa’s experiences are at times overwhelming as Bird explores the experience of family violence and abuse, and it’s lasting repercussions. Yet those tears also came when the Willa’s achieved the seemingly impossible, for their courage, and strength.

“Because I know one thing, Willa. We are all the ages we have ever been. We carry around our trauma. And if we have unfinished business at one of those ages we can’t move on to have a healthy adult life.”

Beautifully crafted, the past, present and future are deftly woven together, a strand at a time, ensuring the impossible makes sense. It requires an extraordinary imagination to write such a complex story, though thankfully only an ordinary one to appreciate it.

“We’re all stories, Willa. How else do you tell a story if you don’t make it all up? Sometimes, when everything seems lost, you just have to keep making stuff up”

A whimsical, heart-rending, and insightful novel, i was captivated by Willa’s journey. Amaze-a-loo, Tabitha Bird.

[marlin1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness this is such is beautiful book full of hope, redemption and learning to love yourself.

The synopsis covers this book perfectly and the alternating chapters of the three Willa’s: Super Gumboots Willa age 8, Middle Willa age 33, and Silver Willa age 90, work seamlessly together.
At first I wondered where the story was going and how it would work but about a third of the way through something clicked. I imagined layer upon layer of story, with each chapter revealing a new snippet, so at the end we have the whole picture. A few times I felt myself become a little emotional as I went on the Willas’ journey.
Go into this story with an open mind, be ready to suspend belief but yet believe....because it’s okay to believe in impossible things!
I also must mention the lovely cover and many times when I came to the start of a chapter I wanted to take my colouring pencils to the wonderful line drawings and of course for the Jam Drop recipe in the back.
Thank you to the author for giving me a copy to read, it was a wonderful experience.

[Jülie ☼♄  · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willa’s courage is inspirational!

*Abbe Holmes has done an amazing job of portraying all of the characters in this incredible story.

After reading the book a couple of years ago I thought my review had gone missing..or had I not posted one?
Now, after listening to the audio version of A Lifetime of Impossible Days (brilliantly delivered by Abbe Holmes) I realize that I never did finish that review, not because I didn’t want to…but because I couldn’t.
I’m still finding it so incredibly hard to write a review for this amazing, heart rending story…it is just so poignant, yet amazingly suffused with hope and love.
It’s like a soul laid bare.
I think that listening to this story being told through Willa gave it a whole new dimension that drove it home more deeply…and words just fail me!

How did you do that Tabitha Bird?❣️

A truly brilliant portrayal, I really am speechless!…..and I want to *Hug* Willa❣️

6⭐️✨❣️ Six stars out of five!

[Pauline Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review by Pauline Reid 💧 a lifetime of impossible days by Tabitha Bird
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Genre - Fantasy Fiction/ Magical Realism
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What Is This Book About?
Where are we? We are in a town called, Boonah, Australia.
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Chapter 1 - we look at an old lady called, Willa, a grand age of 93, we get a sense that this lady has alzheimers, or something like it, she is away with the fairies, certainly not there and Katie, who I assume is her caregiver, a totally grumpy one at that, that has no sense of humour and hasn't any patience. Me, as the reader is wondering why on earth was this Katie even employed, its unreal!!
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Chapter 2 jumps to Willa at the age of 8, a typical child of this age, who loves lollies like cherry ripes 'n' stuff, but something is not right with her family. Me as the reader is finding it hard to find out what the hell the mystery is behind the box, the sand and the water 🤷‍♀️ .
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Chapter 3 is Willa at 33, her Dad, a curse, a troubled sister and here she is trying to put things right, as well as getting jolted every now and again about her childhood ...... and this sets the structure of the 3 Willas at different ages, going from one to the other, each chapter.
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My Thoughts On This Book.
Firstly I won this book as a Giveaway on Instagram.
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Well holy pistachio nuts, with pavlova, cream and strawberries!!! What did I just read!!??? I feel I've gone through the gorsebush, backwards, this book is quite remarkable .... and the author? I applaud her determination, and admire her on broaching such a subject as this.
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This book is cleverly written not to offend. It took me a while to "get it" infact it wasn't until just after halfway when I read, (and I quote) ... "Maybe the question is, what could a little girl and an old lady show you that might help you make important choices for your life?" .... did I "get it". Because this isn't done in a contemporary style, I wouldn't be surprised if some pick this book up and won't "get it".
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I was so mesmerised by the illustrations in this book, it reminded me of those colour me books, you could easily colour these in. The main character in question is in such a mess! Her life, her parents, her as a child, because of the way she was treated. Willa at the age 33, is just as bad, totally insane and not stable in the head and by the time we, as readers, read Willa at the age of 93, she is totally bonkers, and off her rocker!! Then you think, there is no surprises there, considering what her life was like. To top it all off, I discover, or maybe it was a ding dong moment, as I never picked it up before, that Lottie, Willas sister, is a drug addict, so this book also comes into play on how Willas sister is totally messed up as well. A total dysfunctional family.
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Quotes I loved are
"Mummy is flapping her arms, her face looking more and more like Grammys pickled beets."
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"Fold yourself and put your heart away"
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You don't need alarm clocks in Australia, only trees with birds.
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The lorikeets gather in the trees as the sun sets, squawking like they own the afternoon.
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Warning, Triggers - ❌ This book deals with self harm, drugs, and alcoholism, abuse to children.
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Rating System
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
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Recommendation
You would have to be of a sound mind to read this one and would suit anyone into fiction fantasy, magical realism, and anyone who isn't overly sensitive on sensitive issues.

[Kylie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard so many good things about this book and was intrigued to finally read it.
The story is based on three Willa's that find themselves in a time loop, so Willa at 8, 33 and 93 years old can all see each other.
Although the book is told with a lot of humour there is quite a dark thread of implied abuse and descriptions of domestic violence.
So much has already been said about this, it is a wonderful uplifting story by a very talented author.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I'm trying to think of something snarky to say to you, Katie. But at my age it might take a while and I haven't the time. Think of it yourself and pretend I said it.”

A Lifetime of Impossible Days is the first novel of Australian author, Tabitha Ann Bird. The audio version is narrated by Abbe Holmes. Impossible things keep happening to Willa Grace Waters. They are happening in 1965 to eight-year-old Willa in an ugly, leaky-roofed tin shack In Boonah where she lives with Mummy and Daddy and her little sister, Lottie.

They are happening in 1990 to thirty-three-year-old Willa in the brick house in north Brisbane where she is wife to wonderful Sam and mother of Eli and Sebastian.

And they are happening in 2050 to ninety-three-year-old Willa in the lovely old Queenslander in Boonah, from which several people seem intent on moving her. Willa is resisting: her memory may not be so good, but her notebook (Things I Am Sure of) tells her “stay out of the nursing home”.

The impossible things all seem to have something to do with an old strawberry jam jar with a dribble of greyish water in the bottom. It came through the Post in a soggy cardboard box with a card: “One ocean: plant in the backyard.”

What happens when (eight-year-old) Super Gumboots Willa plants the ocean under the mango tree (impossible, surely?) makes her believe there’s a way to save Lottie and Mummy from Daddy: not the Daddy who stands looking up at the stars, but the angry Daddy who shouts and hits and hurts.

In 1990 and 2050, each Willa is also planting an ocean in the backyard. A voice from the past means Middle Willa finally accepts the need to find her younger self; Silver Willa feels an urgency (she’s on borrowed time and can’t buy any more) to find Middle Willa and save her. That ocean in the backyard has a way of bringing the Willas together.

Bird’s portrayal of senile dementia is an insightful and sensitive one: Silver Willa’s thought processes and the utterances that ensue show just how poor memory, distraction, confusion and occasionally flawed logic can lead to seemingly meaningless sentences. Often, Silver Willa is simply, dementedly delightful:
“In my notebook I write:
13. Find something
14. Find something
15. Find something
16. Find something
17. Find something
She reads over my shoulder. ‘You've written “Find something” five or six times already.’
‘Fifty-six times? It must be important, then. Where would you go if you were a lost thing?’”
And to anyone who has filled the role of carer for an elderly, semi-demented loved one, Eden's reactions, her exasperation born of love and frustration, will seem entirely natural.

There’s so much magic in this book, so much fun: brightly-coloured gumboots, midnight teas, timeslips, scare-conquering stories, Chihuahuas with silly names, Viking forts under beds and jam drops (recipe provided!); there’s lots of laughter, but also tears and sadness; much bravery, kindness and love; many wise words.

This is a heart-warming story that asks: Can we change the past? If not, can we change how we handle it? If you could, what would you tell your younger self? What would you ask your older self? A marvellous debut novel from a talented author.

[Stephen Kerwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting for A Lifetime Of Impossible Days to be released ever since I first heard about it. I know the author, Tabitha Bird, as we both live in the same town the book is set in. In the past, I’ve visited Tabitha’s web page and read her blog. It was through this blog that I got a sense of her talent in putting words together and through these words, I felt the abuse and trauma that have visited her during her lifetime, but also the love she has for her family and the strength of character that helped her become the woman she is today.

Tabitha intrigued me and I wondered what sort of a picture she would paint through her words. So as soon as her novel was released, I grabbed a copy and settled in to read it. There were no surprises, it is a moving and thought provoking story.

In the first chapter, we meet Silver Willa, a 93 year old woman suffering from the ravages of dementia. We are lulled into thinking this book is as its blurb suggests - a fantasy story, of make believe and magic.

The second chapter introduces Super Gumboots Willa, an eight year old girl whose world is about to come crashing down on her. At this stage, there are only hints of the violence that is to come.

And then in the third chapter, we are introduced to the third Willa. Middle Willa is broken, she is worn down and numb. She lives in a sterile environment where everything is ordered, where the past isn’t allowed in and therefore can’t get to her.

The novel quickly turns bleak. It becomes a story of shame, of devastation and pain. The images of domestic violence and sexual abuse are raw. While the actual events are not described in detail, the reader is left in no doubt at the pain experienced and the just plain wrongness of it all.

This is a story of forgiveness. Not forgiving others, but the forgiveness of self. The vehicle Bird uses to accomplish this is through the three Willas with each one bringing a different perspective to the story. The three clash but it quickly becomes apparent that they need to be able to work together to achieve what they have to achieve. They can only do this by forgiveness and acceptance of each other and therefore, of themselves.

The concept of time travel works well here. While it is something fully acceptable in a fantasy story, it is also believable as a tool a person may use to deal with past trauma, as they visit their past in their own minds.

I found the ages of the Willas interesting. If you look at their ages of 8, 33 and 93, they could be from three generations out of four. The missing generation is a woman in her sixties. The role of a grandmother is important in this story, as a source of wisdom, of comfort and of strength. So in the Willas, you have Willa who needs to heal, Child Willa who experiences abuse first hand. and the wisdom of Grandmother Willa. The missing generation is Mother Willa. I think this reflects Willa’s own mother who is in denial, who refuses to see past her own insecurities and thus fails to stop the abuse of her daughters.

I read in another review that if you have experienced abuse yourself, then maybe you shouldn’t read this novel unless you have a friend close to hand. I can understand this as Bird is able to make you feel the shame and guilt, the self loathing and worthlessness that these victims suffer. For a large part of the novel, a sense of dread and hopelessness pervades.

This isn’t a bad thing, it allows the reader to feel and to understand and I think it was very well done.

For example, I was able to understand an abused person finds it hard if not impossible to give themselves fully to another person. They hold something back because they know that sooner or later the other person will hurt them and if they hold something back, they can regrow from that something. It made me think of Lord Voldemort of Harry Potter fame ensuring his survival by stashing away parts of himself as horcruxes. Although maybe that’s not a good comparison, a horcrux can only be created after committing the supreme act of evil, a murder, and the Willas are not evil.

Self harming is mentioned and here Bird makes the reader understand that this is a way for Willa to convert uncontrollable and unbearable pain into something physical and therefore something she can control.

The reader is able to emphasise and while this is disturbing, it makes you feel the novel. The issues discussed here are things that the wider community often don’t get when it comes to mental health and domestic abuse. Awareness of these issues need to be much more prevalent in our society.

So through the three Willas - Super Gumboots Willa wearing red and brave gumboots and who is a fighter, Silver Willa wearing yellow and fabulous gumboots and is a caring grandmotherly figure, able to fix things with the right words and hugs and finally lost Middle Willa who wears no gumboots at all - we come to understand acceptance and forgiveness.

This is Tabitha’s debut novel and I’m impressed. I am already hanging out for her next one to be released.

[Hiba · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are certain books that open their way to your most vulnerable parts first with words that cut like daggers but leave no trace, and then with words that soften your soul and flow as light as cotton.

Three Willas, three years, one life, and two versions of the same story. What would Willa be without her childhood trauma? What would Willa be if she had kept bottling the memories and forcing them into the corners of her mind and the folds of her heart.

I am not usually one for magical realism, but in Willa's story, I liked to believe that magical oceans that can be stored in strawberry jam jars can fix things, even the most hard ones to mend. It is with the force of gumboots, jam drops, ocean waves, and sunny days fit for a lunch of greasy fish and chips that the course of Willa's life changes and she purges her closet of its monsters, small scurrying filthy monsters that loomed over her life, shadowing her from ever seeing the truth, her truth.

Tabitha Bird did an amazing job on Willa's character, and the way the story unfolded was even more magical than the element of magical realism that was so infinitely beautifully executed. I told you, debut novels can be absolutely mind-blowing, soul-shattering, but also work as a balm that mends even the nastiest cuts.

[Cass Moriarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every so often, a book comes along that reaffirms the glory and beauty of life. Tabitha Bird has gifted us this wonder in the pages of her debut novel, A Lifetime of Impossible Days (Penguin Random House 2019). This story is a fantastical mix of literary fiction and magical realism. As readers, we are asked to suspend our disbelief from the very first pages as we embark on a journey that is both deeply rooted in trauma but also firmly attached to the healing power of love, truth and self-forgiveness. Part of the dedication reads: ‘… to anyone with wounds; may you have the ocean. They say salt heals.’ And this sets us up for what is indeed a troubling exploration of guilt, abuse and regret, but which is ultimately lifted up by hope, imagination, adventure and atonement.
In this book, we meet Willa Waters at three stages of her life: aged eight (‘Super Gumboots Willa’), aged 33 (‘Middle Willa’) and aged 93 (‘Silver Willa’). The chapters are narrated in first person and alternate between 1965 as told by Super Gumboots Willa, 1990 described by Willa as a young mother with two children, and 2050 by an aging Willa who at first seems to be suffering from senile dementia, although our view of this changes and distorts as the story progresses.
At one point, Willa’s own Grammy tells her: ‘I think I’m still making myself up. We’re all stories, Willa. How else do you tell a story if you don’t make it up? Sometimes, when everything else seems lost, you simply have to keep inventing.’
On the first of the impossible days of the title, eight-year-old Willa receives a box containing a jar of water with the instructions: ‘One ocean: plant in the backyard.’ And so she does, creating a mysterious ocean-garden that allows her to slip forwards in time to visit her future selves. Could it be that the significant trauma of her childhood has untethered her from reality? Is her mind reacting to stress by the creation of an imaginary world? Or is it really happening? As readers, we are never quite sure. Tabitha Bird shifts so seamlessly from the real to the imagined, from entrapment to escape, that it is only a few chapters in to the story before we, too, are moving freely between what actually happened to what might have happened, from the believability of truth to the impossibility of fiction.
As a young mother struggling to deal with childhood trauma never adequately dealt with (and a sister that she feels she failed to save), 33-year-old Willa has another impossible day and is about to make a decision that will have even more tragic consequences for her past and future selves. And on an impossible day in 2050, colourful, gum-boot wearing, jam-drop eating Willa is facing the loss of her memory and her imminent move to a nursing home by her estranged family, yet she has a feeling that somewhere, underneath the pain and the forgetting, she knows something important that will change the course of her life, if only she can warn her past selves.
Each of the Willas speaks in her own distinct voice, although the character of Willa beats strongly throughout, so that we recognise her as the same person, despite her differing ages and circumstances. The vulnerability and innocence of young Willa is as endearing as the struggle of adult Willa to make difficult choices, as is the frustration of Silver Willa as she tries to remember what is important, to cope with the inequities of age and the burden of an impossible life.
This is a novel of childlike wonder and optimism, run through with a dark seam of secrets. It is a book to be read by completely letting go – like riding a pushbike downhill with no hands, the wind streaming through your hair and the thrill of adventure beside you. A book in which to completely immerse yourself, allowing all your preconceived ideas and beliefs to float away as you enter a parallel universe that is simultaneously impossible to conceptualise but also feels authentic and true. It is a metaphorical and allegorical tale about growing up, becoming brave and believing in yourself. The book’s darker themes of abuse and the repercussions that untreated or unaddressed trauma can have on a person’s life are explored with great sensitivity and a whimsical flare. The story also navigates growing older, the complicated ties of family loyalties, the reverberations of past mistakes, the idealistic imagination of childhood and perhaps most of all, the vital importance of being kind to yourself: forgiving your past child self, understanding your conflicted adult self, and being gentle and generous to your older self. This is a book of impossible days that become possible, of troubled lives that become healed, and of imagined stories that become reality.

[Calzean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure what genre this is...time travelling, fantasy, pure literature or just unique. There is one element of fantasy - the 93 yo Willa posts two parcels via the Post Office and they both arrive to the correct address on the right day; to think Australia Post is that efficient is pure fantasy.
The author is a story teller. She tells of a young 8 year old Willa who tells stories to her sister in an attempt to block out the violence and abuse of her father. She tells of a 93 yo Willa who posts two parcels but can't remember why. She tells of a broken 33 yo Willa dealing with the past and regretting her choices.
The story is about having the courage to deal with past trauma and decisions to enable a life to be enjoyed. It's brutal at times, quirky in places and generally a quiet impressive story. Bravo Ms Bird.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

On all my bookclub feeds lately, Lifetime of Impossible Days is popping up everywhere! So I didn’t even look to see what it was about really. Started reading and was a tad confused until I read the blurb on the back and saw it is a time slip book. That then made a bit more sense to me! Willa time -travels between 3 stages of her life, 8 year old Super Gumboots Willa, Middle Willa and Silver Willa. It’s a story about childhood trauma and healing. Cups of tea and jam drops. The writing is so lyrical and magical that some paragraphs I read again just to take it all in. I was easily taken in to each stage of Willa’s life and loved her in each one. This is a beautifully written book with cute little illustrations throughout also that only enhance the journey. 4.5 stars *

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance this book appears to be a fantasy of having the ability to deliver a time slip in order to change the past but it is about domestic violence, trauma, abuse and the need to mentally escape into an imaginary world. The problem with a too strong an imaginary world is that it can take over life thus creating a mind incapable of recognising reality and causing a delusional mental state of reality. For those who have experienced trauma or abuse in their lives this book will be more profound than perhaps to other readers.

The read has the three stages of Willma's life as real events that are intermeshed with the created fantasy.

Silver Willa 93 has a fetish for gumboots of all shapes and colours. She has unfinished business for which there is an urgency to complete as her family are packing up around her in order to place her in a nursing home. Specially prepared boxes are ready to be sent off to different addresses and for different eras.

Super Gumboots Willa is 8 years old. There are combinations of trauma and abuse in her young life, her father is violent and her mother is in denial about events surrounding her two daughters. Like many eldest children, Willma feels a responsibility to her younger sister and tries within her limits of an 8 year old to protect her from their father. Picture bookmaking and fantasy storytelling enters her young life as a means of escaping the harsh reality of their lives. Grammy knows there is something wrong but any attempt to assist the 2 girls is thwarted by their mother.

Silver Willa struggles with her physical deterioration and even using her walker is difficult. Dementia is apparent with the need to always write down tasks that must be done as well as her temper tantrums and poor behaviour to others. Events in her life have meant that over the years of blocking things out her aged mind is desperate to reach the truth and it's only through revisiting both 8 year old Willa and 33 year old Willa can she achieve this.

Middle Willa who now with her own young family is on the verge of a mental breakdown. Her story telling from her childhood has been stopped and even with the urging of her young sons is unable through fear to restart this simple activity.

Silver Willa creates fantasy events whereby she now speaks to and enters the lives of her other selves and with their own imaginations Middle Willa's boys are able to take part. Of course Silver Willa's adult children just accept that she is talking to herself. However, a delusional mind will see events such as this as real events and with the added combination of dementia assist in creating a real sense of urgency for this aged lady.

The read concludes with the now 35 year old Willa and the statement "all the Willa's do my head in".

Silver Willa isn't placed into care, her adult children adjusting their lives to facilitate a better outcome for their mother after a near death experience and the past resolved by Super Gumboots Willa and Middle Willa.

As I believed there was more to this story I looked for the author's bio and found an interview where she states that through family trauma she had sought counselling which became the basis of this read.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lifetime of Impossible Days is a beautiful, deeply moving, heart-twanging debut, depicting a woman at three crucial stages of life and she grapples with past trauma and deep-rooted guilt. It's the sort of story that tears you open, and leaves you crying the right kind of tears. A dose of whimsy and magic makes the difficult core something readers can access, but it is still a confronting read at times. Readers should note triggers for child sexual abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, attempted suicide, self harm, animal cruelty, drug use, institutionalisation and SIDS.

The narrative switches between Willa aged 93, 8 and 33 in 2050, 1965 and 1990 respectively. The three voices are distinct - 8 year old Willa (or, Super Gumboots Willa) has a child's vivid imagination, while 33 year old Willa (Middle Willa), a mother, has tucked those things away and is of a more practical bent. 93 year old Willa's (Silver Willa) mind is fragmenting, slipping in some ways back towards childhood, but she might be the most endearing of the three, unable to decide whether she was trying to get another pair of gumboots or an alpaca (I mean, who doesn't want an alpaca?!). In the face of so many awful things, Willa's sense of whimsy and possibility are her lifelines - a timely reminded from Bird never to neglect out inner child. What all three share is a magical jam jar, which contains one ocean, to be planted in the backyard.

After said ocean is planted, the plot becomes a shifting, slippery thing - time becomes malleable and events alter, but Bird takes us by the hand and leads us through. The various strands are cleverly woven and ultimately form a wonderful tapestry. We watch Willa - at all ages - gradually learn to harness the power of the backyard ocean-garden and find ways to accept or change what has taken place - think Sliding Doors or The Time Traveller's Wife, but in rural Queensland.

A Lifetime of Impossible Days is full of just the sort of magical realism I adore - integral to the story and presented with plausible boundaries. But the real magic between these pages is the way Bird reminds us of the need to show empathy to our past, present and future selves, whatever they might have endured.

The story is utterly compelling, and I devoured it quickly. Bird continues to raise the stakes for Willa, peeling back the layers of how trauma can compound into interscetional disadvantage, and shining a light on the things that could prevent such tragedies. At times this becomes a very emotionally difficult story to face - in particular various parts of Willa's sister, Lottie's, story - but be assured the underlying tone is of hope and possibility. Ultimately, Bird is reminding us that our fates are in our own hands.

The novel is also a rich reflection on the process of ageing, shining a light on what we gain as well as what we lose. The idea of being able to converse with your past and future selves is a conceit that will cause many readers to reflect on their own lives, adding to the poignancy of the tale.

When I started reading, I felt that the writing was a bit twee, especially from 8 year old Willa's perspective, but the more I read, the more I realised I sounded like the stuffy thirty-something Willa, and that my inner eight year old would probably have been delighted to read the word 'amaze-a-loo' so frequently. More importantly, Bird perfectly balances treating difficult subject matter with sensitivity with the necessary warmth, whimsy and magic that gives this story so much of its warm heart.

This is a debut that packs an emotional punch - Bird is a talent to watch closely.

Recommended if you liked: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

I received a review copy of A Lifetime of Impossible Days from the author and Penguin Random House Australia in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Jodie (Sunshinejode) W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a book comes along that gives you all the feels and you connect to it on such an emotional level as I did with “A Lifetime of Impossible Days” debut novel for Tabitha Bird. There were tears, moments I held my breath, times I just stopped and paused and bouts of sadness for the Willa’s. This book is truly a gift, one that weaves a unique storyline that you just get caught up in, as you enter a magical world with a time slip.
We are introduced to Silver Willa first from the year 2050 a gumboot loving 93 year old, who is starting to lose her memory so keeps a notebook to remember what she needs to do. She is determined to stay out of the nursing home she keeps hearing about. Next is Super Gumboots Willa 8 years old from 1965, fierce and determined, protector of her sister Lottie and owner of Frog Dog. Middle Age Willa is 33 years old in 1990 a mother of two trying to deal with her past hurts. It is through a magical time slip that Super Gum Boots Willa is able to visit her future selves. Silver Willa knows there is something she needs to warn the others but will she remember what she needs to tell them?
In each year of impossible days when the story is being told – 1965, 1990 and 2050 you connect with each of the Willa’s, you feel for them but you know they are one and it is their story they are telling.
When you first start it takes a moment to let you imagination go and be swept up into a tale with a jar of water and instructions to plant an ocean in the backyard but once you do you end up staying up until 1am to finish it. You need to know what the outcome for the Willa’s will be – can they all work together to heal their past hurts to save their futures.
This novel may trigger some as it does deal with childhood trauma but it is told in a way that is sensitive but realistic it shares how trauma can affect people and the impact on their lives. There were times my heart was breaking but I feel it is a story that had to be told, I have more of an understanding now of how these hurts can impact lives and futures.
The novel is dedicated to Tabitha’s Grandmother and as I had recently said goodbye to my last remaining Grandparent my Nanny, I loved these words from the book as I was the eldest grandchild. “She stares off into the night, her eyes misty, and I snuggle her hand. Imagines of my Grammy as a young girl stay with me. She was someone’s daughter. Her name was Grace. Only she never was that, not to me. She’s always been my Grammy. I’m the oldest grandchild so I performed the magic of making her a grandmother, and it has been a most special enchantment between us.”
A lifetime of Impossible Days is released on the 4th of June, I highly recommend you getting your hands on a copy. Thank you to Tabitha and Penguin Random House for the advanced copy of this book. I had been highly anticipating it since I came across Tabitha’s Facebook page many months ago.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful, magical, heart-warming and emotional story.
It's extraordinarily difficult to describe the complex plot in few words, but here's my attempt: Via a backyard time-slip generated by an ocean poured from a jam jar, 8-year-old "Super Gumboots Willa" Waters meets her 93-year-old self, "Silver Willa", and together they attempt to help their troubled 33-year-old self, "Middle Willa" prevent something terrible from happening.
The book is illustrated with charming ocean and garden-themed line drawings, echoing Willa's interest in illustrating stories, which she uses as a means of dealing with her childhood trauma and comforting those she loves. Recurring motifs include gumboots (for courage and self-determination) and jam drop biscuits (made by Willa's beloved Grammy).
It's an interesting concept to think about - what would we say to our younger or older selves if we were able to? How might we be able to retrospectively prevent or heal traumatic incidents from our past (or future)?
Trigger warnings: child sexual abuse (non-graphic), domestic violence.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overall charming novel that deals with difficult dysfunctional family issues, but there are also some beautiful inventive elderly characters that I really warmed to.
I'm not normally keen on time jumping novels, or time travelling novels but this one has introduced some order to that sort of chaos with the judicious use of chapters.
It's a library book that I was able to read quickly and return in a couple of days.
Very pleased to have come across it.
It may need to include a trigger warning for childhood abuse, but I think there is probably a lot of value in this story for everyone.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant, clever, and amaze-a-loo debut about family, trauma and resilience sprinkled with moments of hope. So many ways to interpret Willa's intersecting timelines and each is handled with care.

Highly recommended as a book club read - we chose it for ours and had so much to chat about.