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Told in two timelines, a picture of Melody’s childhood starts to take form. Perhaps this is not the upbringing she imagined.
This story was honest, unapologetic, and full of unconventional characters. I enjoyed it so much.' Read more DetailsAs the story unfolds we meet a group of characters who exhibit a wide array of behaviors: praiseworthy, generous, selfish, uncaring, foolish, troubled, etc. It's more than the average child has to deal with, and helps explain Melody's amnesia. (There's no child sex abuse in the book, in case you need to know.) Stellar domestic drama... Expert misdirection keeps the reader guessing, and the rug-pulled-out-from-beneath-your-feet conclusion—coupled with one final, bonechilling revelation—is stunning. Best not to bet on anyone. A compulsive read guaranteed to please fans of A. J. Finn and Ruth Ware." Booklist (starred review)
Don’t try to talk,” he said. His voice was raw and gravelly, but full of tenderness. “We’re here. We’re here.” Full of heart and humour, this will move you to tears. An absolute must-read' Cosmopolitan____________ When she was a child, Melody Browne’s house burned down, destroying all her family’s possessions and her memories. Ever since this tragic event, Melody Browne has had no recollection of her life before she was rescued from the flames. The general premise of the story is that Melody doesn't remember anything about her childhood prior to a house fire when she was seven years old. After getting pregnant at 15, she has been estranged from her parents, raising her now-almost-18-year-old son alone. She goes on a date with a nice guy and they attend a hypnotist show, while there Melody faints and then starts to remember bits and pieces of her past, which aren't exactly part of the childhood she remembers. As the weeks go by, she begins to put things together and learns a lot about herself and her family.This “touching, insightful, and gripping story” (Sophie Kinsella, New York Times bestselling author) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone follows a young woman searching for answers about her mysterious past. When she was nine years old, Melody Browne's house burned down, taking every toy, every photograph, every item of clothing and old Christmas card with it. But not only did the fire destroy all her possessions, it took with it all her memories—Melody Browne can remember nothing before her ninth birthday. She currently lives in Swiss Cottage, London with her husband Jascha, and daughters Amelie Mae (born 2003) and Evie Scarlett (born 2007). [4] Bibliography [ edit ] Novels [ edit ]
Melody barely makes ends meet, working her son’s school cafeteria but everything suddenly changes when she accepts to go on a date with Ben. They attend to a hypnotist’s show and she finds herself at the stage. She passes out and as soon as she wakes up she starts to remember some pieces of her missing past which drags her to the out of the country to face with her estranged parents to fill the blanks about her own life. I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review. As a whole, this is a good book. In parts, I felt there were too many contrivances and missed opportunities. I know we need to let the story develop at the narrator's pace, but in many moments, I wanted to stop the book and say, but "wait, what about..." and when that happened, it took me out of the story. For that reason, I deducted a star... also because the author's later books are much tighter, so I had to show the growth. Still, the writing is beautiful and has so much detail. All of which is interesting and keeps me invested. Much of it takes place in the UK, and there are lots of times when I just don't understand how American and Britain can be so different when it comes to language and raising children. Not in a bad way, but I had to really analyze it to understand what was happening.Lisa Jewell’s writing is like a big warm hug and this book is a touching, insightful and gripping story which I simply couldn’t put down.”— SOPHIE KINSELLA
She closed her eyes again and smiled. Around her she could hear the rapturous applause of creaking timber, blistering paint, popping windows, a fire engine’s alarm wailing dramatically somewhere in the distance. Melody Browne opened her eyes and saw the moon, a perfect white circle, like a bullet hole shot through the sky. It was fully lit and beamed down upon her, as if she were the star of the show. Melody is randomly selected to participate on stage, and is mesmerized into behaving like a gassy five-year-old child. After giving the audience a good laugh, Melody faints, and wakes up with random recollections of her early years. Melody Brown is thirty-three years old. When was nine years old a fire destroyed her home. She and her parents were saved, but she has no memory of her early childhood from before the fire. She grew to be a rebellious teenager. When she found herself pregnant and abandoned by the father of her baby, her parents were angry, disappointed, and hurt – and, at the age of 15, Melody found herself on her own, giving birth to a baby boy, Edward. She raised her son alone in a Council housing flat near Covent Garden and remained estranged from her parents, working as a dinner lady at Edward’s school and devoting herself entirely to raising her son. She met her best friend at a home for unwed expectant mothers and they remained close friends since that time. Her friend’s life evolved in one direction, meeting and marrying a man who raised her daughter as his own. She had two more children and a happy family life. Melody’s life went in a different direction as she remained aloof to others, and devoted herself entirely to providing a loving warm home environment for her son.
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Jewell excels in creating complex characters, building tension and keeping readers in the dark yet riveted until the "Aha!" moments...this thriller unfolds and concludes in a very satisfying way." Shelf Awareness Though this was not a favorite from Ms. Jewell, I am glad I had the opportunity to read one of her older publications. Her parents glanced at each other, clearly reassured by her preoccupation with a shoddy junk-shop painting. Melody Browne can remember nothing before her ninth birthday. Now in her early thirties, Melody lives in the middle of London with her seventeen-year-old son. She hasn't seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but Melody doesn't mind. She's better off on her own. In her latest mystery, bestselling author Lisa Jewell combines the cloistered charm of a small English village with the curiosity, paranoia and nosy fatalism of Rear Window. Then comes a dose of lust and lies and the sinister pursuit of Fatal Attraction. It’s a thrilling trifecta...With 16 novels to her credit and more twists up her sleeve than a master magician, Jewell is sure to keep you up at night." Minneapolis Star Tribune
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