I love reading other’s thoughts about the books they are reading (and I love when people blog about it) so I thought I might start sharing some thoughts over here. Just in case other people out there are as nosy as I am. I guess I am trying to write what I like to read and hope there are some kindred spirits out there somewhere.

I have read a few books over the summer and if I can gather enough thoughts (through my crazy busy foggy brain) I might share some chat about those too.

This book, Things I want my Daughters to know by Elizabeth Noble , is one I just finished last night. The blurb on the back says

How would you say goodbye to those you love most in the world? 

Barbara must say a final farewell to her four daughters. But how can she find the words? And how can she leave them when they each have so much growing up to do? There’s commitment-phobic Lisa. Brittle, unhappily married Jennifer. Free-spirited traveller Amanda. And teenage Hannah, stumbling her way towards adulthood.

Barbara’s answer is to write each daughter a letter, finally expressing the hopes, fears, dreams and secrets she couldn’t always voice. These words will touch the girls in different – sometimes shocking – ways, unlocking emotions and passions to set them on their own journey of discovery through life.

I found it such an emotional read, as a mother, daughter and sister I was able to relate to all the characters and as a bit of a blended family ourselves I had a real soft spot for the adorable Mark and saw a lot of my lovely husband in him.

The book was set out in my favourite way with lots of sections from the perspective of all the main characters, somehow this just makes me fly through a book and I couldn’t put this one down.

Barbara’s letters were warm and at times very very funny . She definitely made me really think about a lot of things. Things that, at only being 35, I have never really considered before but that I guess I will put some thought into now. No one wants to think about dying or funerals or the legacies that they will leave behind but I guess in thinking about and planning for these things it make it easier for anyone left behind.  Even though Barbara was leaving her children forever there were a few of her sentiments that I felt related to me where I am right now as a mother. Parenting an older teen who is truly starting the process of moving on a little, not moving away just yet but there is a definitive shift happening and as with all phases of parenting with those shifts comes a little feeling of loss. For me I always want to imagine my love for my children as a tangible thing that they can feel filling them up and that they can carry around with them when I cannot be there and Barbara’s last paragraph of the book just sums this feeling right up for me.

I am a sucker for a happy ending and when you start this book you won’t be able to really see how there is a happy ending and I won’t give any spoilers but I found the ending to be satisfactory and fitted nicely with the whole story.

All in all it was an easy read , a good one for a holiday read or if you have a nice quiet weekend like I did. Apart from the emotional thinking it inspired in me it isn’t really a book that requires too much thinking and is really just like sitting down with a lovely cuppa and having a good old blether with a great friend ❤️