A review by christinam
Saturdays at Noon by Rachel Marks

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

An outstanding debut novel from Rachel Marks shows us what happens when judgment is replaced with empathy and understanding. ⁠

Emily wants to keep the world away. Jake just wants to keep his family together. They are so different, Jake has no idea how being paired with her in group will help. However, when Alfie, who never likes strangers, meets Emily, something unexpected and exceptional happens. ⁠

Through multiple points of view, Marks is able to shed light on the internal and external challenges of a parent struggling to connect with and understand their child. Such as, the guilt Jake feels when he gets frustrated with Alfie's seemingly irrational behaviour and the judgmental looks and comments he endures from strangers. ⁠

Marks' inspiration for this book is based on some of the challenges and learnings she experienced while raising her son. Her intimate connection to the subject matter brings a raw authenticity to the story that shines a light on the humanness of parents in similar situations.

This is a powerful and heartwarming book that will eventually be added to my forever library.