Eliza Miller grew up in Australia as the only daughter of a troubled young mother, but with the constant support of her two watchful godmothers, Olivia and Maxie. Despite her tricky childhood, she always felt loved and secure. Until, just before her eighteenth birthday, a tragic event changed her life.
Thirteen years on, Eliza is deliberately living as safely as possible, avoiding close relationships and devoting herself to her job. Out of the blue, an enticing invitation from her godmothers, now both based in the UK, prompts a leap into the unknown.
Within a fortnight, Eliza has swapped her predictable routine in Melbourne, for life in the middle of a complicated family in Edinburgh. There's no rush thing as an ordinary day any more. Yet, amidst the chaos, Eliza begins to blossom. She finds herself not only hopeful about the future, but ready to explore her past. Her godmothers have long been waiting for her to ask about her mother's mysterious life – and about the identity of the father she has never known. But even they are taken by surprise with all that Eliza discovers.
The Godmothers by Monica McInerney is published today, 21 January 2021 by Welbeck in hardback. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour
I have read and enjoyed this author's previous novels and was really looking forward to discovering her writing again. I wasn't disappointed at all. The Godmothers is one of those stories that pulls the reader in from page one, packed with wonderfully created characters and with a plot that is compelling and intriguing.
Jeannie, Maxie and Olivia have been best friends for many years. Jeannie was always the most inventive and experimental of the three; taking off around the world with just a post card every now and again to update on her latest adventures. When Jeannie became pregnant, she knew that she could do this alone. Who needs a man, when her baby will have the love of three amazing women?
Maxie and Olivia become doting godmothers to young Eliza, despite being on the other side of the world they visit regularly and take her away on a special holiday every year.
Jeannie and Eliza's life is dysfunctional with little structure. They move house many times and Jeannie often drinks too much, but Eliza is happy. Her mother is her heroine, she adores hearing her stories of her past and even though Jeannie will not tell her who her father is, she creates much excitement about who he could be.
Tragedy strikes when Eliza is just seventeen and all of a sudden, she is alone. Her wonderful mother is gone. Eliza goes to university and then carves out a career for herself, working long hours for a woman who is driven, but unappreciative of Eliza's role in her company. Maxi and Olivia are always there for support, along with her one good friend Rose.
Eliza is thirty years old when she is made redundant. Her work has been her life and it seems the natural thing to do to flee to her godmothers. She agrees to take a plane journey, the first one that she's taken for over twelve years, and goes to Edinburgh to stay with Olivia. During that long flight from Australia to Scotland, Eliza meets a young boy; Sullivan. At first he appears to be incredibly annoying, but this young boy will play a huge part in Eliza's life from that day on.
Eliza is determined to discover who her father was. She has waited for far too long. Jeannie always said that she would reveal all when Eliza was eighteen. That didn't happen and she's pinning her hopes on Olivia and Maxi now.
The Godmothers is a warm, at times heartbreaking, but, on the whole, an uplifting story of Eliza's life. McInerney's ability to create the most wonderful of characters is startling and I defy anyone not to fall head over heels for young Sullivan. He is just divine and he's the secret star of the whole story.
The author explores the intricacies of the unusual family and the strong ties of a life-time of friendship. There's a wry humour in there too, especially around Olivia's dragon of a mother-in-law who brings a splash of unexpected and often laugh out loud drama to the novel.
Part coming-of-age, part family discovery and part love story, The Godmothers is one of those books that you just don't want to put down. The characters become a part of your own day, your own family and you will root for them all of the way through. Heartily recommended by me.
Monica McInerney is the Australian-born Dublin-based author of 12
bestselling books, published
internationally and in translation in 12
languages. Her most recent novel, The Trip of a Lifetime, went straight
to number one in Australia and was a Top 10 bestseller in Ireland. In
2018, 2016 & 2014, Monica was voted in the Top 10 of Booktopia's
annual poll naming Australia's Favourite Authors.
No comments:
Post a Comment