The Way Back To Us by Kay Langdale

The Way Back To Us by Kay Langdale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days on and off

Pages - 274

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

I am a mess of tears on the train. Can't remember the last time a book broke my heart so much... (Lucy Dillon on Away from You) Perfect for fans of Adele Parks and Maggie O'Farrell.

Since their youngest son, Teddy, was diagnosed with a life-defining illness, Anna has been fighting: against the friends who don't know how to help; against the team assigned to Teddy's care who constantly watch over Anna's parenting; and against the impulse to put Teddy above all else - including his older brother, the watchful, sensitive Isaac.

And now Anna can't seem to stop fighting against her husband, the one person who should be able to understand, but who somehow manages to carry on when Anna feels like she is suffocating under the weight of all the things that Teddy will never be able to do.

As Anna helplessly pushes Tom away, he can't help but feel the absence of the simple familiarity that should come so easily, and must face the question: is it worse to stay in an unhappy marriage, or leave?



My Review

This story centres around Anna's family, her husband Tom and her two sons Isaac and Teddy. Teddy has SMA type 2 and the book gives some education on it without being too heavy in medical jargon or clinical. The bulk of the story is the effect Teddy's condition has on them all, how they interact, cope and go about their days. How the attitude and choices of one impacts on the others and the actions that follow as a result.

I don't know if the author has any experience either with a condition like this or a loved one who has some similar condition. Despite it being a fictional story it has a very real voice on the difficulties of every day life, things we take for granted that someone with a chronic condition could have great difficulty with. Add into that the emotions, strain and focus each family member has, the mother who has to be superwoman, ensuring the rights and safety of her child. The husband who is the bread winner but feels like a spare part at times when it comes to the inner workings of his family and his relationship with his wife. And the brother Isaac, older but still a child himself living with everything revolving around and putting Teddy first at all times.

It is heavily focused on the relationships between the four main characters, marital difficulties, relationships and friendships with those outwith the inner family. Social interactions, those with medical professionals and the outer branch of professionals involved in Teddy's care. The story is multi narrative, all chapters are headed with the person whose view point we will be seeing it from so it is really easy to follow. There is a lot of emotion within the book, it tackles many issues and made for interesting reading, I do enjoy a book where medical conditions pop up. It took me a wee bit to settle into the different view points, easy enough to follow who it is but they have different voices and issues so a wee bit jumpy in some aspects. I did however enjoy the book, Langdale has a nice tone when writing and you can slip into the plot with ease. 3.5 stars for me this time, I have read her before and would read her again, as always my thanks to the publisher.

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The Comfort Of Others by Kay Langdale

The Comfort of Others by Kay Langdale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Pages - 230

Blurb from Goodreads

Minnie has always lived with her sister Clara in her family's beautiful, grand, yet increasingly dilapidated house Rosemount. Now in her seventies, she finds herself looking back to a life that has been shrouded with sorrow, and a painful secret that she has guarded since her teens.

Eleven-year-old Max, who lives opposite Minnie on the housing estate built in Rosemount's grounds, has grown up happily with his single mother. But his mum has begun a new relationship and suddenly life is starting to change.

As each of them tell their stories, she via a resurrected childhood journal, him via a Dictaphone, they spot each other through their bedroom windows and slowly and hesitantly an unlikely friendship begins to form.

A friendship that might just help Max come to terms with the present and enable Minnie, finally, to lay to rest the ghosts of her past...


My Review

Two main characters, Minnie is a seventy year old lady who has sequestered herself away in her home with her sister. Little Max is eleven, trying to come to terms with the new man in his mothers life and how his home and everything he knows is changing. Both catalogue their emotions and feelings in different mediums, Minnie in a written diary and Max on a Dictaphone, these two unlikely individuals form a friendship that helps the other cope and face the challenges in their lives.

This is a beautiful tale of an unlikely friendship, how both characters have suffered and have to face the obstacles that bar their happiness. There are some themes that are quite uncomfortable reading in the book, abuse, neglect, abuse of power however there are some beautiful and uplifting ones too. Friendship in the most unlikely of places that brings together two unhappy people, each dealing with their own turmoil, finding in each other happiness and strength to face their own demons.

Each chapter is headlined with the character it is centred on and alternates between the two, the chapters are relatively short in length. The writing itself en captures the reader quickly and draws you into the characters lives. Whilst Max and Minnie are characters you quickly warm to, Max's mother and her boyfriend quite often made for very uncomfortable reading. Overall it is a riveting wee read, happiness, sadness, secrets and some tough aspects covered with a beautiful tale of friendship. This was my first time reading this author and it won't be my last 4/5 for me this time.

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