The Daughters of Madurai by Rasjree Variyar

‘A girl is a burden. A girl is a curse.’ 

Madurai, 1992. A young mother in a poor family, Janani is told she is useless if she can’t produce a son – or worse, bears daughters they can’t afford. They let her keep her first baby girl but the rest are taken away as soon as they are born. The fate of her children has never been in her hands. But Janani can’t forget the daughters who weren’t allowed to live.

Sydney, 2019. Nila has a secret, one she’s been keeping from her parents for far too long. Before she can say anything, her grandfather in India falls ill and she agrees to join her parents on a trip to Madurai – the first in over ten years. Growing up in Australia, Nila knows very little about where she or her family came from, or who they left behind. What she’s about to learn will change her forever…

Thanks so much to Hachette for my gifted proof, absolutely stunning it is, and Netgalley for my e-arc.

I read this alongside 2 of my buddies, Lucy and Wendy. We read 4 chapters a day and left voice notes about our thoughts. Wow what a powerful book! Lucy and Wendy felt the same too.

So Nila and Janani were amazingly strong women, they were both my favourite characters. I loved the timeline switching from the past to the present day, and I liked how some people weren’t named until later in the book, which keeps you guessing as to what is going on.

The culture shock in this book is huge, I didn’t realise things like this happened, and I have a feeling somewhere in the depths of India it still does. What a horrible feeling it must be to feel scared to find out you are pregnant with a girl, especially if you already have a daughter. Knowing your family could take the child and give it away, or worse leave it to die. Janani faced just that, her babies gone forever. Her awful, awful mother in law hurling abuse at her every second of the day, the name calling, the hitting. But the pain of losing her babies had to be the worst hurt. Her little girl Lavanika was such a ray of sunshine in her life, I’m glad she had her.

Honestly, this story was so emotional, extremely hard hitting, and has stayed with me since finishing it. I would recommend this one. Thanks again to Hachette for my copy, and for Rasjree Variyar for writing it.

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The Last Goodbye by Tim Weaver

 

One day ago...

On the night Tom Brenner and his nine-year-old son Leo visit the Seven Peaks theme park, they head straight for the ghost house. They go in. But they don't come out. Somewhere inside the ride, impossible as it seems, the two of them simply vanish.

Forty years ago...

When Rebekah Murphy was three, her mother walked out of their childhood home and never returned. Nearly four decades on, Fiona Murphy is still missing. But then, out of the blue, a letter arrives in the post. It says it's from Fiona.

Now...

Missing persons investigator David Raker is hired by Rebekah to find out if the letter is actually from her mother - and soon makes a connection to the Brenners. But these are mysteries whose secrets were never meant to be found. And with his closest ally under arrest and about to reveal some truths of his own, the danger to Raker is coming from all sides…

I received a copy of this from Netgalley and the publisher Penguin Michael Joseph in return for an honest review.

I first read a Tim Weaver book when I was sent an amazing proof of The Blackbird, and it was his latest book (out of quite a few). I loved it so much i went out and bought all of his books, mostly from charity shops, and now have the full collection. I’m still to read from the start.

The blurb for The Last Goodbye got me wanting to dive into this quickly, and I’m so glad I did! What a story!

So far, Tim is the king of twists, and his latest book does not disappoint. By the end I was messaging my friend with so many shocked faces as I didn’t see any of the twists coming! I love David Raker, and there’s so many times I just want to hug him, he’s been through a lot! I really liked Rebekah, and have found out from a friend that she is the main person in Weavers’ standalone novel Missing Pieces. So that may be next up.

Thanks again to Penguin Michael Joseph and Netgalley for my review copy, and thanks to the author Mr Weaver, as always.

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The Push by Ashley Audrain

The arrival of baby Violet was meant to be the happiest day of my life. A fresh start.

But as soon as I held her in my arms, I knew something wasn't right.

I have always known that the women in my family weren't meant to be mothers.

My husband Fox says I'm imagining it, but she's different with me. Something feels very wrong.

Is it her? Or is it me?

Is she the monster? Or am I?

I’ve had this on my tbr for ages, why did I wait so long to read it! What a book, Ashley Audrain has written a corker, which has you guessing all the way through. You can never seem to tell if what Blythe is thinking is true or not, whether her child hates her and is evil, or her head is all over the palce and she is imagining everything. I loved her bond with Sam when he came along, and the relationship between Violet and her father. I also liked the back stories too, we learn a lot about Blythes childhood, and her mothers childhood. 

This was a brilliant story and i can’t wait to dig into Ms Audrain’s new book The Whispers.