My Mother's Gift by Steffanie Edward

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

Can your heart belong somewhere that you’ve never called home?

When Erica gets a phone call to say her mother, Ione, is ill in St Lucia, she knows she must go to her. Though the island – the place of her mother’s birth – is somewhere that Erica has never seen as her homeland.

Even when the plane touches down in the tropical paradise, with its palm trees swaying in the island breeze, the sound of accents so like her mother’s own calling loud in the air, Erica doesn’t find herself wanting to stay a moment longer than she has to.

But stepping into her mother’s house, she is shocked by what she finds. Her mother’s memory is fading, her once-immaculate house is now dirty and messy, and she’s refusing help from anyone but family. And Erica knows she must stay with her, even though it means leaving everything else behind.

What she doesn’t know is that – even as her mother’s memories get worse – Ione still has a final gift for her daughter. Because the unspoken secrets of their past are about to emerge, changing everything Erica thought she knew about her mother, her home, and who she really is…

A captivating tale of grief, love, and what it means to find home, perfect for fans of Andrea Levy, Jojo Moyes and Amanda Prowse.

my thoughts:

Love, love, love! What a beautiful story! I found myself sobbing and smiling as I read this book. It was such a heart-wrenching read. Steffanie Edward's novel, My Mother's Gift is a must-read for anyone and everyone looking for their next read - it is a can't miss story!

Erica lives in England, a country she now calls home, when she gets a call from her Aunt Barbara. Her mother, Ione, is getting worse. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few years ago, her mother's condition has deteriorated and she needs help. So, Erica heads to St. Lucia, her mother's homeland, a place she was raised, but has never called home. Too much water under and over the bridge has made this tropical paradise a place to escape from, not escape to.  However, once Erica visits her mom and sees her home, she can't help feel a tug in heart that has her wondering if she should stay.  Erica's plan is to get her mom in a home back in England, so that she is taken care of. And yet, Erica soon finds herself becoming her mom's caregiver and dealing with a past chock full of difficulties and differences. Talk about a heartbreaking mother-daughter story!

Edward has written an emotional and thoughtful story about the impact of Alzheimer's on a mother-daughter relationship. She writes about it with such an honest and open tone, that you can't help but get caught up in the story. I loved getting to know Erica, Ione, and the history of their relationship. It was such a terrific book to get lost in. Family doesn't always get along and they don't always agree on what needs to be done when it comes to illness. I felt that Edward's depiction of this family was a breath of fresh air. She aired their history and present lives all out, and turned everything inside out; so that we could find ways to relate, and also, so we could begin to understand where they were coming from. Such a great story!

I would happily recommend My Mother's Gift! Check it out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book!