One might think while reading this story that the author had something to reveal about herself. After all, the book is about a writer … a very gifted and accomplished writer. The entire time I was absorbing this story, I secretly wondered if the author was revealing something very personal about herself.
Characters are not necessarily created. I’m of the idea that they are extracted. Each character that the writer/author creates is an extraction of what is within that is brought to the light and given life and the opportunity of the fullest expression.
Some people have personality disorders (if it’s fair to even label it that way), where there are multiple personalities within and in any given moment, they can surface and play their part or act out what they are dying to express. They demand a presence and they will surface when they are needed for the individual to process a space in their life.
Perhaps characters in a story are demanding the same opportunity to express and share what they have never been given permission to do before. I deeply admire the writer who is fearless enough to bring their characters to the surface and give them life, expression and to tell their story. I know this is a little philosophical, and yet as a writer myself, writing is the purest form of expression I know. Some paint, some play music and sing and some … write.
I absolutely adored this book. I saw myself clearly in the lead character Helena, the part of myself that I wish to hide from my world; the one who has a set of rules to keep herself safe and the one who is too afraid of acknowledging her own fears and expressing them because she just may break apart if they are acknowledged and brought out of hiding. Helena did that for me. Helena made signs with a list of rules for onlookers to follow. I make internal folders. Nobody can see them but me and if the truth be known, I’m not always aware the rules are there. They silently get checked off every time I feel uncomfortable but they never blatantly shout, “Rule #1 – Don’t expect anything from me!” Helena showed me that they are there and now I find myself recognizing them. They are coming to the light. Perhaps this book was a touch of therapy for me … maybe all books are in a way.
This book was brilliantly written. The characters were pure and believable. I sat in the room with them, rode in the car with them, spent time outdoors with them and sat in with their conversations taking in every detail and giving it permission to nourish me.
Every time I put the book down to resume my life, I felt a lift and a charge. I felt creative and nourished and looked forward to my next moment where I could pick the book back up and carry on. I’m not sure I wanted this story to end and yet, it was the ending that gave me peace, closure, satisfaction and a deep sense of awe at the author’s ability to draw me in and suspend time.
I’ve read the reviews that the book got off to a slow start. Perhaps that was a negative or a strike against the story and yet, I found the slow pace comfortable and soothing. Pieces of the puzzle were being laid down with every page and I enjoyed piecing them together. A satisfying book doesn’t always have to clip at a fast pace in order to be gratifying. Things don’t have to happen quickly to keep the reader entertained. Sometimes, the gentle current of a lazy stream, is enough to bring the reader to a place of solace, peace and entertainment.
Don’t worry, the author will keep you moving along. There is no dead space in this story. Every page offers up bits and pieces to keep you moving along … kind of like bread crumbs. They nourish the reader a little piece at a time and keep the seeker moving in the direction of the story. How delicious!
As the story begins to wrap up, I invite the reader to grab their seat belt, strap themselves in and grab a box of tissues. The ending is so, darn epic, delicious and satisfying!
I promise, you won’t see it coming and when it finally arrives, if you’re like me, you may want to clear your calendar for the day so you can finish it up because if you put the book down, it will call to you in your sleep, in the hours of the day when you find yourself wanting something juicy to chew on.
Read this book and then go tell all your friends about it. It’s that good!
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About the author
Beautiful, heavy, well written book!
This is a heavy, heavy book. It has a lot of weight and sadness and anger and vengeance and remorse and conflict... and forgiveness. This was so beautifully written. Heartbreakingly honest and brutally transparent. When we are first introduced to Helena, we see a successful, controlling, assertive woman who is used to getting what she wants and who does not hesitate to keep every ounce of human interaction at arms length. She is purposefully cruel enough that people don’t want to get to know or spend time with her. Helena is such a dynamic, complicated, complex and sincerely brave character. She is smart; alarmingly so. She has a razor sharp wit that will cut you to the core and an ability to make even the slightest comments hurt. She is fiercely protective, loyal and scared. The transformation her character takes across these pages is so incredible. She takes herself from victim to hero, she takes the power back for those who didn’t get the opportunity. She is an advocate, a force to be reckoned with. Mark was such a necessary and appropriate character, and he was just what Helena needed in her final novel. Their unconventional friendship starts out as competing authors and ends with the two of them having such a powerful understanding of each other’s pain. The support they give to each other, and the amount of weight they remove from each other is tragically beautiful. The last few chapters of Helena (and Mark’s) final novel contain a massive revelation and a twist that I did not see coming... and that nothing could have prepared me for. The last several chapters of this book will make you angry, sad, and they will make you cry. Helena is humanized to us in the final pages of this book... which is something you will find yourself yearning for throughout majority of this novel... but when it finally happens, when we finally get Helena to take down her walls... your heart will break. Again, and again, and again. Beautifully written, dynamically put together, and a truly wonderful story. Alessandra Torre writes about very heavy and hard topics with such a delicate touch, but she gives the respect to those who deserve it. I absolutely recommend this book. This is my first Alessandra Torre novel, and I can assure you that it will not be my last. This book came to me via a recommendation from Tarryn Fisher through her Instagram stories, and I am so glad I chose to read this novel. These words, this journey, the ups and downs, the twists and turns... the emotions creates are truly wonderful.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2025
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Top reviews from other countries
- L. StarlaReviewed in Australia on March 29, 2022
A heart-warming and tearjerking mystery
From the very first two words of this novel, we know our main character is dying. Helena’s terminal diagnosis of cancer gives her three months to write a book unlike her usually best-selling romance fare. It is not enough time considering her normal writing pace, yet it must go to print. She needs to tell the truth, to tell her story. So, she employs a ghost writer, choosing an unlikely candidate—her nemesis. After exchanging barbs for seven years while vying for the top spot on every best-selling list, Helena decides Marka Vantley is the only author who could mirror her own style. But when they meet, Marka is not the woman Helena imagined and a most unexpected friendship blossoms. As the pair work together to document Helena’s memoir, a mystery unravels, revealing the truth of what happened to her absent husband and daughter.L. StarlaA heart-warming and tearjerking mystery
Reviewed in Australia on March 29, 2022
This book left me gutted in the best possible way. I love it when an author can reach deep inside my soul and tug on every heart string. While this story was not my typical pick—without a romance plot to be found anywhere amongst the pages—it still captured my sense of mystery while evoking a range of emotions. The banter between the characters is entertaining and the friendship that forms is truly inspiring.
I highly recommend this book for one and all! Just keep the tissues handy.
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