A review by what_heather_loves
Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"Grace realizes she can't trust her own emotions anymore. She can't trust herself. It's impossible to tell where the perimenopause stops and she begins, and she's asking herself who she would be if it wasn't for these chemical enemies raging through her body, hijacking her mind, who she would he if her self had not come apart from her. She imagines she'd be nailing life, sailing through it serenely. Coping at least."

This book spoke to me, not initially admittedly, because it took me a while to invest in Grace, her husband Ben and teenage daughter Lotte, but invest I did. Told from perimenopausal and vulnerable, Grace's perspective over one day, she is determined to take a birthday cake to Lotte's party at Ben's house; it's a dramatic journey, walking across London in a heatwave to avoid a traffic jam, interspersed with Grace's reflections on her relationships with Ben and Lotte. I had questions, including: Who is Lotte's boyfriend? Why did Grace and Ben break up? Why is Grace struggling so?

All is answered and there are some major trigger warnings. You may cry when you learn all she has to deal with, which I particularly related to, being a similar age to Grace and having been dealt some challenging blows during my life. Grace, like me, carries on for herself and for those she loves. Grace is resilient, kind and absolutely 'amazing', I would want her as my friend. Astute, focused and affectionate, this is a poignant tale of a woman on the edge, a debut novel about family drama, loss and hope.
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