A review by onlyificanbringabook
The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

 
This was a gift from a wonderful friend who said I absolutely had to read it. It broke my heart and not in the beautiful way other books have done. It was messy and painful and I had no idea why a friend would do this to me! 

 

Lydia’s story was tragic. She had it all and then suddenly it was gone and she did not cope with it. Her grief is real and the way it unravels not only her life but the lives of those who love her is raw and almost leaves you empty. 

 

I had no idea how much I needed the second half of this book. I loved the Jonah storyline but what really resonated for me was Croatia. It was just perfect. 

 

My grief is so very different from hers but I felt her journey like it was within me. The different places she looked for solace and strength before realising they were inside her. The way she finds herself – “I found the old me, still in here, and the new me sitting right alongside her.” 

 

This book is an exposure of the real life of love. Yes, love can be good and it can be wonderful but it is also messy and painful and hard. Loving someone, be it a relative, friend or lover, can be hard and watching them hurting or, even worse, hurting themselves, is unthinkable but it happens and it is real. This book captures that and drags you way down to rock bottom before offering you any sign of reprieve. 

 

What I really liked about this book was that, despite the best efforts of everyone around her, no one rescued Lydia. She wasn’t magically “fixed” by a new relationship or some big life change at the end of the book. Instead, she found herself, learned to love herself and used this as the cornerstone to rebuild herself. 
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