While not OMG amazing and life altering, this was a perfectly pleasant book. Would reccomend for fans of Reese Witherspoon's Book club picks

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

This story about a marriage between a couple (GiGi and Harry) who met while feeling NYC on 9/11 shines a spotlight on postpartum depression. Women who've suffered from postpartum depression will feel seen reading this book, despite the fact that it's hard to get people to listen when they say there's a problem in real life (as Bannister beautifully shows in this book). It shows the progression of a marriage from the giddy, early days to the exhausted parenting days...and how a couple can get from Point A to Point B. Bannistre also tackles class, as GiGi and Harry come from different backgrounds. Despite the bleakness of postpartum depression, Bannister layers a sense of humor over everything at times, reminding me of Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason.

I have mixed emotions about this book which is fitting giving its topic. The main character is working in NYC when the 911 terrorist’s attacks occur. As she flees the office she runs into a British man she has seen in the local coffee shop. He is visiting from the UK and has nowhere to flee, so she takes him with her to her family home to await news of her younger brother. When faced with the news that her brother was killed, Harry helps Gigi and her family in those hours. Fast forward to eleven years later whence Gigi and Harry run into each other again.

The story focuses on Gigi's struggles to manage dysfunctional parents, raising a child, marriage, childbirth, and post-partum depression. This story is emotional and raw and at times heartbreaking, but then life is sometimes emotional, raw, and heartbreaking. Its the author's ability to communicate those emotions that makes this a compelling story.

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I tried to read this book multiple times and could never seem to get very far. I’m not sure if the eARC format was just too weird for me, or if I just didn’t jive with the writing. I know this book got a lot of positive reviews and I am sure plenty of people will enjoy it! Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel made me hurt yet also validated my feelings on adulting. Marriage is hard, women work too much, and kids are hard to raise. The journey was painful, but the ending was worth the read. Gigi is a relatable character who is generous, loving, and flawed.. Harry is trying to be a good husband but is relatively clueless.

This would make a great women's book club pick.

I thought this book was generally extremely well written, though I can't say I always enjoyed it. But such is the nature of a book with such a heavy topic! It kept reminding me of a book I still remember after having read it many decades ago--"Hunger," by Knut Hamsun. As with that book, this made me feel the pain that the main character and narrator was going through, and it almost dragged me down to despair with her while I was reading it. Totally absorbing in that way. It was also surprisingly amusing in parts, with delightful observations about other mothers and relationships. The sections describing her parents on Staten Island were particularly wonderful, as was the heartbreaking recounting of 9/11. One thing that bothered me was the author's occasional serious grammatical errors--saying, for example, "She wanted to get high and forget about the life her and Frankie were supposed to have..." I know this speech might be common on Staten Island, where Gigi grew up, and perhaps it was supposed to add to the local flavor, but was not used consistently and Gigi was well educated, so the instances were jarring to me and came across as errors. On the other hand, they could have just been mistakes in the uncorrected galley I read, so it may be entirely unfair to point it out. All in all, a book worth recommending. Many thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

This book was an emotional roller-coaster, and I couldn't put it down. The details in this book were so vividly written; the descriptions of 9/11 were powerful, and I could easily picture what was happening on that day 20 years ago. Gigi's emotions and experiences were so real and relatable that I felt right alongside her for the duration of the book. It feels strange to say I enjoyed it, considering its heavy topics, but the writing was well done.

This book was so good, so sad, and so real. I wanted to be Gigi's friend and tell her that she is not alone. Postpartum depression is still a topic that is not discussed in the open and so many women suffer because of this. I was on the verge of tears while laughing through this book. Everyone who has a family should read this.

This was a stunning debut. It is the story of Gigi, who experiences tremendous loss on September 11th. Ten years later, she recounters the man she spent most of that tragic day with, and they soon move to London and have a new baby. Being away from home and encountering the challenges of new motherhood, Gigi must face the loss from the past that she never really dealt with as she determines what she wants her future to look like.

The author here does an excellent job of painting the rich interior life of Gigi, and making us understand her struggles. It deals with great care with many sensitive matters. It is an emotional and engaging read. Recommended!

4.5 stars

I’m not gonna lie, this was a pretty heavy read, and it definitely put my emotions through the wringer.

Everything changed for Gigi after 9/11. The only reason she managed to get through that day was because she had Harry by her side. But she doesn’t see him again for ten years, and so much has changed since then. After losing her brother, she adopted his girlfriend’s baby and has struggled to be a single mother while working full-time and taking care of her parents who were still emotionally fragile from the loss of their son. It’s a lot for one person to take on, and she’s never really had a chance to deal with the loss herself.

When Gigi bumped into Harry again by chance at a park, their relationship quickly took off, and he wanted her to move to the UK with him. But it wasn’t quite the refreshing new start she had hoped for. Gigi was left feeling isolated and continued to struggle, especially after a traumatic birth to their son.

Her emotions were so real, raw and honest, and as an empath, it really hurt to read everything she was going through. It’s not easy asking for help, especially when you feel like there is no one there for you. Mothers take on the weight of the world for their families and often leave their own problems and emotions on the back burner, but you can only do that for so long until you explode.

This truly was a wonderful, yet heart-breaking read and I think everyone woman could relate to this story in one way or another. Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3904402808

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve sat down with a physical book and knocked out 70 pages in one sitting, but that was my experience with WHEN I RAN AWAY! Out March 30th.

This is a book that examines motherhood, class, and grief via Gigi, an unflinchingly honest and hilarious woman from Staten Island. The book opens on the eve of September 11, 2001, when Gigi is trying to get back home after the first tower fell. Unbelievably, she runs into a man she recognizes who works in the same building as her, and seeing as how he’s in this boat with no place to go, she takes him with her. The story flashes forward ten years later- when Gigi, now a single mother, runs into Harry again and sparks fly. The two have a beautiful life together but after a rough postpartum experience she walks away. And so their present day story begins.

The story is told via flashbacks and the present, where she’s hunkered down in a hotel room watching Real Housewives. The authors observations about marriage and motherhood are SPOT ON- it really gave me a feeling of solidarity, in what can feel like a very lonely time. Gigi’s self talk is both self deprecating and hilarious, and I just wanted to give her a hug. I loved that her husband Harry wasn’t portrayed as a villain- he’s doing the best he can but still there are things he couldn’t understand. I loved Gigi’s friend group and I was rooting for her the whole time. There are very dark themes- read with care if you’ve suffered from PPD yourself- but all in all I think this was an incredibly solid debut.

When I Ran Away was a heartbreaking account of a woman's emotional trauma following 9/11. Its shows how Gigi's life was forever altered. The grief from that day will follow her for years. The only positive thing to that day was that she meets a man named Harry who becomes very important in her life.

This was an honest account of the various mental struggles that people go through and how many people don't recognize it. Hence why so many people never get the help they need. I found it to be difficult to read at some points because I just wanted people to see Gigi was struggling and help her. It was like the people around her were wearing blinders and just couldn't see that she needed help.

I was impressed by this author's ability to tell a story. She handled the sensitive topics with compassion and sensitivity. I look forward to reading more by her.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Despite this having the 9-11 terrorist attacks as the background, I did enjoy this. It's a look at life - beyond tragedy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Fasten your seatbelt because you are on for an emotional roller coaster. Gigi is from Staten Island, living a typical working class life until she meets Harry, a Londoner living in NY. Their meeting occurs on 9/11, an infamous day particularly for Gigi and her family. Gigi doesn’t see Harry for a while, but after a random meeting at a park, they fall in love and marry. The book is not a light romance, but deals with issues such as PTSD, postpartum depression and facing life’s challenges. Definitely a hard book to read, but written well and the author writes a story you won’t soon forget. Thanks to NetGalley for he ARC. Recommended with a tissue box.

Gigi lives in the shadows of 9/11 in this tale that takes Gigi from those days through her married life and all the struggles of real life. The author shows the impact of class on Gigi and especially gives a sense of what post-partum depression feels like. Early on I found myself drawn to see what would happen next to Gigi and then it was harder to read of her struggles but I kept going back to see how it would all turn out. It's not always an easy read but I especially appreciate books that give me a glimpse into the emotions of a life I've not led. This book accomplishes that well. I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This novel was a tough one to read in that it covers the gamut of nearly every human emotion. Such as joy, bewilderment, sadness, sorrow, and more emotions follow as we learn about Gigi and her dealing with new motherhood. I loved this fresh take on marriage and family and the touch discussion of postpartum depression and mental health in general.

The author did an excellent job in portraying each character, even the children. Human nature and its complexity was present throughout in the characters, especially Gigi. There is great sadness in feeling like you're alone with your feelings...and one thing is evident to me... we really don't know one another as well as we should in life. I will admit to getting emotional while reading this novel. How could one not?

I am so glad I took a chance and requested this from NetGalley. I can't believe this is a debut, it had me turning the pages and I read it in one sitting. I was not disappointed in the novel of having it all (or not)...Most highly recommended.

While I had high hopes for this book, I ultimately was disappointed. I think the author tried to get in too many topics which ended up muddying the storyline. It starts out being a story of loss during 9-11, then the stress and joy of single parenting. It seems to take an upturn with the reintroduction of her soulmate, but dives again- and again- and again. The end of the book gives a realistic glimmer of hope,. I think any one of the storylines would have worked, but didn’t work when strung together.

Based on the synopsis I was really excited for this read, but it ended up not being quite what I expected. I could feel for Gigi - her pain, aguish, dissattachment - and many parts were really moving. That said, I just couldn't get into a good groove with the writing style; it was a bit like a stream of consciousness narration that didn't really work for me. And overall I found the pacing to be off - the beginning felt rushed and then later on it started to drag and I found myself growing bored.

I think there was a lot of potential in this book and that it will work more for others. Part of it was that I wasn't expecting it to be soo dark and unrelenting for the entire book, and mentally that just wasn't what I was ready to read at the moment.

Thank you, NetGalley, Ilona Bannister and Doubleday Books for the ARC

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, a friend gave glowing reviews to me. I usually would not give such a “thumbs down” review, but I have to be honest. The book captured me until post 9/11. The writing was gripping, visual and heartbreaking. I was so ready to like this. The characters, Gigi, Harry, 9/11, Johnny, Rocky and the rest were compelling, but I couldn’t get past all the tragedy Gigi was going through. At times it felt like “Oh poor me...” I realized she was going through very real trama, not being able to deal with her grief of the death of her brother during 9/11, her postpartum depression, horrible parents, but I just couldn’t invest in her character. Page after page, I wanted to feel more than sadness and pity for her, but that never came. I really felt bad for Harry and Johnny. Maybe if the characters had a little bit more background filled in, I would have enjoyed this book more. Others will like this book, it just was not my cup of tea.