The Day You Saved My Life (by Louise Candlish)

(Amazon UK link)

I am very much enjoying re-reading my collection of novels by Louise Candlish. She has a very readable style, believable characters, and cleverly written plots which take unexpected detours and turns - and which, a decade or so after first reading, I have entirely forgotten.

I first read ‘The day you saved my life’ in 2012, and while I vaguely recalled the first chapter - the tension surrounding a boat trip in Paris, a terrible incident which happens at the end of the chapter - I couldn’t even recall the outcome of the disaster. The author leaves it uncertain for a chapter or two, which is an excellent device for getting the reader hooked.

Joanna is the main character of this book, the lynchpin around which the rest of the story revolves. She’s in her early forties and is already a grandmother. She had her daughter Holly at quite a young age, due to rather sordid circumstances which we learn about gradually through the book. But, although her family disowned her, she was determined to be a good mother, and clearly has succeeded as far as is possible.

Holly also had a baby at quite a young age, with a young man called Sean. Sadly she suffered from serious postnatal depression, and when we first meet her, on the boat in Paris, she is uninterested in anything. Joanna treated them to a weekend in France, hoping something might jolt her daughter out of the depression, as none of the medication is helping. But she seems to be worse rather than better.

James and Alexa are a couple celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary in Paris. At least, that was Alexa’s plan. She’s a highly organised, efficient person but feels the marriage has lost some of its sparkle. They are quite wealthy, so no expense is spared as she books a luxurious hotel, and a series of outings as part of a detailed itinerary. James goes along with her, but he still seems a bit distant… until the event in the first chapter, where his life becomes entwined with those of Joanna and Holly.

It’s hard to say anything much without giving spoilers. It’s a story of healing, and of brokenness. It’s a novel about family relationships, about nurture, and about falling in love. There are no villains as such, other than the terrible depression that haunted Holly early in the book, and perhaps some unsavoury people from the past. Oh, and Joanna’s sister, who was always demanding and clearly the favourite of their parents. But they haven’t spoken in over twenty years.

The novel alternates viewpoints between Joanna, Alexa and Holly, and their different characters come through clearly. Joanna is the oldest and has given up a lot for her daughter; she’s quite strong and independent, but even she has to acknowledge difficulties now and again. Alexa is the one I felt most sorry for; she’s very materialistic and quite manipulative, but what happens to her is a terrible shock, and she starts to re-evaluate her priorities. Holly is likeable too, despite events that suggest otherwise.

I thought I recalled an unexpected development towards the end of the book, but I must have been thinking about a different book as it didn’t happen. Instead there’s a final unexpected twist which has to be explored… and on the whole the end is encouraging for several reasons. I did find myself wondering what would happen to all these different people - but Louise Candlish doesn’t seem to write sequels, so it’s left to the reader.

If you like thought-provoking family-based women’s fiction with unexpected storylines, I would recommend this very highly.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's Book Reviews