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The Woman Who Came Back to Life
I put down the diary, my hands trembling. Was he addressing me directly? There could be no other explanation. After decades of silence and hurt; a life spent wondering who and where my father was. Could it be that he had been thinking about me the whole time too?
Pearl Flowers lives in a fairytale cottage in the woods in France. Her life is small, strict and safe. Every day is planned: Mondays she takes the middle path through the trees, on Wednesday the right and on Fridays, her special day, she takes the long way into the village. If she makes sure to follow her routine, she can avoid thinking about the past.
But then an unexpected phone call throws everything into chaos: Francis, Pearl’s estranged father, has died and left her a bequest. One she can only claim if she agrees to come to his funeral and see the family she’s been hiding from for so long. But when Pearl begins to read Francis’s diaries, his last gift, she realizes that the truth about her father couldn’t be further from what she expected. That each page is addressed to her, the daughter he loved, causes her to question everything she thought she knew about her past.
Now Pearl must face the world for the first time in many years. Her father was the only person who knew her deepest secret. Is she ready to finally confront the truth of what happened, and take a second chance at happiness now that it is finally within reach?
This emotional and heartwarming novel is for anyone who knows it’s never too late to look for happiness. Fans of Matt Haig, Mike Gayle and Camille Pagán will fall in love with this feel-good and moving story.
Pearl Flowers lives in a fairytale cottage in the woods in France. Her life is small, strict and safe. Every day is planned: Mondays she takes the middle path through the trees, on Wednesday the right and on Fridays, her special day, she takes the long way into the village. If she makes sure to follow her routine, she can avoid thinking about the past.
But then an unexpected phone call throws everything into chaos: Francis, Pearl’s estranged father, has died and left her a bequest. One she can only claim if she agrees to come to his funeral and see the family she’s been hiding from for so long. But when Pearl begins to read Francis’s diaries, his last gift, she realizes that the truth about her father couldn’t be further from what she expected. That each page is addressed to her, the daughter he loved, causes her to question everything she thought she knew about her past.
Now Pearl must face the world for the first time in many years. Her father was the only person who knew her deepest secret. Is she ready to finally confront the truth of what happened, and take a second chance at happiness now that it is finally within reach?
This emotional and heartwarming novel is for anyone who knows it’s never too late to look for happiness. Fans of Matt Haig, Mike Gayle and Camille Pagán will fall in love with this feel-good and moving story.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2022
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March 14, 2022
The Woman Who Came Back to Life
by Beth Miller, Narrated by Sarah Durham
Fifty two year old Pearl Flowers lives in a fairytale cottage in the woods in France, with her husband, who built the cottage. For the last five years this life has been theirs, Pearl doing the hair of a few customers and spending time on her artwork the rest of the time, husband Denny, an introvert, watching over Pearl and building beautiful custom furniture. There had a been a time when Pearl's brothers were a big part of her life but something happened five years ago to send Pearl into isolation.
Pearl's father has died and he's left her a bequest that she can only get if she comes to his funeral. Pearl hasn't seen her father in over thirty years and now he has this demand. The bequest is a pile of her father's diaries, written to Pearl. When her father left her and her brothers long ago, Pearl thought he never gave her and them another thought. Now she sees his life as it really was and knows that her dad has given her a gift, even if it's too late.
Everyone one in Pearl's family seems to have secrets, some more important than others. Pearl has her own big secret that she's kept clamped down so long and hard that she doesn't think she can ever speak it. But from the grave, her father opens up an avenue that Pearl never imagined possible. There was also the event five years ago that estranged her from her oldest brother and his wife, who was Pearl's best friend. These losses were so profound and Pearl never thought it would be possible make her way back to the people she loved. Is Denny really protecting her or is his love a wall that shuts her in?
This story is about the stagnation and growth in families. So much of what is really happening in the minds of a loved one are just our imaginings. We can never know the hardships and trials of a family member unless they tell us and often, the things that hurt the most are what are hidden the deepest from sight. I felt very emotional while listening to this book because it made me think and made me see that things I believed might not be the way things really were.
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. The narration was excellent, I felt like I could see the characters through their voices. I look forward to more works by this author and this narrator.
Pub: January 5, 2022
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
by Beth Miller, Narrated by Sarah Durham
Fifty two year old Pearl Flowers lives in a fairytale cottage in the woods in France, with her husband, who built the cottage. For the last five years this life has been theirs, Pearl doing the hair of a few customers and spending time on her artwork the rest of the time, husband Denny, an introvert, watching over Pearl and building beautiful custom furniture. There had a been a time when Pearl's brothers were a big part of her life but something happened five years ago to send Pearl into isolation.
Pearl's father has died and he's left her a bequest that she can only get if she comes to his funeral. Pearl hasn't seen her father in over thirty years and now he has this demand. The bequest is a pile of her father's diaries, written to Pearl. When her father left her and her brothers long ago, Pearl thought he never gave her and them another thought. Now she sees his life as it really was and knows that her dad has given her a gift, even if it's too late.
Everyone one in Pearl's family seems to have secrets, some more important than others. Pearl has her own big secret that she's kept clamped down so long and hard that she doesn't think she can ever speak it. But from the grave, her father opens up an avenue that Pearl never imagined possible. There was also the event five years ago that estranged her from her oldest brother and his wife, who was Pearl's best friend. These losses were so profound and Pearl never thought it would be possible make her way back to the people she loved. Is Denny really protecting her or is his love a wall that shuts her in?
This story is about the stagnation and growth in families. So much of what is really happening in the minds of a loved one are just our imaginings. We can never know the hardships and trials of a family member unless they tell us and often, the things that hurt the most are what are hidden the deepest from sight. I felt very emotional while listening to this book because it made me think and made me see that things I believed might not be the way things really were.
I'm so glad I had the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. The narration was excellent, I felt like I could see the characters through their voices. I look forward to more works by this author and this narrator.
Pub: January 5, 2022
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.
January 2, 2022
Pearl Flowers lives with husband Denny in a fairytale cottage in rural France. She gets a phone call from older brother Greg in the UK to inform her their father Francis is dying. This presents Pearl with a major dilemma, what to do? Pearl, Greg and Benjy have been estranged from Francis for over 30 years. Against expectation Pearl travels to Sussex but it’s too late. Francis leaves an unexpected and odd legacy for Pearl, a set of diaries written in shorthand. What secrets lie within?
This is a very enjoyable read as several characters are complex and carrying baggage, not least Pearl. The characterisation is good and there’s an excellent mix of characters. This is not your usual women’s fiction as it has much more meat (and two veg!) to it than the norm. It has multiple layers from complicated family dynamics and a host of suppressed secrets and emotions. It’s principally about inertia due to hardship, heartbreak, heartache and loss and times it’s an emotional tale. However, what makes it stand out for me is that it’s a good blend of sad, perplexing, poignant and funny. The humour mostly comes from Benjy whose is frank exchanges and self-delusion makes you chuckle. It’s all told at a good pace and there is plenty to keep you interested throughout.
Overall, there are some sweet tender moments in the storytelling, parts of which makes you reflect on lost opportunities. I like the note it ends on which feels real.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
This is a very enjoyable read as several characters are complex and carrying baggage, not least Pearl. The characterisation is good and there’s an excellent mix of characters. This is not your usual women’s fiction as it has much more meat (and two veg!) to it than the norm. It has multiple layers from complicated family dynamics and a host of suppressed secrets and emotions. It’s principally about inertia due to hardship, heartbreak, heartache and loss and times it’s an emotional tale. However, what makes it stand out for me is that it’s a good blend of sad, perplexing, poignant and funny. The humour mostly comes from Benjy whose is frank exchanges and self-delusion makes you chuckle. It’s all told at a good pace and there is plenty to keep you interested throughout.
Overall, there are some sweet tender moments in the storytelling, parts of which makes you reflect on lost opportunities. I like the note it ends on which feels real.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bookouture for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
January 12, 2022
EXCERPT: Unexpectedly my eyes filled with tears. Dad loved and encouraged my early interest in words. He conversed in French with me, discussed the fundamental principles of Esperanto, showed me how to interpret cryptic crosswords and, when I was pretty young, no more than seven, he taught me shorthand. Not the old fashioned Pitman kind he'd learned as a young clerk, which required fountain pens to make the all-important thick and thin line distinctions, but a more modern type called Teeline. He'd picked this up during the early 1970s at journalism evening classes. I had a vague idea that he'd planned to retrain as a journalist. But other than writing articles for the parish magazine, I don't think this ever came to fruition. At some point in the late 1970s he became a headteacher, which I suppose made teaching seem interesting again.
For a while he and I would communicate in Teeline's secret code. I remember the thrill of it, of reading something neither of my brothers could understand. As late as my fifteenth birthday, the year he gave me the field glasses - a few weeks before he left us - Dad put a shorthand message in my card. I didn't remember, now, what it said, but I remembered reading it. The card that came for my sixteenth birthday, the first to come through the post rather than waiting for me on the kitchen table, didn't contain any secret message.
'What does it say?' Jeanie said, craning over to try to look at the page.
'I'm not sure,' I lied. 'I'd have to refresh my memory about how to read it, it's been such a long time.'
'This is ridiculous,' she snapped. 'She can't even read them. There's no reason for Pearl to have these. I can easily get someone to translate them.'
Pointing at the page, Benjy said, 'Doesn't this line say, "Wow, my second wife is such a cow"?' And with that the gloves were finally off.
'Mr Claymore, do you see what we are up against?' Jeanie's face was red with fury. 'I demand you intervene. These notebooks may contain material that my husband's former children will exploit.'
'Former children?' Benjy said, laughing.
I glanced down at the page again, and read: It would be necessary to keep this . . . then there were several symbols I couldn't read, followed by I have hidden so much. What the heck was in these diaries?
ABOUT 'THE WOMAN WHO CAME BACK TO LIFE': Pearl Flowers lives in a fairytale cottage in the woods in France. Her life is small, strict and safe. Every day is planned: Mondays she takes the middle path through the trees, on Wednesday the right and on Fridays, her special day, she takes the long way into the village. If she makes sure to follow her routine, she can avoid thinking about the past.
But then an unexpected phone call throws everything into chaos: Francis, Pearl’s estranged father, has died and left her a bequest. One she can only claim if she agrees to come to his funeral and see the family she’s been hiding from for so long. But when Pearl begins to read Francis’s diaries, his last gift, she realizes that the truth about her father couldn’t be further from what she expected. That each page is addressed to her, the daughter he loved, causes her to question everything she thought she knew about her past.
Now Pearl must face the world for the first time in many years. Her father was the only person who knew her deepest secret. Is she ready to finally confront the truth of what happened, and take a second chance at happiness now that it is finally within reach?
MY THOUGHTS: You have to love families. They must be the most complex social and interpersonal structure ever. We take umbrage at things said and done by family that we would brush off coming from anyone else. We keep secrets from family, either under the guise of 'protecting' them, or because it might change the way they see us. We are probably less truthful with family than with anyone. Well, that's how this family works.
Pearl's family is a family shattered by abandonment and secret relationships. After one heartbreak too many, Pearl and husband Denny have taken refuge in their remote holiday home in France, shutting themselves off from the world in general and her family in particular. But her attendance at her father's funeral in order to collect a mystery bequest opens a whole new can of worms . . . one that is either going to make or break Pearl.
This is a complex but entertaining story. My heart broke for Pearl with each new revelation. But Pearl also has a wicked sense of humor, as does brother Benjy, which shines through occasionally causing me to burst into laughter. There's a lot of loss and grief in The Woman Who Came Back to Life, but there are also funny moments, and scenes of redemption and hope. My favourite character was Ellie, Pearl's once best friend who is married to her oldest brother Greg.
The characters, like the relationships between them, are complex. All have baggage, all are aggrieved, hurting in one way or another, and some are angry. The story is told from the points of view of Pearl, and another initially unknown character named Carrie. It takes some time for the connection between these two characters to be revealed, but it's worth the wait. We also get to read extracts from Francis' diaries, which puts a whole new slant on things. The story covers the period from 1981 to 2018, but not chronologically. Despite this it is easy to follow, and entertaining, but have a box of tissues handy - it's heartbreaking in parts.
I love the way that Beth Miller takes situations that any one of us may face at any time and gives them an empathetic and realistic airing.
⭐⭐⭐.7
#TheWomanWhoCameBacktoLife #NetGalley
I: @beth_miller_author @bookouture
T: @drbethmiller @Bookouture
#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #mentalhealth #sliceoflife
THE AUTHOR: Beth Miller has been a sex educator, alcohol counsellor, university lecturer and inept audio-typist. She has a PhD in Psychology, which is yet to come in handy.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Woman Who Came Back to Life by Beth Miller for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
For a while he and I would communicate in Teeline's secret code. I remember the thrill of it, of reading something neither of my brothers could understand. As late as my fifteenth birthday, the year he gave me the field glasses - a few weeks before he left us - Dad put a shorthand message in my card. I didn't remember, now, what it said, but I remembered reading it. The card that came for my sixteenth birthday, the first to come through the post rather than waiting for me on the kitchen table, didn't contain any secret message.
'What does it say?' Jeanie said, craning over to try to look at the page.
'I'm not sure,' I lied. 'I'd have to refresh my memory about how to read it, it's been such a long time.'
'This is ridiculous,' she snapped. 'She can't even read them. There's no reason for Pearl to have these. I can easily get someone to translate them.'
Pointing at the page, Benjy said, 'Doesn't this line say, "Wow, my second wife is such a cow"?' And with that the gloves were finally off.
'Mr Claymore, do you see what we are up against?' Jeanie's face was red with fury. 'I demand you intervene. These notebooks may contain material that my husband's former children will exploit.'
'Former children?' Benjy said, laughing.
I glanced down at the page again, and read: It would be necessary to keep this . . . then there were several symbols I couldn't read, followed by I have hidden so much. What the heck was in these diaries?
ABOUT 'THE WOMAN WHO CAME BACK TO LIFE': Pearl Flowers lives in a fairytale cottage in the woods in France. Her life is small, strict and safe. Every day is planned: Mondays she takes the middle path through the trees, on Wednesday the right and on Fridays, her special day, she takes the long way into the village. If she makes sure to follow her routine, she can avoid thinking about the past.
But then an unexpected phone call throws everything into chaos: Francis, Pearl’s estranged father, has died and left her a bequest. One she can only claim if she agrees to come to his funeral and see the family she’s been hiding from for so long. But when Pearl begins to read Francis’s diaries, his last gift, she realizes that the truth about her father couldn’t be further from what she expected. That each page is addressed to her, the daughter he loved, causes her to question everything she thought she knew about her past.
Now Pearl must face the world for the first time in many years. Her father was the only person who knew her deepest secret. Is she ready to finally confront the truth of what happened, and take a second chance at happiness now that it is finally within reach?
MY THOUGHTS: You have to love families. They must be the most complex social and interpersonal structure ever. We take umbrage at things said and done by family that we would brush off coming from anyone else. We keep secrets from family, either under the guise of 'protecting' them, or because it might change the way they see us. We are probably less truthful with family than with anyone. Well, that's how this family works.
Pearl's family is a family shattered by abandonment and secret relationships. After one heartbreak too many, Pearl and husband Denny have taken refuge in their remote holiday home in France, shutting themselves off from the world in general and her family in particular. But her attendance at her father's funeral in order to collect a mystery bequest opens a whole new can of worms . . . one that is either going to make or break Pearl.
This is a complex but entertaining story. My heart broke for Pearl with each new revelation. But Pearl also has a wicked sense of humor, as does brother Benjy, which shines through occasionally causing me to burst into laughter. There's a lot of loss and grief in The Woman Who Came Back to Life, but there are also funny moments, and scenes of redemption and hope. My favourite character was Ellie, Pearl's once best friend who is married to her oldest brother Greg.
The characters, like the relationships between them, are complex. All have baggage, all are aggrieved, hurting in one way or another, and some are angry. The story is told from the points of view of Pearl, and another initially unknown character named Carrie. It takes some time for the connection between these two characters to be revealed, but it's worth the wait. We also get to read extracts from Francis' diaries, which puts a whole new slant on things. The story covers the period from 1981 to 2018, but not chronologically. Despite this it is easy to follow, and entertaining, but have a box of tissues handy - it's heartbreaking in parts.
I love the way that Beth Miller takes situations that any one of us may face at any time and gives them an empathetic and realistic airing.
⭐⭐⭐.7
#TheWomanWhoCameBacktoLife #NetGalley
I: @beth_miller_author @bookouture
T: @drbethmiller @Bookouture
#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #mentalhealth #sliceoflife
THE AUTHOR: Beth Miller has been a sex educator, alcohol counsellor, university lecturer and inept audio-typist. She has a PhD in Psychology, which is yet to come in handy.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Woman Who Came Back to Life by Beth Miller for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
January 1, 2022
The final week of 2021 found me involved with two stories about family dynamics. This story deals with a woman who has been estranged from her family for 30 years. Now, it was easy to see why she walked away from her father. He pretty much abandoned his first family for his second wife. But she’s also avoided her brothers. Now, her father has died and she returns to England from her home in France. She’s told there is a bequest she can get only if she attends his funeral. She has no idea what it could be and is shocked when her father’s lawyer hands her a series of journals written by her father. They’re written in the shorthand he taught her when she was still a child. Of course, his wife and stepdaughter are horrified and try all manner of things to get their hands on them, worried about what they might say.
We also hear from Caroline, who’s dying adoptive mother asks Caroline to attend the same funeral. And finally, we hear snippets from the father’s journals. He infuriated me, the way he allowed his second wife to drive such a wedge between him and his kids. I also couldn’t help but wonder if his abandonment of his first family led Pearl to make a bad choice with her husband (who also irritated me to no end).
The story immediately drew me in. There’s nothing like a death to shake up family dynamics and this book proves that in spades. Miller does a good job of handling all the different emotions that Pearl goes through. As would be expected, the book has a lot to say about what it means to be a parent. It also has a lot to say with living one’s own life and facing challenges. It’s an aptly named book.
I was not impressed by Sarah Durham, who narrated. To my ear, all her voices sounded the same. If I missed a chapter heading, it sometimes took me a few sentences to realize whose story I was hearing.
We also hear from Caroline, who’s dying adoptive mother asks Caroline to attend the same funeral. And finally, we hear snippets from the father’s journals. He infuriated me, the way he allowed his second wife to drive such a wedge between him and his kids. I also couldn’t help but wonder if his abandonment of his first family led Pearl to make a bad choice with her husband (who also irritated me to no end).
The story immediately drew me in. There’s nothing like a death to shake up family dynamics and this book proves that in spades. Miller does a good job of handling all the different emotions that Pearl goes through. As would be expected, the book has a lot to say about what it means to be a parent. It also has a lot to say with living one’s own life and facing challenges. It’s an aptly named book.
I was not impressed by Sarah Durham, who narrated. To my ear, all her voices sounded the same. If I missed a chapter heading, it sometimes took me a few sentences to realize whose story I was hearing.
January 7, 2022
In a Nutshell: This is a beautiful book, but I have no doubt that I would have enjoyed it a lot more had I read it than heard it.
Story:
The book delivers brilliantly if you love reading about dysfunctional or broken families. The tussles between family members, estrangements and reunions, misunderstandings and misbehaviours, jokes and sarcastic remarks, support and strength – everything that can happen in a typical family is covered in this book without succumbing to most usual tropes. The basic glue that holds families together is the notion of ‘forgive, forget and move on’, but is it as easily done as it is said? That’s what this family drama strives to convey - the beauty of second chances.
As the book deals with multiple families, there are quite a lot of characters. But once you get a hang of who’s who, it never gets confusing; that’s credit to the wonderful character sketching by the author. Every character is so realistically created that you find it easy to connect with most of them. There is hardly anyone who is outright black or white; everyone has secrets. I love books with such well-crafted and layered characters. They add spice to the experience.
A special shout-out to the finale. The book ends at just the right point, bringing all the ribbons close enough but not exactly tying them into a neat knot. After all, life isn’t perfect; why should books end on perfect HEA notes? Brilliantly done!
The only thing I might change about this book is its title. It creates a very different picture in the mind and while striking on its own, doesn't suit this story, though I know that it indicates the main character Pearl when it says 'the woman who came back to life'.
My rating dipped primarily because of the audiobook. For a book with three character narratives – one by a woman in her fifties, one by a woman in her thirties, and one by an old man, having a single female narrator simply doesn’t work. All the more because the points of view are in first person but the narrator’s voice sounded almost exactly the same for all three of them. If you miss the start of the chapter, it is very easy to get confused about which character is being voiced. To add further to the confusion, there are many entries with dates at the beginning as the story covers the period from 1981 to 2018 and these aren’t in linear order. I had no issues with the general performance of the narrator, but the single reader experience fails to create magic in this 10 hrs 22 mins long audiobook. It needed three distinct narrators.
If I had read this, I feel I might have rated it at least a 4.25. But as I heard it and it turned out to be a dissatisfying experience, I can only give it a 3.5.
A must-READ for sure. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to those who loved complex characters portrayed with genuine emotions rather than over-the-top reactions. It’s a feel-good read that will move you with its strong combo of poignancy and warmth.
My thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Woman Who Came Back to Life”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Story:
52 year old Pearl Flowers lives in a small cottage secluded in a wood in France. Her only companion is her husband Denny, and their daily routine is safe and predictable. However, when she receives a phone call that her estranged father Francis is dying, her life begins to fall apart. Pearl is forced to make many tough choices, confronting her past and impacting her future. All this upheaval is primarily triggered by the legacy Francis leaves her on his death – his personal diaries.
The book is written in the first person perspectives of Pearl, another character named Carrie, and Francis (speaking posthumously through his diary entries.)
The book delivers brilliantly if you love reading about dysfunctional or broken families. The tussles between family members, estrangements and reunions, misunderstandings and misbehaviours, jokes and sarcastic remarks, support and strength – everything that can happen in a typical family is covered in this book without succumbing to most usual tropes. The basic glue that holds families together is the notion of ‘forgive, forget and move on’, but is it as easily done as it is said? That’s what this family drama strives to convey - the beauty of second chances.
As the book deals with multiple families, there are quite a lot of characters. But once you get a hang of who’s who, it never gets confusing; that’s credit to the wonderful character sketching by the author. Every character is so realistically created that you find it easy to connect with most of them. There is hardly anyone who is outright black or white; everyone has secrets. I love books with such well-crafted and layered characters. They add spice to the experience.
A special shout-out to the finale. The book ends at just the right point, bringing all the ribbons close enough but not exactly tying them into a neat knot. After all, life isn’t perfect; why should books end on perfect HEA notes? Brilliantly done!
The only thing I might change about this book is its title. It creates a very different picture in the mind and while striking on its own, doesn't suit this story, though I know that it indicates the main character Pearl when it says 'the woman who came back to life'.
My rating dipped primarily because of the audiobook. For a book with three character narratives – one by a woman in her fifties, one by a woman in her thirties, and one by an old man, having a single female narrator simply doesn’t work. All the more because the points of view are in first person but the narrator’s voice sounded almost exactly the same for all three of them. If you miss the start of the chapter, it is very easy to get confused about which character is being voiced. To add further to the confusion, there are many entries with dates at the beginning as the story covers the period from 1981 to 2018 and these aren’t in linear order. I had no issues with the general performance of the narrator, but the single reader experience fails to create magic in this 10 hrs 22 mins long audiobook. It needed three distinct narrators.
If I had read this, I feel I might have rated it at least a 4.25. But as I heard it and it turned out to be a dissatisfying experience, I can only give it a 3.5.
A must-READ for sure. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to those who loved complex characters portrayed with genuine emotions rather than over-the-top reactions. It’s a feel-good read that will move you with its strong combo of poignancy and warmth.
My thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Woman Who Came Back to Life”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
December 25, 2021
“He’d long been a complete blank, his behaviour inexplicable, his motives unknown. To find out, after all this time, what he was really thinking might be unbearable.”
The Woman Who Came Back To Life is the fifth novel by British author, Beth Miller. The audio version is narrated by Sarah Durham. A phone call in the middle of a private French wood turns the ordered life that Pearl Flowers had been leading upside down. Her older brother Greg rings with the news that the father from whom she and her brothers have been estranged for some thirty years, is dying.
No one, not her brother, not her ever-protective husband Denny, is more surprised than Pearl that she feels an urgent need to be there. Too late for last words with her father, she and Denny reluctantly hang around for the hastily-arranged funeral of Francis Nichols, partly because this is a requirement for the mysterious legacy he has left Pearl.
After the expected bequests of property and cash are dealt with, the solicitor tries to hand over a bag of notebooks to Pearl amid vociferous objections from Jeanie and Andrea Nichols, her father’s second wife and step-daughter. It seems Francis has written private journals for the previous thirty-seven years, and several of the family want to have first sight of what could be sensitive material.
“‘They cover the period from 1981 to 2018. I believe the final entry was made only a few weeks before his death.’ A chill ran down my spine. My dad’s life, laid out, for the entire period that I didn’t know him.”
The catch is that they are written in a shorthand that Francis taught Pearl. She returns to France in possession of her father’s legacy to her, not at all sure she wants to read the words of a man who ignored or rejected her attempts at communication after he abandoned her mother and his children. “I stopped writing to Dad then, and eventually, after some rough years of grieving the father I’d loved, I more or less stopped thinking about him, too.”
Those journals sitting in her study are unsettling enough; contact with the family she left behind after a traumatic event is unnerving; the trespasser apparently living in the woods around their secluded little refuge from the world adds to her unease; harassment from her step-sister Andrea about the diaries increases her stress levels; and then there’s a phone call from a young woman…
One of her dying mother’s last requests is that Caroline Haskett attends the funeral and take her measure of the family. The other is that she contact Pearl, something Carrie has no real desire to do. She has managed well for thirty-five years without, and is quite busy enough being the single mother of baby Emmie. But she has made a promise.
The story is carried by three separate narratives: Pearl and Carrie relate in the present day while entries from the journals Francis kept describe past events, giving an alternative, if not always reliable, perspective. The novel’s back-cover blurb is a little misleading, giving the impression that Pearl is more dysfunctional or obsessive than she really is. Some aspects of the story may be predictable, but there are also surprises in the journey to a rather satisfying ending.
Miller’s protagonists are much more than one-dimensional and reward the reader’s time investment with their emotional development. Pearl’s younger brother Benjamin provides some much-needed light relief with his comments and insults during the tenser moments (eg Jeanie’s nasty outburst over the diaries): “Pointing at the page, Benjy said, ‘Doesn’t this line say, “wow my second wife is such a cow”?’”, while Francis is responsible for quite a few, but not all, eyes-welling-up-lump-in-the-throat moments. Funny, moving and uplifting.
This unbiased review is from an audio proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture
The Woman Who Came Back To Life is the fifth novel by British author, Beth Miller. The audio version is narrated by Sarah Durham. A phone call in the middle of a private French wood turns the ordered life that Pearl Flowers had been leading upside down. Her older brother Greg rings with the news that the father from whom she and her brothers have been estranged for some thirty years, is dying.
No one, not her brother, not her ever-protective husband Denny, is more surprised than Pearl that she feels an urgent need to be there. Too late for last words with her father, she and Denny reluctantly hang around for the hastily-arranged funeral of Francis Nichols, partly because this is a requirement for the mysterious legacy he has left Pearl.
After the expected bequests of property and cash are dealt with, the solicitor tries to hand over a bag of notebooks to Pearl amid vociferous objections from Jeanie and Andrea Nichols, her father’s second wife and step-daughter. It seems Francis has written private journals for the previous thirty-seven years, and several of the family want to have first sight of what could be sensitive material.
“‘They cover the period from 1981 to 2018. I believe the final entry was made only a few weeks before his death.’ A chill ran down my spine. My dad’s life, laid out, for the entire period that I didn’t know him.”
The catch is that they are written in a shorthand that Francis taught Pearl. She returns to France in possession of her father’s legacy to her, not at all sure she wants to read the words of a man who ignored or rejected her attempts at communication after he abandoned her mother and his children. “I stopped writing to Dad then, and eventually, after some rough years of grieving the father I’d loved, I more or less stopped thinking about him, too.”
Those journals sitting in her study are unsettling enough; contact with the family she left behind after a traumatic event is unnerving; the trespasser apparently living in the woods around their secluded little refuge from the world adds to her unease; harassment from her step-sister Andrea about the diaries increases her stress levels; and then there’s a phone call from a young woman…
One of her dying mother’s last requests is that Caroline Haskett attends the funeral and take her measure of the family. The other is that she contact Pearl, something Carrie has no real desire to do. She has managed well for thirty-five years without, and is quite busy enough being the single mother of baby Emmie. But she has made a promise.
The story is carried by three separate narratives: Pearl and Carrie relate in the present day while entries from the journals Francis kept describe past events, giving an alternative, if not always reliable, perspective. The novel’s back-cover blurb is a little misleading, giving the impression that Pearl is more dysfunctional or obsessive than she really is. Some aspects of the story may be predictable, but there are also surprises in the journey to a rather satisfying ending.
Miller’s protagonists are much more than one-dimensional and reward the reader’s time investment with their emotional development. Pearl’s younger brother Benjamin provides some much-needed light relief with his comments and insults during the tenser moments (eg Jeanie’s nasty outburst over the diaries): “Pointing at the page, Benjy said, ‘Doesn’t this line say, “wow my second wife is such a cow”?’”, while Francis is responsible for quite a few, but not all, eyes-welling-up-lump-in-the-throat moments. Funny, moving and uplifting.
This unbiased review is from an audio proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture
December 15, 2021
Pearl Flowers lives in a fairy tale cottage in the woods in France. Her life is small, strict and safe. Everyday is planned. Mondays she takes the middle path through the trees, on Wednesday the right, and on Fridays, her special day, she takes the long way into the village. If she makes sure to follow her routine, she can avoid thinking about the past. But then an unexpected phone call throws everything into chaos: Francis, Peral's estranged father, has died and left her a bequest. One she can only claim if she agrees to come to his funeral and see the family she's been hiding from for so long.
The pace is steady in this heart-warming and heart-breaking read. Pearl is in her 50s and set in her ways. When her father dies, she has to go back for his funeral and meet the family she's been estranged from. I was intrigued by the premise and I wasn't disappointed by the storyline. The story is set between France and England. It did take a couple of chapters for me to get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #BethMiller for my ARC of #TheWomanWhoCameBackToLife in exchange for an honest review.
The pace is steady in this heart-warming and heart-breaking read. Pearl is in her 50s and set in her ways. When her father dies, she has to go back for his funeral and meet the family she's been estranged from. I was intrigued by the premise and I wasn't disappointed by the storyline. The story is set between France and England. It did take a couple of chapters for me to get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #BethMiller for my ARC of #TheWomanWhoCameBackToLife in exchange for an honest review.
December 24, 2021
“He’d long been a complete blank, his behaviour inexplicable, his motives unknown. To find out, after all this time, what he was really thinking might be unbearable.”
The Woman Who Came Back To Life is the fifth novel by British author, Beth Miller. A phone call in the middle of a private French wood turns the ordered life that Pearl Flowers had been leading upside down. Her older brother Greg rings with the news that the father from whom she and her brothers have been estranged for some thirty years, is dying.
No one, not her brother, not her ever-protective husband Denny, is more surprised than Pearl that she feels an urgent need to be there. Too late for last words with her father, she and Denny reluctantly hang around for the hastily-arranged funeral of Francis Nichols, partly because this is a requirement for the mysterious legacy he has left Pearl.
After the expected bequests of property and cash are dealt with, the solicitor tries to hand over a bag of notebooks to Pearl amid vociferous objections from Jeanie and Andrea Nichols, her father’s second wife and step-daughter. It seems Francis has written private journals for the previous thirty-seven years, and several of the family want to have first sight of what could be sensitive material.
“‘They cover the period from 1981 to 2018. I believe the final entry was made only a few weeks before his death.’ A chill ran down my spine. My dad’s life, laid out, for the entire period that I didn’t know him.”
The catch is that they are written in a shorthand that Francis taught Pearl. She returns to France in possession of her father’s legacy to her, not at all sure she wants to read the words of a man who ignored or rejected her attempts at communication after he abandoned her mother and his children. “I stopped writing to Dad then, and eventually, after some rough years of grieving the father I’d loved, I more or less stopped thinking about him, too.”
Those journals sitting in her study are unsettling enough; contact with the family she left behind after a traumatic event is unnerving; the trespasser apparently living in the woods around their secluded little refuge from the world adds to her unease; harassment from her step-sister Andrea about the diaries increases her stress levels; and then there’s a phone call from a young woman…
One of her dying mother’s last requests is that Caroline Haskett attends the funeral and take her measure of the family. The other is that she contact Pearl, something Carrie has no real desire to do. She has managed well for thirty-five years without, and is quite busy enough being the single mother of baby Emmie. But she has made a promise.
The story is carried by three separate narratives: Pearl and Carrie relate in the present day while entries from the journals Francis kept describe past events, giving an alternative, if not always reliable, perspective. The novel’s back-cover blurb is a little misleading, giving the impression that Pearl is more dysfunctional or obsessive than she really is. Some aspects of the story may be predictable, but there are also surprises in the journey to a rather satisfying ending.
Miller’s protagonists are much more than one-dimensional and reward the reader’s time investment with their emotional development. Pearl’s younger brother Benjamin provides some much-needed light relief with his comments and insults during the tenser moments (eg Jeanie’s nasty outburst over the diaries): “Pointing at the page, Benjy said, ‘Doesn’t this line say, “wow my second wife is such a cow”?’”, while Francis is responsible for quite a few, but not all, eyes-welling-up-lump-in-the-throat moments. Funny, moving and uplifting.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture
The Woman Who Came Back To Life is the fifth novel by British author, Beth Miller. A phone call in the middle of a private French wood turns the ordered life that Pearl Flowers had been leading upside down. Her older brother Greg rings with the news that the father from whom she and her brothers have been estranged for some thirty years, is dying.
No one, not her brother, not her ever-protective husband Denny, is more surprised than Pearl that she feels an urgent need to be there. Too late for last words with her father, she and Denny reluctantly hang around for the hastily-arranged funeral of Francis Nichols, partly because this is a requirement for the mysterious legacy he has left Pearl.
After the expected bequests of property and cash are dealt with, the solicitor tries to hand over a bag of notebooks to Pearl amid vociferous objections from Jeanie and Andrea Nichols, her father’s second wife and step-daughter. It seems Francis has written private journals for the previous thirty-seven years, and several of the family want to have first sight of what could be sensitive material.
“‘They cover the period from 1981 to 2018. I believe the final entry was made only a few weeks before his death.’ A chill ran down my spine. My dad’s life, laid out, for the entire period that I didn’t know him.”
The catch is that they are written in a shorthand that Francis taught Pearl. She returns to France in possession of her father’s legacy to her, not at all sure she wants to read the words of a man who ignored or rejected her attempts at communication after he abandoned her mother and his children. “I stopped writing to Dad then, and eventually, after some rough years of grieving the father I’d loved, I more or less stopped thinking about him, too.”
Those journals sitting in her study are unsettling enough; contact with the family she left behind after a traumatic event is unnerving; the trespasser apparently living in the woods around their secluded little refuge from the world adds to her unease; harassment from her step-sister Andrea about the diaries increases her stress levels; and then there’s a phone call from a young woman…
One of her dying mother’s last requests is that Caroline Haskett attends the funeral and take her measure of the family. The other is that she contact Pearl, something Carrie has no real desire to do. She has managed well for thirty-five years without, and is quite busy enough being the single mother of baby Emmie. But she has made a promise.
The story is carried by three separate narratives: Pearl and Carrie relate in the present day while entries from the journals Francis kept describe past events, giving an alternative, if not always reliable, perspective. The novel’s back-cover blurb is a little misleading, giving the impression that Pearl is more dysfunctional or obsessive than she really is. Some aspects of the story may be predictable, but there are also surprises in the journey to a rather satisfying ending.
Miller’s protagonists are much more than one-dimensional and reward the reader’s time investment with their emotional development. Pearl’s younger brother Benjamin provides some much-needed light relief with his comments and insults during the tenser moments (eg Jeanie’s nasty outburst over the diaries): “Pointing at the page, Benjy said, ‘Doesn’t this line say, “wow my second wife is such a cow”?’”, while Francis is responsible for quite a few, but not all, eyes-welling-up-lump-in-the-throat moments. Funny, moving and uplifting.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Bookouture
December 28, 2021
A truly enjoyable read. The characters were complex with rich backstories that fueled their complicated family dynamics. As with every family, there are secrets, but these secrets are told through a journal written in code and bequeathed to the main character, Pearl, after her estranged father dies.
Pearl's father left her and her brothers when she was a teenager, and she always believed that he'd chosen to replace them with his new wife and her daughter. She learns through reading the journal that this explanation is far too simplistic. Through the journal, she is able to see into her father's thought process and start to understand his true motivations and intentions.
I found the use of the diary and its code as an excellent way for the author to provide details from the dead father's point of view, but also to provide that information slowly. Pearl has some difficulty deciphering it, so the information comes slowly, which I thought was actually a plus. While the story and the use of the diary was interesting and clever, I did feel like there was something missing in the end. Pearl and her husband both had solid character arcs, but I didn't feel like Pearl was able to obtain closure when it came to her father. There were some innuendos as to why the father chose to abandon his first family, but nothing compelling enough to make me think, "yeah that explains it."
But overall, I felt like it was an excellent read. There were parts that were intense, and it does touch on some very serious subjects such as stillborn children, abandonment, and suicide, but it also has some lighter, even funny moments.
Pearl's father left her and her brothers when she was a teenager, and she always believed that he'd chosen to replace them with his new wife and her daughter. She learns through reading the journal that this explanation is far too simplistic. Through the journal, she is able to see into her father's thought process and start to understand his true motivations and intentions.
I found the use of the diary and its code as an excellent way for the author to provide details from the dead father's point of view, but also to provide that information slowly. Pearl has some difficulty deciphering it, so the information comes slowly, which I thought was actually a plus. While the story and the use of the diary was interesting and clever, I did feel like there was something missing in the end. Pearl and her husband both had solid character arcs, but I didn't feel like Pearl was able to obtain closure when it came to her father. There were some innuendos as to why the father chose to abandon his first family, but nothing compelling enough to make me think, "yeah that explains it."
But overall, I felt like it was an excellent read. There were parts that were intense, and it does touch on some very serious subjects such as stillborn children, abandonment, and suicide, but it also has some lighter, even funny moments.
May 8, 2022
I listened to the audiobook back in January but got delayed in writing the review. It was only at the beginning that I had trouble keeping up because of the different POVs and timelines but after I got a hang of it, I was immersed in the storytelling. The story was emotional, tragic and yet hopeful. The entries in the diaries that Pearl Flowers gets bequeathed by her estranged and dead father end up painting an entirely different story about her father's life after he leaves his first family to set up home with a younger woman. It is a cry for help but a cry that was left unanswered during his lifetime. The narration was well done by Sarah Durham. I think it was a good choice for me to listen to this as an audiobook.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture/Bookouture Audio and the author Beth Miller for the audio Arc of the book.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture/Bookouture Audio and the author Beth Miller for the audio Arc of the book.
March 9, 2024
Okay so I started writing a review when I was about a quarter of the way through. At that point in this book I was having a love-hate relationship with it, but now, not so much. The first few chapters feel a little rushed, there’s not a lot of character building or even introduction. The relationship between the MC and her husband also feels a little overbearing and controlling and it felt a little horrid to read, but I can assure you this part all helps understand the reveals further down the line.
By halfway through, I was entirely invested. I gobbled the last half of this book in about two hours. Finishing the whole thing in just 24 hours. There’s a lot of mystery, a lot of unworked through trauma and family history. But there’s also beautiful revelations and relationships being built. I felt like I really needed to read this book, and it will stay with me. I look forward to reading future works by this author.
By halfway through, I was entirely invested. I gobbled the last half of this book in about two hours. Finishing the whole thing in just 24 hours. There’s a lot of mystery, a lot of unworked through trauma and family history. But there’s also beautiful revelations and relationships being built. I felt like I really needed to read this book, and it will stay with me. I look forward to reading future works by this author.
December 3, 2021
I loved this book! Essentially the story of broken, damaged people, the gentle rhythm of the storytelling carries the reader along as the characters come to grips with their circumstances and learn to take control of their lives.
At the heart of the story is 52-year-old Pearl, who has moved with her husband from the UK to a small cottage in southern France, surrounded by a private forest. There they can escape from their lives and their friends and acquaintances back home, entering into civilization when they choose, but largely passing time alone in their solitary forest retreat. But the world can only be held at bay for limited periods, and soon enough, life encroaches on their safe cocoon.
Pearl returns to the UK for her estranged father’s funeral. While there, his bequest to her of his meticulous journals allows her to override the wishes of her overprotective husband and to reexamine circumstances of the past she has always preferred to evade.
The story is also told through Carrie, a single mother struggling with the death of her own beloved mother to cancer, and through the tortured journals of Pearl’s unhappy father, Francis, who laments the choices he has made.
This was a heartwarming story that unraveled slowly, but in a fully engaging manner, and I thoroughly enjoyed following along with Pearl, Carrie and Francis as they worked to atone for their mistakes and to open their hearts to others – and to forgive themselves. I highly recommend this novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.
At the heart of the story is 52-year-old Pearl, who has moved with her husband from the UK to a small cottage in southern France, surrounded by a private forest. There they can escape from their lives and their friends and acquaintances back home, entering into civilization when they choose, but largely passing time alone in their solitary forest retreat. But the world can only be held at bay for limited periods, and soon enough, life encroaches on their safe cocoon.
Pearl returns to the UK for her estranged father’s funeral. While there, his bequest to her of his meticulous journals allows her to override the wishes of her overprotective husband and to reexamine circumstances of the past she has always preferred to evade.
The story is also told through Carrie, a single mother struggling with the death of her own beloved mother to cancer, and through the tortured journals of Pearl’s unhappy father, Francis, who laments the choices he has made.
This was a heartwarming story that unraveled slowly, but in a fully engaging manner, and I thoroughly enjoyed following along with Pearl, Carrie and Francis as they worked to atone for their mistakes and to open their hearts to others – and to forgive themselves. I highly recommend this novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2021
Heartbreaking family drama set in England and France, with pops of sly humour. It's very different from her other novels but as always, full of people who stay with you long after you've read the final page. Hugely recommended.
[It was probably tiredness on my part but I was a little confused during the first chapter, keeping track of who's who but trust me, stay with it, all becomes clear and you'll be amply rewarded.]
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read an advance copy.
[It was probably tiredness on my part but I was a little confused during the first chapter, keeping track of who's who but trust me, stay with it, all becomes clear and you'll be amply rewarded.]
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read an advance copy.
January 1, 2022
This is a very different. moving story of family, secrets, grief and so much more,
One that spans their family history not for one decade but four!
Pearl Flowers hasn't seen or spoken to her Dad for thirty years
When her older brother calls to share his fears.
Her parents split when she was a teen
Her Dad married again but for his first family he didn't seem keen.
He pushed them away but didn't say why
Maybe he'll explain now he's about to die?
Though she rushed, she arrives too late
And thinks that's the end, a final twist of fate.
However her Dad has left his diaries, just for her
Written in a code script the two used to share.
As Pearl reconnects with her brothers
There are secrets hiding from her and others.
Will the secrets the diaries start to reveal
Enable her and her family to heal?
However there are secrets in her past, too
And reading the diaries brings a revelation through
It is only by facing up to what is in the past
That they can move on to happiness at last.
This is such an emotional read
Keep tissues by your side in case of need.
It is one full of heartbreak, regrets and more
That divided the family that was before.
It keeps you turning the pages as the secrets come to light
Giving new outlooks on the participants plight
Making it easy to relate to each other
Healing wounds they have yet to uncover.
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
I throughly enjoyed reading it and this is my honest review.
One that spans their family history not for one decade but four!
Pearl Flowers hasn't seen or spoken to her Dad for thirty years
When her older brother calls to share his fears.
Her parents split when she was a teen
Her Dad married again but for his first family he didn't seem keen.
He pushed them away but didn't say why
Maybe he'll explain now he's about to die?
Though she rushed, she arrives too late
And thinks that's the end, a final twist of fate.
However her Dad has left his diaries, just for her
Written in a code script the two used to share.
As Pearl reconnects with her brothers
There are secrets hiding from her and others.
Will the secrets the diaries start to reveal
Enable her and her family to heal?
However there are secrets in her past, too
And reading the diaries brings a revelation through
It is only by facing up to what is in the past
That they can move on to happiness at last.
This is such an emotional read
Keep tissues by your side in case of need.
It is one full of heartbreak, regrets and more
That divided the family that was before.
It keeps you turning the pages as the secrets come to light
Giving new outlooks on the participants plight
Making it easy to relate to each other
Healing wounds they have yet to uncover.
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
I throughly enjoyed reading it and this is my honest review.
January 18, 2022
Format: audiobook
Author: Beth Miller ~ Title: The Woman Who Came Back to Life ~ Narrator: Sarah Durham
Content: 3.5 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars
Complete audiobook review
Pearl Flowers lives in France in a lovely cottage in the middle of the woods. When her estranged father Francis dies, she learns that she inherited something. Pearl didn’t see her father for over 30 years. So she doesn’t understand why he would leave something to her. It turns out he wanted her to have his secret diaries.
The story is told through 3POVs: Pearl, Carrie, and Pearl father’s diaries. I enjoyed this family drama and the slow revealing of the secrets they had. Although, I sometimes expected a bit more.
The narrator was excellent, and she captured different voices very well. But because there are 3 POVs and the age gap is pretty big, I would expect three different narrators. It would be so much better this way.
Thanks to Bookouture Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
Author: Beth Miller ~ Title: The Woman Who Came Back to Life ~ Narrator: Sarah Durham
Content: 3.5 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars
Complete audiobook review
Pearl Flowers lives in France in a lovely cottage in the middle of the woods. When her estranged father Francis dies, she learns that she inherited something. Pearl didn’t see her father for over 30 years. So she doesn’t understand why he would leave something to her. It turns out he wanted her to have his secret diaries.
The story is told through 3POVs: Pearl, Carrie, and Pearl father’s diaries. I enjoyed this family drama and the slow revealing of the secrets they had. Although, I sometimes expected a bit more.
The narrator was excellent, and she captured different voices very well. But because there are 3 POVs and the age gap is pretty big, I would expect three different narrators. It would be so much better this way.
Thanks to Bookouture Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
July 23, 2022
This book hit me in the feels! What an exquisitely written story.
December 11, 2021
It took me quite a while to sort out all of the snarled threads of the story. I had so many questions about how this family because so fractured and why Pearl was estranged from her father for over 35 years. I liked the diary angle and the fact that they were written in shorthand, which is a lost art in the modern world. One question I had which I never found an answer, was why Pearl’s father left her mother. It’s an interesting read of tender moments, facing the past, and reconnecting with family. Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advance read.
October 26, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. And honestly? These are the types of books I love so much...this was a book about family dynamics and there really wasn't much I DIDN'T like about it...I loved the premise, I loved most of the characters and I loved the setting...family estrangement, old diaries, wills, and family you didn't even know you had...I would recommend this one to pretty much any one who likes contemporary novels...I can't even say it was all romance this time...as it was mostly about family and growth.
January 10, 2022
This was a book outside my comfort zone, well that's what I thought. But I was wrong.
It is the story of Pearl Flowers, who lives an enstranged life from her father. But as he is about to die she returns back home. And this is where she starts to discover a lot of hidden secrets that shakes up all she thought true for so long.
I really enjoyed the audio version of this book and want to
thank #NetGalley and #Bookouture Audio, Bookouture for providing me with it!
It is the story of Pearl Flowers, who lives an enstranged life from her father. But as he is about to die she returns back home. And this is where she starts to discover a lot of hidden secrets that shakes up all she thought true for so long.
I really enjoyed the audio version of this book and want to
thank #NetGalley and #Bookouture Audio, Bookouture for providing me with it!
July 31, 2022
Heel fijn boek over een vrouw die bij de begrafenis van haar vader die ze 30 jaar niet heeft gezien al zijn dagboeken krijgt. Er komt enorm veel oud zeer boven waar ze naar beste weten mee om probeert te gaan.
December 28, 2021
I loved this audiobook so much!
It is beautifully written (and narrated) from three different perspectives: Pearl, her daughter Carrie that she had in her teens and gave for adoption at birth, and Francis, Pearl's estranged father that we get to know through his diaries.
I loved the way it evolves around family relationships of different kinds, making it a touching family drama with tears jerking moments as well as laugh out loud ones.
I'm definitely going to have a look at other books by Beth Miller, since I highly enjoyed this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review
It is beautifully written (and narrated) from three different perspectives: Pearl, her daughter Carrie that she had in her teens and gave for adoption at birth, and Francis, Pearl's estranged father that we get to know through his diaries.
I loved the way it evolves around family relationships of different kinds, making it a touching family drama with tears jerking moments as well as laugh out loud ones.
I'm definitely going to have a look at other books by Beth Miller, since I highly enjoyed this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review
December 17, 2021
This is the book that has all the family drama and that will make you laugh out loud and cry at the same time and that will make you not put the book down.
Pearl receives the news that her father has died and so she and Denny flies to London to attend the funeral from France. Her father has left her his diary, which was written in shorthand--something that only Pearl knows. With her father's wife demanding to give the diary to her as she firmly believes that it belonged to her, And as Pearl reads her late father's diary, she gets to know more about her and realizes that he knows more about her despite the fact that they didn't have a good relationship with each other. Meanwhile, Pearl gets a surprise visit from someone.
This book is written in two perspectives--Pearl and Carrie. You will soon get to know who Carrie is by the middle of the book. The story is beautifully written with the author doing a good job of drawing the reader into the story. This book actually reminded me the likeness of Jodi Picoult, Heather Webber where this book in fact talks about the complications within the family and the relationships between the family members in general. I do like the part where the relationship with Pearl and Carrie were a bit estranged but eventually, it started growing as they both grow into understanding with each other. Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book. There were some tear jerking moments, some funny parts as well that will make you laugh out loud and also overall, an intense family drama that is well described in the book.
Worth full five stars in my opinion! Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Pearl receives the news that her father has died and so she and Denny flies to London to attend the funeral from France. Her father has left her his diary, which was written in shorthand--something that only Pearl knows. With her father's wife demanding to give the diary to her as she firmly believes that it belonged to her, And as Pearl reads her late father's diary, she gets to know more about her and realizes that he knows more about her despite the fact that they didn't have a good relationship with each other. Meanwhile, Pearl gets a surprise visit from someone.
This book is written in two perspectives--Pearl and Carrie. You will soon get to know who Carrie is by the middle of the book. The story is beautifully written with the author doing a good job of drawing the reader into the story. This book actually reminded me the likeness of Jodi Picoult, Heather Webber where this book in fact talks about the complications within the family and the relationships between the family members in general. I do like the part where the relationship with Pearl and Carrie were a bit estranged but eventually, it started growing as they both grow into understanding with each other. Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book. There were some tear jerking moments, some funny parts as well that will make you laugh out loud and also overall, an intense family drama that is well described in the book.
Worth full five stars in my opinion! Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
December 22, 2021
Told from different viewpoints including entries from a diary from a deceased father that's been written in code, this is the story of very complicated parent-child relationships. While this is mostly drama, there is a bit of mystery involved as details emerge and the past is revealed and we discover how each person plays into the story. I really enjoyed the writing and characters and kind of wish I could live in that little cabin in the woods in France! We can never know what's going through another person's mind or their true intentions. Sometimes the truth is only revealed when it's too late.
Thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
January 18, 2022
This is a must-read-encouraging book that can not be missed or taken for granted. It definitely made me glad I pick books by genre and cover and I try to not read spoilers. I am so thankful for that, this book needs that surprising fact. My mind was inevitably working on every little detail that provided a bit of hint to reckon how things will turn, I LOVED IT! My heart pounding to every turn this story took made me a Beth Miller follower.
Thought about the experience of the main character all night, I contemplated all the options I would've had and the time and society I lived in when I was that age, and I realized that I wouldn't be able to have choices, only God's will.
📑This ARC was granted to me through NetGalley and approved by Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Thought about the experience of the main character all night, I contemplated all the options I would've had and the time and society I lived in when I was that age, and I realized that I wouldn't be able to have choices, only God's will.
📑This ARC was granted to me through NetGalley and approved by Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
December 30, 2021
Talented British author, Beth Miller wrote "The Woman Who Came Back to Life". I was very fortunate to read the e-book on my Kindle while listening to audio book, beautifully narrated by Sarah Durham.
Pearl lives in the London area with her husband Denny. They own a picturesque cabin in their woods and enjoy a secluded life together. Pearl has two brother's (Greg and Benjy). Their dad left them over thirty years ago and the family struggled to stay close. Suddenly, their dad Francis passes away, and the family is called together for the funeral/reading of the will. Pearl is mysterious bequeathed something private by her father that could drive the family further apart. This creates drama and chaos among the family members.
The story involves three POV's. This leads to some very interesting family secrets coming to light. I enjoyed the story, but thought it was a little lackluster in the middle. The ending was interesting and left me wondering if there is going to sequel. I sure hope so. I would love to read it..
The book will be published January 5, 2022.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Bookouture Audio for the e-book and audiobook in exchange for my honest review. I really appreciate it!
Pearl lives in the London area with her husband Denny. They own a picturesque cabin in their woods and enjoy a secluded life together. Pearl has two brother's (Greg and Benjy). Their dad left them over thirty years ago and the family struggled to stay close. Suddenly, their dad Francis passes away, and the family is called together for the funeral/reading of the will. Pearl is mysterious bequeathed something private by her father that could drive the family further apart. This creates drama and chaos among the family members.
The story involves three POV's. This leads to some very interesting family secrets coming to light. I enjoyed the story, but thought it was a little lackluster in the middle. The ending was interesting and left me wondering if there is going to sequel. I sure hope so. I would love to read it..
The book will be published January 5, 2022.
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Bookouture Audio for the e-book and audiobook in exchange for my honest review. I really appreciate it!
December 5, 2025
I received this audiobook from NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
Content notes for this novel include: discussions about abortion, stillbirth, pregnancy complications, domestic abuse and discussions around trauma and mental illness.
The novel is about two women navigating a complex, mysterious family situation caused the death of a man they are linked to.
This is not the kind of book I normally read or listen to, but I'm really glad I did. The novel tackles really difficult discussions around trauma and psychological abuse. The main characters experience immense growth in their perspectives around themselves and their families, which is great for a reader to see. Plus, the prose is excellent.
There's not much bad to say about this book. Some characters did not really need to exist at all in my opinion, as the story could have developed completely fine without them. Nevertheless, an amazing read.
Content notes for this novel include: discussions about abortion, stillbirth, pregnancy complications, domestic abuse and discussions around trauma and mental illness.
The novel is about two women navigating a complex, mysterious family situation caused the death of a man they are linked to.
This is not the kind of book I normally read or listen to, but I'm really glad I did. The novel tackles really difficult discussions around trauma and psychological abuse. The main characters experience immense growth in their perspectives around themselves and their families, which is great for a reader to see. Plus, the prose is excellent.
There's not much bad to say about this book. Some characters did not really need to exist at all in my opinion, as the story could have developed completely fine without them. Nevertheless, an amazing read.
Read
May 14, 2026Trigger & Content Warnings:
Death of a father
Death of a father
April 24, 2024
Die Grundidee zusammen mit dem schönen Cover hatten mich überzeugt - ich hatte Lust auf eine emotionale Reise durch ein abwechslungsreiches Leben.
Und wer findet Tagebücher nicht spannend? Vor allem, wenn sie nur von einer Person gelesen werden sollen und können.
Direkt zu Beginn habe ich mich mit der Umgebung wie sie in Frankreich beschrieben wurde, angefreundet und wäre sehr gerne durch den Wald des abgeschiedenen Hauses gewandert.
Im laufe der Geschichte spielt die Autorin dort mit einigen Symbolen, versucht uns Parallelen aufzuzeigen zwischen den durch die Tagebücher aufgedeckten Erlebnissen und der Beziehung der Protagonistin.
Ich denke, jeder kennt die Situationen, in denen Person A ihr Leid über eine bestimmte Situation mit Person B klagt und wir uns innerlich fragen, ob wir uns evtl. nicht auch so verhalten hätten, wie B - und dabei innerlich ein leises Nagen von Schuldgefühlen verspüren. Person A allerdings vertritt definitiv nicht die Meinung, dass dies zutrifft, da das von ihr beschrieben Verhalten wirklich rein Situations- und Personenbedingt ist. Es hat nichts mit uns zu tun.
Auch hier kommt eine ähnliche Gegebenheit vor und wird zu meinem Bewundern sehr schön aufgelöst.
Des weiteren finde ich erstaunlich, wie viele kleine Äste an weiteren Verstrickungen sich mit der Zeit auftun. Sehr viele Familienthemen werden angesprochen und auch angemessen behandelt.
Durch den Erzählstil schafft es die Autorin, die Story durchgehend interessant zu gestalten und einen leichten Zugang zu schaffen.
Einen Stern Abzug gebe ich dennoch, da mir einige Situationen zu ungeklärt erschienen.
Fazit: Nettes, unterhaltsames Buch, das vor allem zu Beginn spannend ist und im Verlauf immer mehr Enthüllungen preisgibt. Eine emotionale Achterbahn, bei der der Feel-Good-Effekt nicht zu kurz kommt. Lediglich das Ende ist wohl Geschmackssache.
Und wer findet Tagebücher nicht spannend? Vor allem, wenn sie nur von einer Person gelesen werden sollen und können.
Direkt zu Beginn habe ich mich mit der Umgebung wie sie in Frankreich beschrieben wurde, angefreundet und wäre sehr gerne durch den Wald des abgeschiedenen Hauses gewandert.
Im laufe der Geschichte spielt die Autorin dort mit einigen Symbolen, versucht uns Parallelen aufzuzeigen zwischen den durch die Tagebücher aufgedeckten Erlebnissen und der Beziehung der Protagonistin.
Ich denke, jeder kennt die Situationen, in denen Person A ihr Leid über eine bestimmte Situation mit Person B klagt und wir uns innerlich fragen, ob wir uns evtl. nicht auch so verhalten hätten, wie B - und dabei innerlich ein leises Nagen von Schuldgefühlen verspüren. Person A allerdings vertritt definitiv nicht die Meinung, dass dies zutrifft, da das von ihr beschrieben Verhalten wirklich rein Situations- und Personenbedingt ist. Es hat nichts mit uns zu tun.
Auch hier kommt eine ähnliche Gegebenheit vor und wird zu meinem Bewundern sehr schön aufgelöst.
Des weiteren finde ich erstaunlich, wie viele kleine Äste an weiteren Verstrickungen sich mit der Zeit auftun. Sehr viele Familienthemen werden angesprochen und auch angemessen behandelt.
Durch den Erzählstil schafft es die Autorin, die Story durchgehend interessant zu gestalten und einen leichten Zugang zu schaffen.
Einen Stern Abzug gebe ich dennoch, da mir einige Situationen zu ungeklärt erschienen.
Fazit: Nettes, unterhaltsames Buch, das vor allem zu Beginn spannend ist und im Verlauf immer mehr Enthüllungen preisgibt. Eine emotionale Achterbahn, bei der der Feel-Good-Effekt nicht zu kurz kommt. Lediglich das Ende ist wohl Geschmackssache.
January 9, 2022
If your favoured reading material is a compelling tale with a good sprinkling of relationships, imperfection, redemption, secrets and family then The Woman Who Came Back to Life by Beth Miller is a must-read for you! This book is substantially about estrangement, loss, love, parent-child relationships, and lost opportunities, and the synopsis also implies a soupçon of mystery, which was exactly the reading experience I had.
Beth Miller has an admirable writing style: it is seamless, flows well, and is wonderfully expressive. The characterisation is impressive with an unforgettable cast of people that are complex and determined, though difficult and flawed to somewhat varying degrees. The character-driven plot is told from the points of view of Pearl and another initially unknown character named Carrie, as well as extracts from Francis' (Pearl's father) diaries. The story covers the period from 1981 to 2018, but not chronologically. This was an exceptionally compulsive story and the ending was good. I really enjoyed living in the characters' pockets throughout their respective journeys. Warm, deeply emotive, heart-rending, funny, heart-breaking all at once - this book is very highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
Beth Miller has an admirable writing style: it is seamless, flows well, and is wonderfully expressive. The characterisation is impressive with an unforgettable cast of people that are complex and determined, though difficult and flawed to somewhat varying degrees. The character-driven plot is told from the points of view of Pearl and another initially unknown character named Carrie, as well as extracts from Francis' (Pearl's father) diaries. The story covers the period from 1981 to 2018, but not chronologically. This was an exceptionally compulsive story and the ending was good. I really enjoyed living in the characters' pockets throughout their respective journeys. Warm, deeply emotive, heart-rending, funny, heart-breaking all at once - this book is very highly recommended.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
January 7, 2022
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Woman Who Came Back To Life' by Beth Miller.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Beth Miller, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 5th January 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its interesting cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Matt Haig, Mike Gayle and Camille Pagán will fall in love with this beautiful, feel-good story.' I am a fan of Matt Haig so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 23 chapters and 16 "extracts". The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in France 🇫🇷 and England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.
This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonists are Carrie and Pearl. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.
What an absolutely gorgeous yet heartbreaking coming-of-age story. Well done Beth this may be the first book I've read of yours but it most definitely won't be the last.
The writing in this book is absolutely beautiful with descriptions that really put you in the storyline leaving you tasting French croissants and feeling the French air. The cover and synopsis suit the book perfectly.
The storyline is just beautiful!! It is a coming-of-age story and is absolutely filled with love, secrets, family, lies, friendship, heartbreak and so, so much more. Each page leaves you wanting more and I couldn't sleep until I had finished it late last night. It is obvious that Beth did her research on places in France and that fact shines through. One of my bugs about books is when an author sets their book in a place or about certain subjects yet doesn't put any research in and it is obvious and can spoil the storyline. This book is filled with family dynamics and it really makes you contemplate what you would have done if you were in each of the characters shoes. If you are going to read this keep some tissues ready and clear your diary as not only will you be unable to put it down but it will leave you in tears. I can't talk too much about the storyline as I don't want to give anything away but there isn't just one plot going on but so many different things happening which are all tied up beautifully at the end. This book is a truly emotional page turner. The atmosphere of France was absolutely perfect especially Paris, being the city of romance and I enjoyed my holiday there without leaving my seat. I was absolutely devastated coming to the end realising I would have to "unpack my bags" and return to drizzle Wales.
The characters were all strong and realistic and each one had their own unique personality. I enjoyed getting to know not only Pearl and Carrie but also Francis through his memoirs. I was absolutely intrigued by the diary entries and it slowly gave us a clear insight into what was going on in Francis' life. I adored Benjy who made me laugh several times and actually reminded me of my own brother. Gregg is the typical older protective big brother who I thought was quite sweet and I absolutely adores his wife Eleanor who was extremely supportive. I could not stand Jeanie and wasn't a fan of Andrea (An-Dray-ah) but did have some sympathy towards her by the end. Coming back to Pearl and Carrie though, I really connected with them both and found them to be very strong female leads, each suffering with their own dilemmas, pasts and tragedies and there were several points I wish I had been physically there to hug them both. Oh, I cannot forget Denby or 'the ranger' (I won't name him as I don't want to spoil anything again). I thought Denby was really sweet and although, at times, overbearing I genuinely think that he was just worried about Pearl and cared for her so much he couldn't bear seeing anything happen to her. I really 3njiyed meeting 'the ranger' and I would love to see what went on after the end with him and the other person, he was a gruff man but also struggled with his past and I hope it all went well for him. Overall, a great mix of characters who worked perfectly with the storyline.
Another HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Beth on an absolutely gorgeous book and here's to many more successes 🥂 I am off to add all your books to my Amazon wishlist and I would like to welcome you to my favourite author club ♥
Overall a heartbreaking yet heartwarming page turner about family, love, friendships, growing up and what ifs?
Genres covered in this book include Coming-Of-Age story and Humorous Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Matt Haig, Mike Gayle, Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Camille Pagán.
338 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheWomanWhoCameBackToLife #Bookouture #BethMiller #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@BethMiller @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
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Review for 'The Woman Who Came Back To Life' by Beth Miller.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Beth Miller, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 5th January 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its interesting cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'Fans of Matt Haig, Mike Gayle and Camille Pagán will fall in love with this beautiful, feel-good story.' I am a fan of Matt Haig so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 23 chapters and 16 "extracts". The chapters are medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in France 🇫🇷 and England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.
This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonists are Carrie and Pearl. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.
What an absolutely gorgeous yet heartbreaking coming-of-age story. Well done Beth this may be the first book I've read of yours but it most definitely won't be the last.
The writing in this book is absolutely beautiful with descriptions that really put you in the storyline leaving you tasting French croissants and feeling the French air. The cover and synopsis suit the book perfectly.
The storyline is just beautiful!! It is a coming-of-age story and is absolutely filled with love, secrets, family, lies, friendship, heartbreak and so, so much more. Each page leaves you wanting more and I couldn't sleep until I had finished it late last night. It is obvious that Beth did her research on places in France and that fact shines through. One of my bugs about books is when an author sets their book in a place or about certain subjects yet doesn't put any research in and it is obvious and can spoil the storyline. This book is filled with family dynamics and it really makes you contemplate what you would have done if you were in each of the characters shoes. If you are going to read this keep some tissues ready and clear your diary as not only will you be unable to put it down but it will leave you in tears. I can't talk too much about the storyline as I don't want to give anything away but there isn't just one plot going on but so many different things happening which are all tied up beautifully at the end. This book is a truly emotional page turner. The atmosphere of France was absolutely perfect especially Paris, being the city of romance and I enjoyed my holiday there without leaving my seat. I was absolutely devastated coming to the end realising I would have to "unpack my bags" and return to drizzle Wales.
The characters were all strong and realistic and each one had their own unique personality. I enjoyed getting to know not only Pearl and Carrie but also Francis through his memoirs. I was absolutely intrigued by the diary entries and it slowly gave us a clear insight into what was going on in Francis' life. I adored Benjy who made me laugh several times and actually reminded me of my own brother. Gregg is the typical older protective big brother who I thought was quite sweet and I absolutely adores his wife Eleanor who was extremely supportive. I could not stand Jeanie and wasn't a fan of Andrea (An-Dray-ah) but did have some sympathy towards her by the end. Coming back to Pearl and Carrie though, I really connected with them both and found them to be very strong female leads, each suffering with their own dilemmas, pasts and tragedies and there were several points I wish I had been physically there to hug them both. Oh, I cannot forget Denby or 'the ranger' (I won't name him as I don't want to spoil anything again). I thought Denby was really sweet and although, at times, overbearing I genuinely think that he was just worried about Pearl and cared for her so much he couldn't bear seeing anything happen to her. I really 3njiyed meeting 'the ranger' and I would love to see what went on after the end with him and the other person, he was a gruff man but also struggled with his past and I hope it all went well for him. Overall, a great mix of characters who worked perfectly with the storyline.
Another HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Beth on an absolutely gorgeous book and here's to many more successes 🥂 I am off to add all your books to my Amazon wishlist and I would like to welcome you to my favourite author club ♥
Overall a heartbreaking yet heartwarming page turner about family, love, friendships, growing up and what ifs?
Genres covered in this book include Coming-Of-Age story and Humorous Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Matt Haig, Mike Gayle, Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain and Camille Pagán.
338 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews
#TheWomanWhoCameBackToLife #Bookouture #BethMiller #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour
@BethMiller @Bookouture @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86
https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__...
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