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A review by alwaysneedmorebooks
The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood by Susan Elliot Wright
5.0
I knew very little about this when I read it and I think it made it all the better!
Now: Cornelia (Leah) Blackwood is in constant pain. Something happened which means no one speaks to her and she has no friends, but she is starting to rebuild her life and is hoping to return to her job as a University lecturer. And then her loving husband Adrian dies in a car crash. She is devastated but soon discovers Adrian has a secret child with another woman. Leah is furious but also wants to know more about the other woman, Cass and her son Oliver. She starts dropping into a café where Cass works and soon gets to know both her and Oliver, keeping her connection to the pair a secret.
Then: We learn how Leah and Adrian met and fell in love. The problems they have trying for a family. We find out she has desperately ill at some point.
This was such a powerful book. Leah has obviously has something terrible happen to her. She is not a happy woman at the start of the book and when I found out the reasons, I felt so desperately sorry for her. Despite some of her decisions and choices with Cass and Oliver not being the best, I still felt sympathy for her.
This book delves into postnatal depression and postpartum psychosis. I think any mother will find it difficult to read - having suffered with postnatal depression, it did bring those feelings back. Luckily, it was 17 years ago when I suffered with it after the birth of my first son so enough time has passed but it still made for an unsettling read.
I read this very quickly, I quickly found myself engaged with Leah's life. It is written with compassion and although it is the second book to make me cry this year, I thought it was stunning.
Now: Cornelia (Leah) Blackwood is in constant pain. Something happened which means no one speaks to her and she has no friends, but she is starting to rebuild her life and is hoping to return to her job as a University lecturer. And then her loving husband Adrian dies in a car crash. She is devastated but soon discovers Adrian has a secret child with another woman. Leah is furious but also wants to know more about the other woman, Cass and her son Oliver. She starts dropping into a café where Cass works and soon gets to know both her and Oliver, keeping her connection to the pair a secret.
Then: We learn how Leah and Adrian met and fell in love. The problems they have trying for a family. We find out she has desperately ill at some point.
This was such a powerful book. Leah has obviously has something terrible happen to her. She is not a happy woman at the start of the book and when I found out the reasons, I felt so desperately sorry for her. Despite some of her decisions and choices with Cass and Oliver not being the best, I still felt sympathy for her.
This book delves into postnatal depression and postpartum psychosis. I think any mother will find it difficult to read - having suffered with postnatal depression, it did bring those feelings back. Luckily, it was 17 years ago when I suffered with it after the birth of my first son so enough time has passed but it still made for an unsettling read.
I read this very quickly, I quickly found myself engaged with Leah's life. It is written with compassion and although it is the second book to make me cry this year, I thought it was stunning.