You Never Told Me by Sarah Jasmon ★★★☆☆

Published : 19th March 2020

Publisher : Black Swan

Format : Kindle, Paperback

Genre : Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis

A year ago, Charlie’s life seemed to be following a plan: she had a beautiful house, a lovable dog and an upcoming wedding.

But she felt trapped.

A few months before the big day, ignoring the warnings from her family, she abandoned her life and fled to the other side of the world in a bid for freedom.

But when her mother unexpectedly falls ill, Charlie has to cut her trip short. She flies home, but by the time she gets to the hospital, it’s too late.

Her mother is gone, but she’s left a mystery behind.

Why did she buy a canal boat, and where did the money for it come from? As Charlie attempts to work through her grief and pick up the pieces of her life, she follows the threads of her mother’s secret past – but has she missed her chance to learn the truth?

My Review

Thank you Black Swan for this lovely, heartfelt read, and Damppebbles for this blog tour spot.

Where to start with this one. I love a story that really pulls me in emotionally and this one did not disappoint. This is a story steeped in family drama and all the emotions that come alongside it.

The story is primarily based on Charlie and her journey to find out about her mothers life as well as her own. Called upon by her sister Eleanor to come back home as their mother, Britta was in hospital Charlie heads back and it isn't long before Britta is telling the girls secrets about her past that neither of them knew about.

This is where the story takes you with Charlie and how she comes to terms with what is going on in her own life and also how to deal with the revelations that she has been told about her own mothers past to.

I really liked Charlies character, although she seemed to mature and grow more as you read further into the story. She met some interesting people along the way and you get an insight into the life of those communities that live their life on the canals floating on a boat all day.

This was not one of those fast paced intense reads but instead a lovely slow burner that came full circle at the end and left you with that feeling you get when you know you have competed a good book.

Definitely a holiday beach book pick.

Purchase Links

Waterstones

Amazon

BookDepository

Meet the author

Sarah Jasmon lives on a canal boat near Manchester with her children.

She has had several short stories published, is curating a poetry anthology, and has recently graduated from the Creative Writing MA course at Manchester Metropolitan University.