The Darling Girls by Emma Burstall
| The Darling Girls by Emma Burstall | |
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| Category: Women's Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Jo Heffer
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| Summary: Three women meet for the first time at a funeral. It is not just anyone's funeral though but that of the man that they all consider their partner and for two of them, he is the father of their children. At first they only feel hatred and animosity towards each other but, as time passes, they gradually get to know each other and surprisingly they form a bond. This is a lovely book that demonstrates the power of women's friendships even in the most unlikely of circumstances. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 368 | Date: January 2014 |
| Publisher: Head of Zeus | |
| ISBN: 978-1781857861 | |
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Leo Bruck, a world famous conductor, died suddenly of a heart attack. Amongst many mourners at his funeral are three women for whom Leo was much more than an acquaintance. Victoria was his long term partner and mother of his two children, Ralph and Salome. However, Maddy has also shared much of her life with Leo and he is father to her daughter Pheobe. Then there is Cat, who met Leo about eighteen months ago and they also formed a relationship. All three were aware of the others and, for whatever reasons, had tolerated the parallel lives that Leo was leading. However, they had never met before the funeral and there is instant dislike particularly between Victoria and Maddy.
As time passes though, and through uncovering some surprising truths about Leo, there is a need for the women to meet. Initially suspicious and mistrusting of each other, they gradually get to know each other and to form an uneasy truce. They are also surprised to discover that they each new a very different Leo. This is a wonderful story about how friendships can evolve and ultimately be treasured. The road ahead is not easy for the three women but surprisingly they feel stronger together than they do when they are apart.
I found myself caught up in this story from the very first pages and thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in the tangled web that surrounded the three women. The writing is nicely relaxed and the story so compelling that it makes you want to read on. This was also quite a unique storyline for me and I kept wanting to know how things would turn out for all three women. They were all such different characters but all very likeable which meant that I found myself caring about them; something that is always very important to me when reading any book - I have to like the characters.
The style that the book is written in is very good too as it takes you through the women's vast range of emotions when meeting each other - anger, hurt, confusion and ultimately trust and compassion. It certainly takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster but a very satisfying one.
If you like the idea of this book, why not take a look at The Way We Were by Elizabeth Noble
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Darling Girls by Emma Burstall at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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