Lifesaving for Beginners – Ciara Geraghty

„Four months. That’s all it takes. Four months for everything to fall apart.” (Quotation Pos. 893)

Content

A brief moment of inattention of the truck driver, a deer on the road, two hitten cars, and after this first of June everything has changed. For Kat Kavanagh, the thirty-nine years old famous author, who publishes her crime novels under an alias, who was in one of the two cars, and whose friend Thomas told her that she were lucky. For Milo McIntyre, nine years old, whose Mam was in the other car and had no chance. Faith, Milo’s twenty-four years old sister, who still lives at home, does her best to look after Milo. One day in October, when she is searching for something in the attic, she finds old documents and a hidden family secret that again had changed and will change the life of the persons involved.

Theme and Genre

This novel is about lies, trust, loss and grief, but most of all about family, friendship, love, courage and hope.

Characters

We meet likeable characters, most of all Milo, but also Faith and Kat’s brother Ed, and a main character, I have disliked for the major part of the story: Kat, selfish, egoistic, cold and sunken into self-pity.

Plot and Writing

There are two main stories, alternately told by Kat or Milo, both first-person narrators, interspersed with some flashbacks. The plot is believable and a well-balanced mixture of romance, humor and substance with some interesting twists, until loose ends are tied together.

Conclusion

More than just another chick-lit novel, this is a delightful, cozy story with deepness.