Published September 12th, 2024 by Piatkus
Contemporary Romance, Humorous Fiction, Domestic Fiction
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this hopeful and uplfiting story. Thanks to Vic at Insta Book Tours for the invitation to take part and to Piatkus for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
********
ABOUT THE BOOK:
From the bestselling author of Everything Is Beautiful, comes an utterly heartwarming new novel, about what it truly means to belong to those you love.
‘A warm-hearted, emotional read’ Daily Mail
‘Gripping, endearing and thought-provoking, this beautifully woven novel championing family, solidarity and friendship is full of warmth and heart. A joy from start to finish – one not to miss’ HOLLY MILLER
‘Joyful and tender’ Woman’s Own
‘The Art of Belonging is just the loveliest, uplifting novel and fills the soul with joy’ LORNA COOK
‘A delightful, big-hearted story of family and forgiveness’ Good Housekeeping
‘Heartfelt and heartwarming, this uplifting read is full of characters to cherish and cheer for’ PHAEDRA PATRICK
…………………………………………
Sometimes you need to open your heart to find where you truly belong . . .
When unexpected circumstances bring Grace’s estranged daughter, Amelia, and granddaughter, Charlotte, to live in her home, complicated feelings start to emerge, revealing a messy and emotional past which drove this family apart.
It will take a school mystery, an exquisite miniature railway and some brave decisions to help them each find not only themselves, but also each other – and to appreciate what it truly means to belong together.
This uplifting novel will warm your heart and touch your soul, and remind you of all the reasons humans can be downright wonderful.
********
MY REVIEW
The Art of Belonging follows three generations of one family septuagenarian Grace, her estranged daughter Amelia, and granddaughter Charlotte. When Amelia’s marriage breaks down she and Charlotte move in with Grace while they get back on their feet, forcing Grace and Amelia to face their complicated relationship and the heartbreak that led to their relationship breaking down. Heartwarming, tender, emotional and endearing, this story of family, friendship, loneliness, forgiveness and healing will warm you from the inside out.
I loved Eleanor Ray’s outstanding debut so I couldn’t wait to read this book. Once again, Ms. Ray has crafted a thought-provoking story written full of pathos, charm, wit and heart. Difficult and emotional subjects are written with compassion and while the pain of these characters leaps from the pages, so does their joy. We know from the start that Grace and Amelia are estranged and that Grace blames herself, but as the story goes on their history is slowly unravelled, exploring the many nuances of their relationship and reminding us how easy it can be to misunderstand someone or for two people to view the same situation completely differently. Seeing these two women repeatedly misunderstand and hurt one another broke my heart and I was silently screaming at them to talk about things so they could finally see one another for who they truly were.
The three women at the heart of this book are compelling, complicated, flawed and wonderful characters who I adored. I’ll admit, I had a particular soft spot for Grace and a highlight of the book for me was watching her relationship with Charlotte blossom. The background characters are as richly drawn as the main characters and I loved the varied cast of ebullient characters on these pages. I do love an outsider, so I loved that many of these characters weren’t popular people and had unique traits and hobbies. There are also some beautiful friendships on these pages that were a delight to read, especially the friendship between Charlotte and Sammy.
So if you’re looking for an uplifting and hopeful read that will make your day brighter, this is the book for you.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
********
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eleanor Ray has an MA in English Literature from Edinburgh University and lives in London with her husband and three young children.
Eleanor was inspired to write Everything is Beautiful by the objects her toddler collects and treasures – twigs, empty water bottles and wilting daisies.
The Art of Belonging is her second novel and was written in lock down. It is about the messy, complicated and wonderful things that can happen when families are together.
********
BUY THE BOOK:
Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links
********
Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx
Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers talking part in the tour.
