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whatdaniellereadnext 's review for:
Nothing But Blue Sky
by Kathleen MacMahon
Well this was a lesson for me, on never judging a book by it's cover. We've all done it, bought a book because the cover is beautiful and then been slightly disappointed in it. Well this book is the opposite of that. The cover is a bit boring, in my opinion, but the story told inside was really quite good.
David Dowling is a foreign correspondent married to Mary Rose. But Mary Rose has died, and David must now learn to live his life without her. In Nothing but Blue Sky David recounts his life, both alongside Mary Rose and his strict, cold upbringing.
I think I was expecting this book to be a fluffy holiday read. But instead it's a really touching portrayal of grief and love. Of picking up the pieces once someone you love is no longer here.
It's possible that I took more from this book than some might. David is only around 50 when he has to face life alone. We lost my mum nearly 4 years ago, at the age of 48, leaving my dad facing life alone before the age of 50. So I've seen first hand that battle between wanting to stay away from anywhere that offers up memories of happier times and of wanting to relive those past memories, even if it's painful.
'I know what you're saying, and of course there will be a moment of sadness, always, that Mary Rose isn't there. But the happy occasions will still be happy occasions, because that's how life works. Happiness trumps sadness, every time. If it didn't, we couldn't survive.'
Nothing but Blue Sky is a thought-provoking slow read. Poetic and beautifully written, it handles the subject of grief realistically, even tapping in to the guilt that the person still alive sometimes feels.
The thing that I felt let this book down was the sickly sweet ending. It felt unnecessary, too neat. It brought the whole experience of reading this book down a little if I'm honest. It didn't feel realistic.
David Dowling is a foreign correspondent married to Mary Rose. But Mary Rose has died, and David must now learn to live his life without her. In Nothing but Blue Sky David recounts his life, both alongside Mary Rose and his strict, cold upbringing.
I think I was expecting this book to be a fluffy holiday read. But instead it's a really touching portrayal of grief and love. Of picking up the pieces once someone you love is no longer here.
It's possible that I took more from this book than some might. David is only around 50 when he has to face life alone. We lost my mum nearly 4 years ago, at the age of 48, leaving my dad facing life alone before the age of 50. So I've seen first hand that battle between wanting to stay away from anywhere that offers up memories of happier times and of wanting to relive those past memories, even if it's painful.
'I know what you're saying, and of course there will be a moment of sadness, always, that Mary Rose isn't there. But the happy occasions will still be happy occasions, because that's how life works. Happiness trumps sadness, every time. If it didn't, we couldn't survive.'
Nothing but Blue Sky is a thought-provoking slow read. Poetic and beautifully written, it handles the subject of grief realistically, even tapping in to the guilt that the person still alive sometimes feels.
The thing that I felt let this book down was the sickly sweet ending. It felt unnecessary, too neat. It brought the whole experience of reading this book down a little if I'm honest. It didn't feel realistic.