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ClareR (6256 KP) rated How It Was in Books

Nov 18, 2019

How It Was

Janet Ellis | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

How It Was looks at the complexity of a mother/ daughter relationship, and how a mothers own childhood can affect this. Or at least it does in the case of this family.

The 1970s were a time of change for some women, but not the women in this story. Marion is the mother of two children: Sarah, 14 and Eddie, 7. She is unhappy in her life, and has been for many years. We look at her life through a series of flashbacks (and flashbacks through her daughters eyes at the same time) as she sits at the hospital bedside of her dying husband. We learn of the affairs, the terrible relationship with her daughter, and the catastrophic accident that cost the family far more than just a child (although this was quite traumatic enough).

I found it very difficult to empathise with Marion, she’s not a likeable character. She seems self absorbed, I didn’t like how she felt about her daughter (it’s as though she feels repulsed by her), and how she speaks to everyone is simply rude. To me, it seemed to be a mixture of boredom, depression, selfishness and desperation that drove Marion’s actions. Michael, her husband, is endlessly patient, perhaps scared that she will leave him. He puts up with some terrible behaviour from Marion. I really wanted him to stand up for himself.

It doesn’t sound like it, I know, but I really liked this book. It’s a book with a thoroughly unpleasant main character (in fact she’s not on her own on that score - watch out for Adrian!) and they do make for interesting story lines!

This is the first book I’ve read by Janet Ellis, and I will be looking for more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Two Roads for my copy of this book.