Act of Will (by Barbara Taylor Bradford)

(Amazon UK link)

I only recently started reading books by Barbara Taylor Bradford - mainly because a relative of mine recommended them. I enjoyed the first one I read - Everything to Gain - so decided to try another, which I found second-hand.

'Act of Will' opens with a scene of crisis. Christine and her daughter Kyle are at loggerheads over Kyle's future. After some argument, Christine's mother Audra is called in to attempt to mediate between the two of them.

Then there's a lengthy flashback, which takes us to Audra's unhappy childhood, followed, as she grows up, by the struggles she goes through to give her daughter a future.

Then there's an account of Christine's decision to be a fashion designer and to make a lot of money, fighting against the poverty of her childhood.

In the conclusion of the book, all is resolved amicably, and we see that life has come full circle: Kyle fulfills what Audra had wanted of Christine.

The novel was fast-paced and very readable, although I felt that difficult situations got resolved rather too quickly. By the time I got to the end, it was obvious what was going to happen - but still, a good light read.

Recommended.