Days You Were Mine by Clare Leslie Hall

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Now: Luke has struggled his whole life, feeling as though he’s never quite fitted in. Having been adopted has had him wondering who his biological mother is and why she’d given him up. Now, he can finally meet her and just maybe learn the answers to his many questions.

Then: Alice, a first year student at her prestigious art school, feels she has been chosen to be here by error. She can’t possibly compete with the likes of her best friend, Rick, whose self-portrait has already been chosen to be hung in a gallery of note. But when she is introduced to Jacob, a singer in a rock band who shows great promise, and when he chooses her to paint the cover of their next album, her entire world is turned on its head.

This novel has all the makings of a superior narrative: a dual time line, lovely characters, a passionate love story. Unfortunately, there are so many foreshadowings that it becomes just too predictable. What is the “great reveal” has already been hinted at so many times that it is anti-climactic and disappointing by the time it happens.

At the same time, this story is not without merit. I have not encountered many other novels about mental health issues around adoption, which this one accomplishes. While many adopted children do fine, they are, in fact, at higher risk for attachment issues, PTSD, and other mental health challenges. One might think that meeting one’s biological mother or father would appease some of these issues; that being able to ask questions, knowing the circumstances of why the parent gave up the child, etc, could possibly help the child regain a sense of understanding that might lead to improved self-image, overall mental health. What we learn from this novel is that it is quite complex and not so easily rectified.

I found this book to be worthy of reading, just, as I’ve said, a bit too predictable for my taste. I’m curious to hear what others think?

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Beth has been coping, feeling stable enough in her marriage to Frank, since the loss of her son two years ago. While she hasn’t exactly fully processed it all, and Frank certainly does not discuss it openly, they have found peace in their home, a resolution of sorts. Even Jimmy, Frank’s volatile brother, even seems to have settled down quite a bit since the loss of the boy, to whom he had an unusually close connection. All this was the case that is, until the very dramatic, surprise appearance of Beth’s old flame, Gabriel, and his son, when their dog strays onto their family farm. Gabriel’s presence brings back a flood of memories for Beth, both tender and painful. How she acts on them and how their shared past haunts their present and plays into the murder trial that is ongoing behind this backstory. But who has been killed? How will this love triangle end?

This is an artfully crafted love-story-gone-wrong, full of unexpected twists, clever surprises, and heart-wrenching tragedies. We follow Beth as she sails the waves of her passions, crashes through choices, and falls hard time and again. We also feel for those around her, whether Frank or Jimmy, or even Gabriel, who have experienced rough times and have each lived with their own demons. And gradually the story builds into a suspenseful crescendo, leaving us breathless, until the very last page.

I am guessing you will not be able to put this one down – I couldn’t! Great to pack with you if you’re headed for a vacation in the next few weeks???