Ah, this book. I love it! I haven't read Amanda Prowse before, but I am glad I got a chance to read this book. Molly Collway one of my favourite characters in 2021. I felt for her so much. This book makes you feel everything. She doesn't seem to be able to catch a breath, or a break, it is just a series of unfortunate events, mixed with what was expected of women in that era that causes most of her troubles. And the mother, when her mom started to talk about reputation and what would people on the road think. I remember thinking, 'What? I don't even think you leave the house. Who is talking to you about anything?!'

And then the book takes a left turn, and I lost it! I could imagine sitting by the side of a woman in the nursing home and hearing about these extraordinary things that she did. This book grips you and just doesn't let go. Before I knew it I was running through these pages, wanting to find out what would happen to Molly and her family, and if things were going to work out for her.

Not an ordinary life!! This story follows the life of a very extraordinary woman - her character flaws, her loves, her hopes dreams and her losses.
At first I thought - on no just another war novel - but it was so much more! The more I read - the more I caught myself thinking about Molly during my non reading hours and could not wait to get back to see how her life worked out! Isn't that about the most you can ask if a book.

Deeply moving - can't put down book. Definitely will recommend to my bookclubs.

When it comes to writing heart-wrenching emotional dramas, Amanda Prowse reigns supreme and her latest novel An Ordinary Life is an extraordinary, poignant and mesmerizing tale of redemption, atonement and love that it is impossible to forget.

It’s Christmas Eve and ninety-four year old Molly is in hospital. Having suffered a stroke and endured a bad fall, Molly’s body might be weakened by age and circumstance, but her mind is alive with memories of the past. Preoccupied by an old secret that has haunted her and weighed her down since the war, Molly’s mind begins to drift back to the past and to 1940s London where her entire life had ended up changed forever…and all because of a dance and a man who had swept her off her feet…

Back then, Molly was a young woman who had been determined to do her bit for king and country. Her country needed her and Molly was more than happy to step into the breach and help defeat the enemy. Having always been smart and intelligent, Molly was not about to let anybody distract her and she certainly had no intention of getting her head turned. However, Molly soon realised that the future was uncertain and that during a war tomorrow was not guaranteed. Despite of all her resolves and good intentions, Molly soon found herself swept away by a love that could not be denied. However, all of her hopes and dreams for the future were dashed by a daring mission with the French Resistance that threatened to destroy everything Molly had ever worked for.

The war might have ended, but Molly is forever haunted by all that she witnessed during those terrifying years and by a painful secret she had kept close to her chest for decades. Only her sister had been privy to her scandalous secret and now all alone in a hospital bed, Molly wonders whether she will ever be able to escape the pain and anguish of the past. Will Molly ever find peace? Or will her extraordinary sacrifices and relentless courage end up being in vain?

Amanda Prowse’s books never fail to tug at the heartstrings and move readers to tears and An Ordinary Life is certainly no exception. A beautifully written tale that tells the story of a courageous, brave, bold and very human heroine, An Ordinary Life is a superbly told page-turner about love lost and found, facing up to old ghosts and healing from the past that will grab readers from the start and keep them in thrall until the very last page.

Not an ordinary book. A simultaneously heartwarming, yet heartbreaking novel, evoking a full range of emotions, spanning both the warmth of family love to the mental despair and pain of family secrets at the other end of the spectrum. The story of a positively remarkable, extraordinary life, that I heartily recommend, just so long as you are prepared to cry real tears.

I was so invested in this novel that I stayed up all night in order to finish it.


Molly has had a stroke, in the middle of writing a letter to her Son Joe and she is distressed due to the fact that she cannot articulate her need to finish the letter and to ensure that Joe receives it.

The story looks back at Molly’s extraordinary life. She was working for the Government as an interpreter during the Second World War, when she meets her beau, Johan, the Brother of her friend Geer. A self-confessed career woman, she quickly falls in love and finds herself pregnant, only to be informed that Johan has been tragically killed.

Geer reacts badly to the news of the pregnancy, forcing Molly to come to terms with the fact that not only has she lost her lover, but she has lost her best friend too. She ultimately loses her job too, after she gives birth, alone in her bedroom.

Molly’s Sister and Brother in Law take on the Baby as a temporary measure…….yet this becomes an irreversible decision, much to Molly’s distress. Molly’s career takes a surprise turn, giving her the opportunity to go ‘above and beyond’ for her country.

Does Joe find out about his real Mother? Are Molly and Geer reunited. You will have to read to find out!

This is my first introduction to the author and it certainly will not be my last. This book gave me all the feels, it’s heartbreaking and emotional. Ninety-four hear old Molly is lying in her hospital bed, recalling memories of her past. It’s the 1940’s and she’s a young lady in London as a translator with the Ministry of Information during WW2. She meets and falls in love with a man, but the war changes their lives and hopes. Molly makes the ultimate sacrifice and has lived with it for all these years. Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

The novel starts in present day with 90 year old Molly writing a letter to someone from her past. The novel takes you back to England during World War 2, a time period I have always been fascinated with. Molly is a fiercely independent twenty something with no interest in leading a domestic life. As was true for many people during WW2, Molly's life was not easy and she encountered numerous hardships, suffered losses and made many sacrifices. The writing was perfectly descriptive, transporting the reader to the time period.

Molly's hardships didn't end when the war was over and my heart broke for her. I thought this book was going to be historical fiction focused on wartime but it was so much more as 70 years of Molly's life filled the pages. I felt like she was part of my life and I will miss her and this story.

Thank you Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely loved this book. Its been a joy to read and 100% would give it 5 out of 5. Amanda Prowse is quickly becoming my favourite author.
This book is beautifully written, there are so many emotions you go through reading this and being with Molly throughout her life.
We meet her in her 90's writing a letter to "Joe" the story then goes right back to young Molly as she loves through ww2. I cried, laughed and my heart loved reading this. Thank you Amanda for another wonderful book.

Molly is 94 and writing a very important letter to her son on Christmas eve. Unfortunately she falls from the stairs in her cottage and during her stay in hospital she remembers her life from 19 during WW2 to present time.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The prose is beautiful, it's a joy to read. I was drawn into the story of young Molly during the war, her work, her family, friends and love life. I couldn't put the book down. Then the story drags on for decades and nothing relevant happens.
I felt that most of her life from mid 20s to 94 didn't add anything to the story and I would have liked it to be more focused on the relationship between Molly and her son.
Apart from that the book is beautifully written and a joy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story begins with Molly, the main character, who is 94 years old and lying in a hospital bed. She is trying to write a letter to someone who is very dear to her. The story flashes back to Molly’s life in London in the 1940’s. She falls in love with a man named Johan and life changes in a instant due to the war and other unpredicted events. This book continues to tell all about Molly’s
life and how she dealt with the adversities she faced. The book was very sad for me to read at times but I did feel like the author did an excellent job from beginning to end. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about London, historical fiction, or World War II. Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book.

What an amazing story!

This book follows the life of a young woman Molly through WW2 up to her death.

Her life was by no means 'ordinary'

Highly recommended read

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for ARC

This book was a little different from the other books of Ms Prowse that I’ve read so far, as much of it was set during WW2. That didn’t make it any less of a story that tugged at the heart though.

Molly, is in some ways, a victim of the War, losing her love and having to give up her son to her sister. But Molly as a person was no victim. Her life was in no way ordinary. A strong woman with a smart mind, she made a lot of sacrifices for her country by plunging into the war efforts.

When we “meet” Molly, she’s ninety four and has decided to finally tell her son who his parents really were. She starts to write a note, but takes a tumble before she finishes it and lands in the hospital where she is unable to communicate at all. She’s frustrated and so afraid that she’ll die without her son knowing the truth. The reader starts to hear the story of Molly’s life as she relives it in her head. The beauty of Molly’s character is that she doesn’t realize how brave and marvelous she is – thinking that the life she’s led is ordinary.

This is a very moving story of love, tenderness, loss, grace and strength. How Molly finds peace and closure is really remarkable too.

Another winner from Ms Prowse. Thank you for colouring my world with Mollys, Annas and Theos – stories of ordinary, everyday folk, told with so much sensitivity.

Thank you Amanda Prowse and Net Galley for providing me an ARC of “ An Ordinary Life”! What a beautiful story...Molly was such an extraordinary personality...and Amanda’s descriptions throughout the book were so complete that you could absolutely envision the settings and emotions she conveyed. I would love to see this made into a made-for-TV movie....I can ‘t imagine anyone not enjoying the story! This was my first introduction to Amanda Prowse’s writing but it certainly won’t be the last!

A wonderful story about an extraordinary woman. The descriptions in the book of the scenes and the emotions are so well told. I felt like I knew the family it was so well told.

In the 1940’s, Molly was an independent young woman, determined that the life of housewife and mother, tied to a kitchen sink and sticky toddlers, wasn’t for her. She embraced the opportunity to work that the war had provided, and with excellent language skills, knew she was making a difference. A chance meeting, a dance with a young man and a walk along the Embankment, changed her ideas, her dreams and her life.

Looking back with Molly, we move through the years, visiting the defining moments in her life; the happy times, the sad times and the difficult ones where the decisions she made had far reaching consequences. We meet those she loved, those she lost and those she made sacrifices for. We join her during the bombing raids in London, in Occupied France and at her cosy cottage post-war. With each new decade, we subtly notice how life, society and the expectations of the new generations of her family are changing.

This is a book that dragged me into its pages. The vivid descriptions, especially of the traumatic events, left me feeling like I was there. I felt Molly’s grief and anger at the injustices of what she went through, and the hurt when those who should have supported her, turned her away. I even woke one morning recalling that my dream had mirrored the chapter I’d read the night before.

This is also a book filled with love and a strong sense of family that packed such a punch of emotion it will take some time to diffuse.

There were times it felt like a knife in my heart or a blow to my stomach, other times, there was so much love it was like I was wrapped in a warm hug.

If you are looking for an emotional page-turner with strong characters, family secrets, social history and more, look no further.

Yet another terrific and emotional read by this wonderful author. The story opens and we are introduced to Molly, a 94 year old power house of a woman laying in a hospital bed. Though her body is failing her due to age and a stroke has taken away her ability to communicate, her mind is alive and filled with incredible memories, secrets and a promise she made that she does not know how she is going to fulfill. She takes us on a beautiful, heartfelt and difficult emotional journey of her past. From London in the 1940’s, how she fell in love, made incredible sacrifices, worked with the French Resistance, was a translator and so much more. She made some decisions that would have brought most people to their knees and yet she continued through each and every heartbreaking moment and choice to gather strength to move forward and make the world a better safer place. Now at the end of her life she must figure out how to share the secrets she has kept and yet has promised to share. Historical fiction is not my go to, but I am so glad that I read it. Molly was an amazing woman and lived an extraordinary life.

Molly is a translator living in Bloomsbury with her distant, widowed mother when she falls in love with soldier Johan. Before she has a chance to tell him she's pregnant, he dies during training for the D-Day invasion. Her mother refuses to accept her infant son, Joe, and fearful for his safety during the Blitz, Molly sends him to live with her childless sister, Joyce, and her husband.

Needing to earn a living, she becomes involved in intelligence work during World War II, leaving her with invisible wounds that take a while to heal. AN ORDINARY LIFE tells Molly's story from the time she's 19 until her death as a very old woman, showing that she lived anything but an ordinary life. Although this is primarily Molly's story, it is also a family saga, full of emotion. AN ORDINARY LIFE is Amanda Prowse at her best. #AnOrdinaryLife #NetGalley

This is my fourth novel by AP and I absolutely love her writing. She tells a realistic, often heart wrenching tale of love, family and loss.
This one was similar and I couldn’t put it down. If you enjoy great Women Literature then you’ll love this. It’s told in past and present and I was really hoping things were going to get better. I was looking for closure. I refuse to give anything away and I really hope that you read this.
Thank you Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union Press via Netgalley for this ebook. I’ve voluntarily given my review.

Another fantastic book by this extremely talented author. The characterisations are perfect, with instantly believable and recognisable characters. What follows is the story of her extraordinary life.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough - and it's one I feel will appeal to a large audience.

Oh my what a beautiful story. I fell in love with Amanda's characters and became absorbed in their lives immediately. I felt it was quite an emotional read and I was hugely invested in it.
We meet the lovely Molly in this story. What a life she led. Meeting the love of her life Johan in the midst of world war 1 and just when she felt happy to plan for their future together, events occurred leading to her making the most heartbreaking decision of her life and which took her on a completely different path to what she thought.
I really felt it was the wonderful bond she shared with her sister Joyce that mended both women and helped them both realise how very special their family was.
An absolutely beautiful if heartbreaking read.

(I am on the blog tour for this one on 18/02/2021 so I will come back an attach my review below)

Wow. How can I ever do this book justice? I am a big fan of Amanda’s, and have read a number of her books, and have quite a few more on the TBR. She is an author I highly recommend, and often get asked “Which one shall I start with?” In future, I will definitely be recommending people new to Amanda’s books pick this one out, first and foremost. Amanda Prowse is a true queen of domestic drama in fiction, but to me, this book has reached new heights.

This is an epic and sensational that centres around the wonderful character of Molly. Molly is not your average, ordinary character, and she certainly doesn’t “fit the mould” of a 1940s lady. She is passionate, clever, strong-willed, independent and courageous. She goes through far more in her life than anyone can ever dream of, and she does so with humility and resilience.

The writing of this book is so authentic, I really wonder if the author did a lot of research, or spoke to a lady of a similar age to Molly who had lived through the war, to gain inspiration for it. I can’t imagine how else she could have written something that flows so well, and seems to perfectly describe the attitudes and atmosphere of 1940s Britain.

The plot is a complete rollercoaster ride. There are some shocking and unexpected twists, and some inevitable plot points (such as death of older characters), that enable Amanda’s book to showcase a raw and realistic portrayal of domestic and war-time British life. I found myself with tears silently rolling down my cheeks many times. This book is heart-breaking, and covers many important themes: love, war, betrayal, loyalty, mental health and motherhood are just some of them. It is not a light read, but to my mind it is it such a beautiful exploration of human existence and resilience, it is a must read for everyone.

I am truly confident that this will be a best-seller and I encourage everyone to read this book. It will break you into little pieces, and slowly put you back together again. Molly became an old friend, and this book will stay with me a long time.