An Ordinary Life

Product Information

We as a society have developed such a strong desire to be more accomplished and successful in comparison to our peers.

My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation to take part in the tour and to publishers Lake Union for my review copy of the book from Netgalley. There was a time when I used to think there was nothing worse in life than being “ordinary” (whatever that meant).

I would say that her life was anything but ordinary, but to anyone who didn't know her secrets, it really would seem just that. Molly’s life hasn’t been ordinary at all, she crammed a lot into ninety four years and she enriched many people’s lives. An Ordinary Life is a domestic drama novel written by Amanda Prowse, an author who continually delivers quality story, memorable characters, and heartbreaking scenes. It should be like listening to the soundtracks of lost stories – giving us a chance to do something different and new with the era, to tell stories which should feel faithful, but which may not have been possible to tell at the time. the memory of her lover's palm running over her back beneath the winter sunshine on a stolen afternoon, as they lay close together on a tartan blanket among the ruins of war was, even now, enough to make her weep like the willow beneath which they had sought shelter.

An Ordinary Life is a sometimes gritty, sometimes heartbreaking, and sometimes uplifting story of a woman who has to live with her choices for her whole life.

But she also suffers huge trauma and loss and bears the brunt of the decisions she must make for the rest of her life. In any case, beyond a certain point, these things don’t give us lasting happiness as is commonly purported. Often when we come across stories of people during the World War II, we hear and read examples of sacrifice, courage and exceptional strength through their actions.

She’s been left to live at home with her bitter widowed mother, while her older siblings are off and married elsewhere, although they remain in close contact and maintain their warm, loving relationships. Molly reflects back on her life and alongside her you see some quite extraordinary things that she achieved, and things that she witnessed. And, as we all know, modern society has come to define success based on the size of one’s house, the type of car they own, and the number of material possessions they’re able to afford. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles; 'Perfect Daughter' in 2016 and 'The Boy Between' in 2022. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.We also produced a communication passport 'A Book About Me' to help tell people about the child in emergency situations. The novel takes you back to England during World War 2, a time period I have always been fascinated with.