Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

Great story, intriguing plot that I could not put down. Well worth a read, and would recommend to others.

With thanks to Netgalley

I wish I could say that I really enjoyed this book, it seemed to be the type of book that I would normally read. However it just didn't hold my attention all that much, but it was still an good book.

I was very annoyed by the ending of this. A good book ruined by a poorly written end where it just fizzles out. Perhaps I just was hoping for something more dramatic or tragic considering the rest of the book so it just seemed quiet. I honestly hated the character of the mother. She seemed insipid, pathetic, weak, and I can’t blame the daughter’s Ire. The father was probably the best written character even for a supporting role. You want to hate him, but you really really can’t at the end. I empathized a lot with the daughter in the book which I think is a credit to the writer. A good book overall, the writing is well done and the characters came across as likable and real.

This wasn’t my normal type of book but the cover drew me in and the idea of it was so interesting so I requested it. I’m so glad I did! Such a good story! I loved it.

I really enjoyed this book, it was full of emotions going from highs to lows. Cara is a wedding dress designer who lives with her elderly father who’s suffering from Alzheimer's. As far as she’s concerned, her mother died when she was 2 years old and she and her brother Michael were brought up by her father. Then she finds some postcards in the attic from her mother, except they were sent years after her death. Did her mum really die? She can’t ask her father so she starts to investigate herself. At one point I thought ‘ah ha, it’s got a twist and I’ve guessed it’ but that is exactly what you are meant to believe and it’s very cleverly done. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for letting me review this book.

This is a heartwarming yet heartbreaking book, I enjoyed this book and would defiantly read another book by Imogen.
Defiantly worth a read.

This was a light breezy read though the topic was definitely a deep one. Cara finds postcards in the trunk which opens up the proverbial can of worms. Trying to decipher and get to the bottom of her parents' marriage and what really happened decades ago causes Cara to travel to the United States and then back to London till a funeral brings the past to the present.

The author Imogen Clark has tried to bring twists and suspense and a sense of family to this clearly difficult topic of bullying in a marriage and life in the 80's where women were not allowed to work. But the novel did not touch the depths of emotions that I should have ideally felt. It did tell the story from different viewpoints and in different timelines. I could understand the problems women go through in this story, we still have those in my country. There was a definite struggle even where there was supposedly freedom. All the men were atrocious and controlling in the entire book, they were typecasted.

Friendships and relationships were shown, but I couldn't connect to any of the characters. So for me it was a 2 hour read in between my thrillers to divert my mind though this could have been a real family saga had it just allowed feelings to seep into the pages.

Overall, I enjoyed parts of it, but I couldn't really immerse myself into the story.

She was always led to believe her mother died when she was 2 years old, and her upbringing was a little neglectful. It's only when she discovers dozens of postcards in the attic from her mother, sent years after her death that she realizes her mom may still be alive, and tries to hunt her down. I wasn't fond of the characters but it was a good book all in all.

An emotional story about a dysfunctional family with past histories that colour perceptions (sometimes incorrectly) and lead to some secrets being revealed.
Cara was told her mother died when she was very small which she believes until she’s finds something in the attic which may contradict this. She has since been living with her father, latterly looking after him in his Alzheimer hit years which makes finding the truth more difficult. Her brother appears aloof and not interested but it soon becomes clear why he feels this way.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my advance copy.

Short and sweet, though I enjoyed the story I was waiting for it to pick up pace and when it all tied together at the end, I felt like it hadn’t fully got going. However, I did enjoy it

A good book appealing to my love of history. However at times the book was a bit slow. Well worth a read

I wasn't sure about this book but the author has you hooked from page one, it is a real page-turner! The characters and the way they are connected are brilliant with an intriguing story line that will keep you guessing.
A great read that I would really recommend.

I had been wanting to read this book since I first heard about it on Goodreads. It appealed to my love of history and how circumstances can change people's lives. "Postcards from a Stranger" certainly fit my criteria.

The story is about a family whose mother presumably past away when Cara and her brother were very young. The father was left with 2 children to raise. He tried his best, but had one rule. They must never enter the attic. The children never did. Now the father is old and his health is deteriorating from Alzheimer's disease. Cara is his caretaker. She enters the attic (feeling guilty) looking for an object, but finds a box of postcards from an unknown person. She believes them to be from her mother, but she's been told that her mother is dead. And the story takes off from there.

This book was thoroughly enjoyable and I read it in 2 days. However, I felt pulled along through Cara's journey. The book was occasionally slow and a little ponderous. Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this novel.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a poignant and emotional tale of family secrets and lies. A controlling father and a distant brother and a dutiful daughter make up the family dynamic. Cara is the daughter who struggles to juggle her wedding dress business whilst caring for her father who suffers with Alzheimers.

I loved Cara, her gentleness and her artistic ability, her relationship with her best friend and the way she saw the best in people. I will definitely look for more books by this talented author.

Postcards from a stranger Imogen Clark

#postcards from a stranger
#Netgalley


Cara grows up without a mother. Her mom died when she was little. Her dad and brother take care of her. She is forbidden to look in the attic, her dad said its too dirty up there.

One day as an adult, while caring for her dad who has alzheimers, she starts going through the stuff in the attic. She stumbles upon a box of postcards.

Who wrote them and why did her dad keep them?

This takes her on a journey filled with secrets relatives she never knew existed, and a huge family secret is revealed.

It kept me turning the pages wanting to find out the secret. I was well blown away with the big reveal and I look forward to reading her other books.

thanks to netgalley for letting me have an advanced ereader copy of the book and the publisher and author.

this is another great read I liked this book just as much. She has a unique clean writing style that draws you in and just won't let you put the book down. I read this one in 5 hours. Highly recommend.

I received this book "Postcards from a Stranger" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. Cara and her brother were never allowed to go into the attic. She is older now and taking care of her father who has Alzheimers. Cara cannot believe it when she sees the attic and she does some snooping and finds these postcards. Who wrote them? She has never seen them before and the postmarks stop when she turns 18. She begins to discover a lot about her family. Did her mother die when she was two? Does her brother know more than he is saying? Was she better off not knowing? Several twists and turns. I enjoyed this book.

I enjoyed Postcards from a Stranger and will be looking for more books from Imogen Clark in the future.

Cara's story, after finding the postcards, kept me wanting to know what she'd find out and how she'd process everything. The plot dealt with the issue of abusive relationships in a way that still allowed one to draw enjoyment from the novel.

While not quite as light as what I'd call a beach read, this would be good for that. Check it out, I think you'll be glad you did.

The title of this book and synopsis encouraged further reading. The premise of the story was intriguing in that it related to a mystery from a previous generation concerning a possible although unsubstantiated bereavement. How the current generation Cara the daughter and to a lesser extent Michael the son had their lives impacted and personalities formed by this ambiguity were the basis of this mystery. Written in alternative chapters, the reader is thrust between the mother Annie's story culminating in her death/disappearance and daughter Cara's current lifestyle and problems originating from an incredibly difficult childhood. The story made for compulsive reading with surprising endings to various plot lines. There was a sense of being frustrated in the final pages in that certain questions related to events in Annie's life remained an unanswered mystery albeit the book gave a satisfactory if not totally acceptable ending to a mystery covering 30 years and 2 generations. Would have been more than satisfied if the storyline had covered more chapters to slowly resolve the difficulties resolvement of the mystery had created. Will certainly read other books by this author.