BOOK REVIEW
The Hand That First Held Mine
Author: Maggie O'Farrell
Here is another of Maggie O’Farrell’s brilliant novels which is full of intrigue and emotion.
The story spans 50 years with a young Lexie Sinclair about to embark on a life in London she has only dreamt about and Elina who is married to Ted and is thrown into an unknown world when she gives birth to their first child, Jonah.
Both ladies are talented and have worked at careers which have been both stimulating and satisfying.
When Lexie meets the very handsome and gregarious Innes she is introduced to the world of media, working for a small magazine which Innes runs and inevitably falls in love with the job and with Innes. Their union leads to the birth of their son, Theo.
Elina is an artist and while she loves her son dearly, struggles with this new role called “motherhood”. The fact that she almost died giving birth may or may not have contributed to her confusion.
Whilst Ted is concerned for his wife’s well being, he has his own struggles trying to piece together memories of his childhood that don’t tally with his parents’ version of events. His gathering of information reveals an interesting chain of events linked to both women, separated by 50 years.
I particularly love the talented O’Farrell’s ability to convey emotion that we can all understand and identify with. From heartbreak to acceptance to joy, her characters are developed and handled with great care.
This is a wonderful read.
ROSALIE HOWARTH
Author: Maggie O'Farrell
Here is another of Maggie O’Farrell’s brilliant novels which is full of intrigue and emotion.
The story spans 50 years with a young Lexie Sinclair about to embark on a life in London she has only dreamt about and Elina who is married to Ted and is thrown into an unknown world when she gives birth to their first child, Jonah.
Both ladies are talented and have worked at careers which have been both stimulating and satisfying.
When Lexie meets the very handsome and gregarious Innes she is introduced to the world of media, working for a small magazine which Innes runs and inevitably falls in love with the job and with Innes. Their union leads to the birth of their son, Theo.
Elina is an artist and while she loves her son dearly, struggles with this new role called “motherhood”. The fact that she almost died giving birth may or may not have contributed to her confusion.
Whilst Ted is concerned for his wife’s well being, he has his own struggles trying to piece together memories of his childhood that don’t tally with his parents’ version of events. His gathering of information reveals an interesting chain of events linked to both women, separated by 50 years.
I particularly love the talented O’Farrell’s ability to convey emotion that we can all understand and identify with. From heartbreak to acceptance to joy, her characters are developed and handled with great care.
This is a wonderful read.
ROSALIE HOWARTH
