One of the things I love most about having an active Instagram/Bookstragram page is connecting with authors. When new author Tori Whitaker reached out to ask if I’d be interested in reading and reviewing her latest book, I was very excited to receive it in my mailbox. And the story itself did not disappoint.
When the book begins, we find ourselves at Millicent Glenn’s wedding, but she is not your traditional 1940s and 1950s housewife, or at least, she doesn’t want to be. Her mother always taught her to earn her own money, and she wants to be an active part of her husband’s construction business, while still creating a large family. But after her first baby is born, she’s told it’s too dangerous to have more children, and then something horrible happens that changes their lives forever. Told in past and present timelines this is not only the story of Millie as a young housewife and a 91-year-old grandmother, long estranged from her only child, but a story of regret, guilt, and secrets, and what it does to a person who tortures herself living in the what-ifs.
I liked the history in this book. It was evident that the author spent a lot of time researching the era of this book and I thought it only added to the story and gave it an authentic feel. I also liked the mother-daughter-granddaughter dynamic here between Millicent, Jane, and Kelsey. I thought the author did a good job encapsulating how complicated these relationships can be.
Looking at it from a modern perspective, I’m not sure that her big secret felt as high stakes as it really should have. But looking at this story from the perspective of the time, when doctors were never questioned, women had to promise to obey their husbands when they got married, and women couldn’t even open a bank account without their husband’s permission, the conflict makes a lot more sense. I think this is probably an endless struggle for authors writing to a modern audience about the past.
Overall, this is a sweet story and was definitely a nice break from the thriller streak I’ve been on the rest of this month.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. Thank you, Tori Whitaker, for sending it to me! I love book mail!