I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but I really enjoyed reading it, and I wish I didn’t have to let go of these characters at the end.
After her mother’s funeral, Jess returns to her mother’s — now her — home, accompanied by her cousin’s adult son, Michael. Reeling from the grief of losing her mother whom she had been caregiver to for many years and unsure what to do, she decides that she should start going through her parents’ things in the attic. But when she does, she discovers a giant, life-altering secret that they hid for her entire adult life — a box of letters from Joe, the love of her life, who she was told left her when she was at the lowest moment one could imagine, almost two decades earlier. Slowly her whole story is revealed and she and Michael go on a quest to find him, learning a lot about love, loss, and life in the process.
This is a very sad book, and trigger warning, there is child death in it, so be forewarned.
But, I enjoyed learning about each of the characters, so much so that I don’t think I can choose a favorite from the main ones. Jess went through so much over the years and barely survived it all but is learning to find her voice again now that she’s free from her parents. Michael is struggling balancing his sexual identity with his unsupportive, bigoted parents. And Belinda, a childhood friend of Joe’s and a former teenage parent who has found her path as a lawyer, helping those in her community now that her own child is grown. This trio makes an unlikely alliance to solve the mystery of what happened to Joe and why the letters hidden in the attic suddenly stopped arriving several years ago.
Definitely read this one with a box of tissues, but be prepared to be sucked into this story. You won’t be sorry.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, William Morrow, and The Book Club Girls in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.