• Home
  • About Me & Review Policy

The Quiet Knitter

Just a quiet knitter with an addiction to books

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Beloved Poison – Book Review
The Bitter Season – Book Review »

What She Never Told Me – Book Review

March 18, 2016 by The Quiet Knitter

What She Never Told Me

Author: Kate McQuaile
Published: 3 March 2016
Reviewed: 18 March 2016
What Milo Saw by Virginia Macgregor

Read more at: http://www.london24.com/entertainment/book_review_what_milo_saw_by_virginia_macgregor_1_3750981
Copyright © LONDON24


Copy supplied by Quercus Books in return for an honest review

4 out of 5 Stars

 



Description: 


What do you do when you find out that your whole life could be a lie?
 
I talked to my mother the night she dies, losing myself in memories of when we were happiest together. But I held one memory back and it surfaces now, unbidden. I see a green postbox and a small hand stretching up to its oblong mouth. I am never sure whether that small hand is mine. But if not mine, whose?

Louise Redmond left Ireland for London before she was twenty. Now, more than two decades later, her heart already breaking from a failing marriage, she is summoned home. Her mother is on her deathbed, and it is Louise’s last chance to learn the whereabouts of a father she never knew.

Stubborn to the end, Marjorie refuses to fill in the pieces of her daughter’s fragmented past. Then Louise unexpectedly finds a lead. A man called David Prescott . . . but is he really the father she’s been trying to find? And who is the mysterious little girl who appears so often in her dreams? As each new piece of the puzzle leads to another question, Louise begins to suspect that the memories she most treasures could be a delicate web of lies.


My Thoughts & Review: 

Louise is a fascinating character, there are so many loose ends in her life that she desperately wants to tie up in a neat bow but can’t.  Her mother has just died, she and her husband have split up and she has no idea who her father is.  The death of her mother inspires her to search for where she came from, all the unanswered questions of her childhood can never be resolved now without her mother but she is determined to find out who she really is.

The tangled events from Louise’s past and present make for a compelling read, as a reader you get a feel for the emotion and complicated relationships that this character struggles with trying to understand what uncovers.  The author does well to show the consequences of decisions made by all characters, the impact there is on others as well as Louise.

As Louise searches for her father she makes some startling discoveries that really take until the end to become clear, so many clues are dropped into the narrative, building the anticipation and once the mystery is solved, the story comes to a comfortable ending, a definitive ending, but I will admit that despite having half guessed, the final twist to Louise’s tale caught me by utter surprise.
 
McQuaile’s writing is addictive, she draws the reader in with great use of plot building.  The characters are well detailed and scenes are so well described that you can almost imagine so clearly Ireland in the 1960s, the cottage that Louise inherits and the street with the postbox.  
 
This was a thought provoking read, just how dark does a secret get before you can’t share it with your loved ones?  The massive strain and struggle for women in Ireland in the 1960s with regard to religion, children, jobs and contraception is well referenced here, it’s a harsh reality to think that back then there were few options open to women in the same position as Louise’s mother.  
 
A compelling and riveting read, and one you can become lost in so easily.  Once you start reading this book it’s difficult to put it down, and I would not hesitate to recommend it! 
You can buy a copy of What She Never Told Me here. 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

Posted in book review, fiction, Ireland 1960s, Kate McQuaile, Lies, memories, Quercus Books, secrets, thriller, What She Never Told Me |

  • Noble Owl Proofreading

  • Annual Bloggers Bash 2018 Award

  • Fab Blogs to Follow

    • write4bairns
    • The Auld (Woolly) Alliance
    • raereadsbookblog.wordpress.com/
    • Put it in Writing
    • bibliobeth
    • Not Another Book Blogger
    • BookBum
    • Broadbean's Books
    • Audio Killed the Bookmark
    • Me and My Books
    • The Beardy Book Blogger
    • Book lovers' booklist
    • Rosepoint Publishing
    • Crime Thriller Fella
    • juliapalooza.com
    • A Knight's Reads
    • Letter Twenty
    • On The Shelf Books
    • Gem's Quiet Corner
    • donnasbookblog
  • Professional Reader Challenge Participant Reviews Published 2016 NetGalley Challenge 100 Book Reviews Frequently Auto-Approved 80%
  • Archives

    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • July 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • January 2013
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • June 2012
  • Privacy notice

    The Quiet Knitter does not share personal information with third-parties nor do we store information we collect about your visit to this website for use other than to analyse content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at any time by modifying your internet browser’s settings. Content from this blog cannot be published on any other websites or media without our permission. We are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other websites or media without our permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice.

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


write4bairns

Writing for Kids

The Auld (Woolly) Alliance

When a Scottish Knitwear and Toy Designer and a French Compulsive Knitter Meet...

raereadsbookblog.wordpress.com/

Put it in Writing

The Blog & Website of Anne Stormont Author: Writing, Reading, Reflecting

bibliobeth

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” - Cicero

Not Another Book Blogger

Reading, Writing, Drinking Tea

BookBum

A friendly space for all mystery, crime & thriller lovers

Broadbean's Books

Welcome to my blog where I share my thoughts on books.

Audio Killed the Bookmark

Two Girls Who Love To Read Spreading the Love For All Things Bookish! 💕📚🎧

Me and My Books

Books, book reviews and bookish news.

The Beardy Book Blogger

Reading and Reviewing Books - May Contain Beard: "From Tiny Book Blog Buds Shall Mighty Book Blogs Grow" - TBBB

Book lovers' booklist

Book news and reviews

Rosepoint Publishing

Blogger-Book Blogger–Book Reviews of Bestsellers & Indie Authors

Crime Thriller Fella

Crime reviews, news, mayhem, all the usual

juliapalooza.com

Books, bakes and bunnies

A Knight's Reads

All things bookish

Letter Twenty

it's all about the tea

On The Shelf Books

A bookblog for readers

Gem's Quiet Corner

Welcome to my little corner. Grab a cup of tea (or hot drink of preference), find your happy place and join me to talk all things bookish...

donnasbookblog

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: