2017
Book Reviews
Debbie Johnson
HarperCollins
Book Review: The A-Z of Everything by Debbie Johnson
Today I'm reviewing Debbie Johnson's latest book, The A-Z of Everything, a very original and moving story. A bit more serious than her earlier books. Read my thoughts here:
Title: The A-Z of Everything
Author: Debbie Johnson
Published: April 20th 2017 by Harper
Blurb: P is for Paris where it all began. J is for Jealousy where it all came undone. But the most important letter is F. F is for Forgiveness, the hardest of all.
Sisters Poppy and Rose used to be as close as two sisters could be, but it’s been over a decade since they last spoke. Until they both receive a call that tells them their mother has gone – without ever having the chance to see her daughters reunited.
Andrea, though, wasn’t the kind of woman to let a little thing like death stand in the way of her plans. Knowing her daughters better than they know themselves, she has left behind one very special last gift – the A-Z of Everything.
Review: The A-Z of Everything is like nothing that Debbie Johnson has written until now. Her books are known for her humour and her love stories but this one is considerably more serious and love takes a whole new role. Does this mean that I didn't enjoy this story as much as her previous ones? In the contrary, I loved it even more.
The story is all about Andrea, who has just passed away, and her daughters. Poppy and Rose haven't talked to each other for years, something that broke their mother's heart. But Andrea has left them with a huge challenge, two boxes full of videos, letters, cassettes, photos, stories and instructions. She hopes she'll achieve something that she wasn't able to while she was alive: bring her girls together again.
As Poppy and Rose reluctantly accept to follow their mother's instructions, we get to know them better. Thanks to flashbacks to their past, we soon realise what a special relationship they had, and I had became really engaged with their story. I couldn't understand how their relationship had become nothing. And I couldn't not root for them. It was obvious that it was not going to be an easy task to bring them together, but Andrea definitely was one in a million.
In fact, for me the star of the story was Andrea. Her love for her daughters was in every tiny detail, her letters and videos brought tears to my eyes but her stories also made me laugh more than once. What a formidable woman. A special mention also for Lewis, Andrea's best friend. I instantly warmed to him and even if his scenes in the story were few, his presence was huge.
All in all, this story left me in awe. What a beautiful and moving story. Such detail and such originality! Definitely Debbie Johnson's at her best. I'm sure this book will touch many hearts.
Rating: 5 stars
I'd like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
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