Published 18th June 2015 by Harper. My thanks to them and Bookbridgr for the review copy, and to Jaime for inviting me on to the blog tour.
Synopsis
For Adam and Beth splitting up wasn't the end. It was just the beginning....
As Beth tries to move on with her life, she soon realises that Adam's affair was just the first lie in a very long trail.
As the secrets come tumbling out, can life ever be the same?
My Thoughts
This is essentially the story of a marriage, and the fall out the occurs when it all goes wrong. It is a story of secrets and lies and is a brilliant examination of the intricate webs that deceit can weave.
I loved the way the story was told from the alternating perspectives of Beth and Adam. I thought it really added to the understanding of each individuals feelings. I also felt really sorry for their daughter Meg and would have liked to have heard more from her.
I just need to get this off my chest - I loathed Adam, I could just not understand how someone could be so stupid more than once and actually not even be remorseful for it. Why couldn't he just keep it in his pants? I began to understand him better as events played out, I think events of his past has formulated the way he acted in his marriage. I still don't like him much, but I don't think that is a bad thing. On the other hand I really liked Beth, she seemed strong and vibrant and the kind of woman who knows just what to do in certain situations.
I can certainly understand the comparisons that have been drawn with David Nicholls, he is one of my favourite authors by the way. Fionnuala Kearney seems to write with the same wit and wisdom, about love with a touch of realism. It is not flowery and I loved it for that. It was a real and exciting portrayal of what happens when a marriage goes wrong.
It is about moving on and accepting that life doesn't always go as planned it is about reinvention of oneself and knowing that we have to hold on because things have a way of working themselves out in the end.
A highly recommended debut and author to watch out. I wish Fionnuala Kearney the best of luck with this book and will be watching to see what comes up with next.
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I am very excited to welcome Fionnuala to the blog today and she has answered some questions for us...
Many thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, I
welcome you to the blog and wish you every success with your book.
1) Where
is your favourite place to write and is there any particular time that works
better for you?
I have a lovely study upstairs in my house, just across the
landing from my bedroom – so not too far a commute to work! The desk is placed
at the window and it looks out over trees and green and is pretty calming and
peaceful. I try really hard to have a routine in my writing life, treating it
as if I were getting up and going out to a full time job. After a quick walk,
mornings are best for me for actual writing and then the afternoons are spent
catching up with the business elements including social media and PR around the
book.
2) Where
did the idea for You, Me and Other People come from?
With YM&OP, as with most of my work, the characters
arrived in my head first. A lot of the time they tell me what
situation/jeopardy they’ll find themselves in. Other times, I place them in
situations and just see what happens. With Beth and Adam, I knew straight away
that their marriage was in freefall and I also knew straight away that I wanted
him to have a point of view - even though he was the ‘wrong doer’. We do live in
a world where marital break ups are common and betrayal surrounds us but I
really wanted to get under the skin of the pain it can cause with these
characters.
3) Are
there any Characters that you would like to develop further in future, or a
particular theme you would like to write about?
It does seem that I write naturally about love and loss. I
think it’s a recurring theme in most of my work. Someday I’ll ask myself why! I
do like writing from the male point of view and it’s something I’ll continue to
experiment with in my writing. It’s not surprising really, since two of my
favourite fictional characters are Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights) and Dexter
(One Day).
4) Are
you currently writing anything else?
Yes, I’m working on my second novel which at the moment has
a working title of “Who We Are”. I won’t
give away too much but dealing with and recovering from an enormous loss is a
prevalent theme as is love in all its guises – marital, sibling, unconditional
and unrequited. I’m enjoying writing it, telling Jess and Theo’s story. It’s
another emotional one!
5) Which
Writers inspire you?
Gosh, that’s a hard one… Obviously, writers of some of my
favourite books simply because they wrote them, such as, David Nicholls, Jojo
Moyes, Liane Moriarty, Maggie O’Farrell, Khaled Hosseini and Marian Keyes. To
be honest, though, anyone who writes and publishes a book successfully, be it
via the more traditional or self-published route, I admire.
6) Which
book would you most likely give as a gift or recommend to other people?
Anything by any of the authors I mentioned in the last
question. Also, I recently read “Elizabeth is Missing” by Emma Healey. It was,
in my opinion, an amazing read – written by a very young woman from an
octogenarian point of view. Not an easy feat, at all and kudos to her.
7) You,
Me and Other People contains secrets. Could you share with us something that
other people don’t necessarily know about you?
Not a secret exactly, but it’s something most people won’t
know - I’m a grandmother! Yes, I am! I’m the youngest Nana I know and love our
granddaughter with all my heart. It’s a beautiful role, one where you can love
completely but without the responsibility that having children brings…
8) If
you could have written any book from the past, which would it be?
I can’t choose one!!! If really pressed I’d probably choose
“One Day” by David Nicholls. It’s just such a fabulous concept to write a novel
from; the idea of where both character’s lives are depicted on the same day
every year for twenty five years. I wish I’d thought of it…
9) What
do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m a foodie and love to spend time with my family over a
great meal. I love to read and watch a good movie or quality television drama.
I also love to travel but loathe airports. I’m hoping that I see the ability to
teleport in my lifetime…
10) Is there anything else you would like to add
that I haven’t included?
No, but thank you so much for having me!
Thank you!
Please be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour, starting with Anne tomorrow at:
http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox.blogspot.co.uk/
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