Fionnuala Kearney published her debut novel in 2015. You, Me and Other People attracted positive reviews and saw Kearney compared to JoJo Moyes and Liane Moriarty because she writes so well about emotions.
Kearney’s second novel, The Day I Lost You is published by Harper Collins this month. It’s a story about secrets and the impact they have on family relationships. It’s also a story about unconditional love. And, to some extent, it’s a story of captivity, because, sometimes, being the object of unconditional love comes with emotional handcuffs. Mostly, though, The Day I Lost You is a story about mother-daughter relationships.
Secrets kept, secrets discovered
Probably every daughter has kept a few secrets at one time or another, and every mother, too. Sometimes people keep those secrets to protect the people they love, sometimes to protect themselves.
Most people, most of the time, can choose if and when to share their secrets. But what if that power was suddenly taken away? That’s the situation Fionnuala Kearney explores in The Day I Lost You.
When Jess’s daughter, Anna, is tragically lost in an avalanche, Anna’s secrets begin to emerge. Jess, left to look after Anna’s five-year old daughter, Rose, unexpectedly finds herself uncovering Anna’s secret life and embarks on a quest to find answers to questions Anna might never have wanted disclosed.
The more that Jess discovers, the more she realises that those answers could change everything, not just for Jess herself, but also for Rose. Yet Jess is compelled to discover the truth.
Fionnuala Kearney uses suspense to keep you turning the pages. The relationships she describes matter almost as much as the plot making The Day I Lost You a thought-provoking and enjoyable read.
The Day I Lost You by Fionnuala Kearney is published by Harper Collins [Disclosure: An ARC was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.]