A story written by author Amanda Prowse has the power to stop my heart, then jump-start it with the strength of the emotions. Nobody can write about the purity of a mother’s heart than the reigning queen of emotions.

This was Molly’s story in flashback from 1944 till 2019 where the author showed me each moment of her life from the giddiness of first love, to the grief of losing him, from the happiness of a mother to the heart wrenching decision taken for the child.

Each word written on paper brought a wave of emotions, swamping my heart with its different colors. Amanda captured each nuance of war time so vividly that I felt I was right there with Molly.

Oh Molly, what can I say about her? Her life and the generosity of her spirit made me cry long after the book was done. There were so many times when I wanted to jump into the book and be there for her. Her courage in times of war and sacrifice for her loved ones choked me up completely.

This book can’t be read; it has to be lived through each line, each moment in time. A flame of light in the darkness of war. A sister, a mother, an aunt… she played them well. Only Ms. Prowse could make a thriller-y heart read a story set in WWII and cry buckets.

Yet another page-Turner from Amanda Prowse. This author has great insight into her characters and, whilst it is not a thriller, it is a beautiful heartwarming read.

Molly, aged 94, is reminiscing on her life, starting with the present and back to her young life. I had so many emotions reading this book: I smiled, I cried, I empathised. Another beautiful read.

Although I'm usually a fab of the author I didn't feel this book got it quite right. There's lots of research giving perood detail and bits are strikingly redolent of the eras covered though.

Molly is a 19 year old Londoner at the start of the war. A brief encou ter influences the whole of her long life.

I found it a bit repetitive and a startling idea is obvious to all long before it's revealed. Also, a 19 year old, born just a few years after WWI would not speak as a 19 year old today. One cannot imagine Churchill's speeches ending in "whatevs"! On the other hand there seems to be a sense with some authors that characters need to speak in the modern idiom in order for today's younger reader to understand.

Molly ages and by the time of decimalisation (her supermarket encounter) really feels like that era. Whilst the best tidying of wartime takes seems a bit contrived.

Although I didn't enjoy as much as I usually do - I still felt drawnn to finish it

Molly is 94 and knows she must write things down, clear her mind and share a secret she’s kept for many years.. Only suddenly she takes a fall and is left with a stroke and unable to communicate all the things she must. Lying in her hospital bed she recalls her life, the love she lost and her experiences during the war. Molly’s life is anything but ordinary.
This novel is set on two time lines of Molly present and past and like all Amanda Prowse books is both enthralling, heart wrenching and exciting in equal measures. The true compassion of this writer is felt in every page and word written and as usual I found myself overwhelmed by emotions as I read this wonderful novel.

An Ordinary Life is a medium paced story that is very emotional, with plenty of detailed. An Ordinary Life is easy to follow, very well written, with family drama. The reader learns about Molly, the main character, as she reminisces about her life.
I like how Prowse has taken an accidental fall, which is quite common in people aged 65 and over, to created a breathtaking story that pulls you in from the beginning. Also I like how Prowse has taken the issue of mental health well within her stride and laid it all out, not shied away from it.
The character development of An Ordinary Life is steady. The reader is transported to the younger years of Molly, where she shares her secrets about her life and how she became the person she is. I personally found Molly to be very courageous, always met each challenge head on, without fuss.
I would recommend reading An Ordinary Life to lovers of Women's Fiction and Historical Fiction, as it is a heart-filled story, that is anything but ordinary. It is filled with a lot of sadness, so keep the tissues close!

I found this book interesting and full of engaging characters. The plot from World War 2 to the present day kept the story lively and the plot was believable given the historical circumstances. It felt that the story could have been anybody's from the time. Not a heavyweight read but enjoyable..

This was a fantastic but emotional read for me. Molly captured my heart and I loved her character. The story was very well written and kept me engaged until the very end.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved this book, the story and the characters. Heart warming romance and easy read, will have you hooked from the get go.

Another great read by Amanda Prowse, who has become one of my favourite authors. Great story, great characters. Highly recommend

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a WWII historical fiction about the bravery and heroism of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

An Ordinary Life by Amanda Prowse

This was a tale of love, loss, and one last extraordinary dance.

This was a very heartwarming story, but also very sad. By the end off the book, I was in tears. The characters were beautiful and interacted nicely. I recommend this book.

This book centers around 94 year old Molly, who is writing a letter that she promised to do. She reflects back to her life as a young adult in World War 2. It was a very enjoyable read. This is my first book by this author, but it definitely won't be my last.

Molly’s life in Amanda Prowse’s An Ordinary Life is anything but ordinary. We learn almost her entire life as she relives her memories from a hospital bed — work, love, passion, pain, sorrow, everything you expect to experience in a lifetime. Molly’s early life takes place during war time in the 1940s, so there’s a lot to experience that most of us never have and probably never will. But Ms. Prowse is an amazing storyteller with the ability to put her readers right into her protagonist’s life.

All of us are shaped by things that happen to us — the schools we attend, the friends we make (and lose), the jobs we take, the loved ones we mourn along the way. All of us experience ordinary things every single day. But Molly’s “things” are far more influential and extraordinary than your average person. Her skills with multiple languages put her in a position to be an asset to the war effort, and as a result she lives through situations that influence her entire future. These experiences color everything that she does after the war. And as far as she is concerned, it’s been an ordinary life.

Molly’s story will take you on an incredible journey. The only reason I gave it 4.5 stars instead of 5 is that 76 years is a lot to cover in a single novel, so there had to be big gaps in time by the end in order to get through it all. As the novel approached the end, the gaps became increasingly wider. The first 70% of the book covers two years, then it skips ahead seven years, then 16, then nine, then eight, then 17, and then 17 more. I know that ordinary things happened in the gaps. They just felt like really big gaps in the last 30% of the book. Nevertheless, this is definitely another Amanda Prowse creation worth reading.

An Ordinary Life

Sobbing heck; An Ordinary Life is another stunning and emotional read from the amazing Amanda Prowse.

Through Molly, we journey from the Blitz in the Second World War to present day, painting a picture of a life that was anything but ordinary. I’m not always a fan of more historical fiction, but Amanda writes in such a beautiful way that you can’t help but be swept up in the story and become totally hooked. Another five star read for me.

An Ordinary Life is a historical fiction novel featuring Molly, a determined young woman in England during the 1940's. Doing her part to help with the war effort, Molly ends up being challenged in ways that she never expected. Living a life full of secrets, will the past stay buried for the entirety of Molly's life?

This novel is rooted firmly in the past, which I appreciate when it comes to historical fiction. Molly is reflecting on her ordinary life, though it is anything but normal. The young woman has skills that set her apart from many others, so it would have been nice to know a little more background about her. Molly is decisive and capable, yet she makes choices in her personal life that are contrary to this. The plot line regarding Molly's big secret did not seem realistic, as the reveal should have happened because of the relevant parties all being in close proximity to each other. The relationships and bonds seem real, but the choices made do not.

Overall, I liked An Ordinary Life and would recommend it to those who like historical fiction.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of An Ordinary Life from NetGalley and the publisher, Lake Union Publishing. The choice to review this book was entirely my own.

This was my first by Amanda Prouse, courtesy of NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing. It is a flashback from 94 year old Molly Collway's deathbed back to when she worked covertly for the English during the 2nd World War, met, and fell in love with a handsome young soldier. She experiences much happiness but also many tragedies. 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. And isn't that the way it seems for many seemingly ordinary humans, until you delve deeper beneath the surface? For her, the family she holds near and dear doesn't in fact know the real Molly or her many secrets. That could be sad, but it took strength and gumption for Molly to ultimately be happy and resigned to accept the cards she was dealt. If this had been titled anything else, I probably wouldn't have liked it as much. It made me think about how we move past, and sometimes even hide away, the things we did in our younger years.

An Ordinary Life is beautifully written. It follows the life of a young woman named Molly during WWII and beyond. There are many layers to this book that grip the reader and allow you to be completely immersed in this story. There is an instant love for this young girl who falls in love and soon after her life is completely turned upside down. We see that Molly is not ever going to have an ordinary life, but what is ordinary? I do enjoy a good historical fiction book and this one is historical fiction but also contemporary. It is much more about how war changed Molly's life and how she took what little she had and made a life for herself. This book speaks to the ability to survive unspeakable pain and hardships and come through with inner strength and beauty. Molly is strong and courageous in every year of her life. She is faced with so much pain and loss but she learns to draw upon the good things in life and gain a new perspective and new strength.
This is a beautiful book and I am excited to read more from this author.

Special thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fascinating look back at wonderful woman's life. At times challenging, at times joyful, and at times sad, this book ran a full gamut of emotions. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Molly's life, and I thought the ending was just perfect.

Amanda Prowse does it again!
A fascinating book about the life of a woman who lived a totally amazing life, war cancer and life and death.
It had me gripped straight away I love reading her books but I think this was one of her best!
Thank you NetGalley.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Storygraph!