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A review by alisonannk
Below the Big Blue Sky by Anna McPartlin
5.0
This is that unique kind of book that will make you laugh almost as much as you will cry. I cannot even begin to explain how much I loved it!
The story of the Hayes family continues in this book after the death of Rabbit Hayes. This might be the follow up to The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, but I hadn't read the first book and did not feel disadvantaged for not having done so. I most certainly will be going back to read it though!!
The characters in this book are so vividly described that I felt like I could reach out and touch/hug/slap them!
Molly, the matriarch is the kind of woman I want to be. She is a plain talking, no nonsense type. Her husband Jack can be morose but he has a heart of absolute gold. Both are struggling with grief in their own way.
Added into the mix are Rabbit's sister Grace, who discovers she has the same cancer gene which killed her sister, and her family. Her three sons are all very different but you can tell that this is one huge loving family.
Next up, we have Rabbit's daughter who is cared for by Rabbit's free-spirited brother. Again, we follow the ups and downs as Juliet adapts to being mother-less and cared for by her uncle. There is the added complexity of Rabbit's best friend Marjory and her relationship with certain members of the family.
This book has it all - relationships, bereavement, grief, comedy, family bonds, coming of age, adjusting to change and every single bit of it feels so authentic.
The detail is real and their struggles completely broke my heart on more than one occasion.
I cannot wait to read more by Anna McPartlin and I do hope she revisits the Hayes family.
Thanks to The Pigeonhole for access to this book in ten daily installments. It has been one of my favourite books of the year so far.
The story of the Hayes family continues in this book after the death of Rabbit Hayes. This might be the follow up to The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, but I hadn't read the first book and did not feel disadvantaged for not having done so. I most certainly will be going back to read it though!!
The characters in this book are so vividly described that I felt like I could reach out and touch/hug/slap them!
Molly, the matriarch is the kind of woman I want to be. She is a plain talking, no nonsense type. Her husband Jack can be morose but he has a heart of absolute gold. Both are struggling with grief in their own way.
Added into the mix are Rabbit's sister Grace, who discovers she has the same cancer gene which killed her sister, and her family. Her three sons are all very different but you can tell that this is one huge loving family.
Next up, we have Rabbit's daughter who is cared for by Rabbit's free-spirited brother. Again, we follow the ups and downs as Juliet adapts to being mother-less and cared for by her uncle. There is the added complexity of Rabbit's best friend Marjory and her relationship with certain members of the family.
This book has it all - relationships, bereavement, grief, comedy, family bonds, coming of age, adjusting to change and every single bit of it feels so authentic.
The detail is real and their struggles completely broke my heart on more than one occasion.
I cannot wait to read more by Anna McPartlin and I do hope she revisits the Hayes family.
Thanks to The Pigeonhole for access to this book in ten daily installments. It has been one of my favourite books of the year so far.