Linda Green (1)

The last thing Nicole's grandmother Betty told her before she died is to take care of the babies at the bottom of the garden. This bewilders Nicole, but since there are two fairy statues at the bottom of the garden could it perhaps be them her grandmother talked about. But, Nicole starts to think that something is very wrong when her youngest daughter finds something by one of the fairies.

THE LAST THING SHE TOLD ME is a story about secrets, about mother and daughter relationships. And, about suffering. This is a generation story where we get to learn more about Nicole, her mother, and grandmother. All three women have gone through traumatic experiences and are keeping secrets. Betty almost took hers to the grave, but her last words lead Nicole to not only discover her grandmother's secret, but her mother. And, she is also ready to reveal her dark secret.

This is the first book I have read by Linda Green and I found the concept to be intriguing. It's a heartbreaking story, but also a book about finding the strength to confront the past and move on. I found the book to be a bit hard to read now and then, I had some trouble to truly enjoy the whole story. The youngest daughter Maisie grated on my nerves and she felt much younger in her ways than her years. However, I did love Ruby, Nicole's oldest daughter. She has to deal with a lot of difficult stuff and I thought of all the characters, was she the one I liked the best. I liked the book and I will definitely read more by Linda Green.

I want to thank Quercus for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!… (mehr)

This was a real page turner. Once I had started listening, I ignored all my other books and listened every free minute. I rooted for Jess, and I kept wondering why she decided to act like she did, hoping she'd manage to change things that seemed unavoidable.

I particularly liked the two narrators, Emmy Rose and Helen Lloyd. Both did an absolutely marvellous job at narrating from Jess' or Angela's perspective respectively. It was a great idea to have the audio book narrated this way, for me, the result was perfect.… (mehr)

This book has been on the back burner in my Kindle Library for two years and now I'm kicking myself for taking so long! Maybe the Yorkshire setting (poor old Pecket Well!) won me over but I can't understand any of the three star and lower reviews that I (mistakenly) read first. Yes, the main character makes some stupid decisions and the plot is wrapped up by way of unlikely coincidences and revelations, but that's storytelling! The complaints about the daughter acting younger than her years, too much dialogue in 'poor English', 'weak women' and 'men who are either evil or wet' say more about the reader than the novel or the author, in my opinion.

When the first chapter makes me cry, I know I'm in for an emotional experience! On her deathbed in the little cottage where she has spent most of her 90 years, Nicola's beloved grandma asks her to look after the babies at the bottom of the garden. Nobody takes her last request seriously until Maisie, Nicola's youngest daughter, finds a tiny bone while playing outside with Betty's fairy statues. Suddenly the police are involved, Nicola's mother refuses to speak to her, and long buried family secrets are being uncovered.

I found Nicola's family very believable, if not always sympathetic, and enjoyed the everyday chitchat along with the big revelations. Ruby, the moody but sensitive teenager, and her lively younger sister Maisie are familiar stereotypes in most fiction - I didn't have a problem with either of them, and I'm not a fan of reading about mothers with young families. Nicola's partner James is perhaps another cliché - the 'good man' who is supportive and caring - but his dependable presence was very welcome throughout. Mother Irene is necessarily inscrutable, being more of a plot device than a fully developed character for most of the story, and the late Betty also has many shades of grey. I also loved how the wartime letters from William to Betty and the painful revelations told in flashback by another character, interspersed within the main story, seemed to change perspective with the developments in Nicola's narrative. Very clever, and not at all confusing!

Were the twists in the tale predictable? Yes - or, at least, I knew who to trust and who not to! Did the lack of surprise detract from the story as a whole? Not at all! I wanted to learn everybody's history, just like Nicola (although her determination to get at 'the truth' did make me cringe at times - Betty asked you to look after the babies, I kept thinking, not grass them up!) And I don't agree that the three generations of women should have been 'stronger', which sounds like victim blaming to me. As Linda Green explains:

Over time, the things for which women have been made to feel shame may have changed but the one constant thing is that it is women who have been made to feel responsible for everything that have happened to them, even when criminal acts have been involved.

What happened to Betty sadly filtered down from generation to generation in different ways and I didn't find myself judging any of the women for their actions or lack thereof. I still wanted to smack Nicola on occasion, and Poor Ruby was my favourite character.

A quick and heartfelt read, set in God's own country as a bonus! Recommended.… (mehr)