This is the second novel I've read by Hannah Beckerman and I was so thrilled to receive this digital ARC. Beckerman writes so beautifully and with such love, compassion and empathy for her characters. I was completely drawn into the life of Nell and her family- her recently deceased father, her mother living with dementia and her two older sisters. Nell is close to her parents but has always felt a little on the outside of the relationship with her sisters. The words of her father just before he dies lead her to believe there is a family secret and the novel focuses on this. This was such an emotional read for me, it touched on many issues in my own life- including bereavement and challenging sibling relationships. Beckerman also sensitively deals with dementia, caring for older family members and post partum depression. However these are not 'issues' in a Beckerman novel but parts of family life that are portrayed gently but deeply. A beautiful and recommended read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This is Hannah Beckerman’s third novel, but the first that I’ve read. From start to finish this book was filled with raw emotion. I’ve never experienced the loss and trauma that Annie did as a young mother, but through this work I felt the pain that she suffered, and felt really, really sad for her. Thirty five years later, Annie’s husband declares his love to Nell, his third daughter from his deathbed, which leads Nell to explore her past and family origins, whilst enduring the loss of her much loved father, and the tense relationship with her two older sisters Clare and Laura. It becomes apparent that Nell is different to her sisters, and throughout her childhood she’s been protected and held closely by her mother – is that what has led her to move away from the family home?
Elsa has worked with Nell’s father for many years, and is very fond of Nell – at times, it’s hinted that her relationship with the family may be more than employee/business partner – encouraging the reader to want to find out more.
I found myself questioning the circumstances around Nell’s birth in 1986. I’m sure at that time more would have been done to help Annie and manage/explore her situation more (trying not to give away spoilers!)
I was emotionally invested in this book, the rawness of Annie’s pain and suffering as a new mother drew me in, but also the challenges faced by Nell as she explores her past and family origins. Truly a page turner, I don’t normally enjoy books that flip from THEN and NOW, but Beckerman has done this well, and the pieces of the puzzle come together.
I read this book in only a couple of days, it’s easy to read, and the characters are likeable, however I felt short-changed with the ending – it’s not what I was hoping for – although may be what the author is hoping for – because a couple of days later I’m still thinking of this book, and wondering …
This is a great read and I highly recommend it – off now to read the others of Hannah Beckerman.
Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC.

Nell's dad, Bill is dying of cancer, on his death bed he says to her "You need to now that I have always loved you even though you were never really mine to love." Unfortunately Nell's mother, Annie has early on-set dementia and cannot answer Nell's namy questions about her father's statement. This beautiful story is told in two time lines of Now and Then and the book is from Nell and Annie's point of view.

The then chapters were so heartbreakingly sad and what poor poor Annie went through all those years ago. The writing was so real I truly felt Annie's pain. The now chapters had me cheering Nell on to find out the truth about her background. I didn't like Nell's sisters very much, they were bitches to be honest. I read this story in one sitting, it had my emotions all over the place and I liked that it touched on some major issues with heart. I highly recommend this very emotive read. All. The. Stars.

This book was morbidly depressing for the sake of it - not a pleasant read. I didn't feel like the rest of the book's substance made up for the miserable hour and a half I spent on it, though the plot twist was somewhat interesting.

This is such a gripping and emotive read about some sensitive and hard hitting family issues. It was raw, breath taking and awe inspiring, I couldnt put it down.

Nell has always felt different to her family despite being cherished by her parents. Her sisters live locally but Nell went to university and moved away to a high achieving job. Chance words from her dad make her wonder where exactly she came from. It’s a good tale that keeps us guessing and involved.

THE IMPOSSIBLE TRUTHS OF LOVE is a story of elderly parents facing rapid decline and their youngest daughter unraveling secrets about her family that she, somehow, failed to notice. At least that’s how the book carries on for much of the story. The characters are well-developed, the setting believable but something is a bit off for this daughter, Nell, notably different from the rest of her family in brains and appearance. This nagging sense of something-not-quite-right increases as the book progresses and for me, changed the nature of the book. It went from fiction to mystery to page-turner. The ending was completely a surprise to me. This was a great story. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I thought the emotional message was too heavy handed and the hints at the truth were not at all subtle. However, it was a gripping read, although I really did want to know more about what happened next.

‘I want you to know that I have always loved you.’

On his deathbed, Nell Hardy’s father Bill makes a mysterious declaration to his youngest daughter Nell. He says:

‘I want you to know that I’ve always loved you […] You need to know that I’ve always loved you even though you were never really mine to love.’

Shortly after, before Nell has an opportunity to ask him what he means, Bill dies. Perhaps her mother Annie knows, but she has recently been diagnosed with dementia and communicating with her is challenging.

The story shifts between the present, where Annie is coming to terms with her father’s death and her mother’s dementia, and the past where Annie is overwhelmed by a series of traumatic events. In the present, Annie and her older sisters Clare and Laura are packing, preparing their family home for sale as Annie will move into care. And Nell wonders about what her father said and what it could mean. The three sisters are not close: Nell is 11 years younger than Clare, and 7 years younger than Laura. Nell has had opportunities that her sisters have not, and Clare in particular seems to resent this.

In the past we meet Annie and Bill as a young married couple. Clare and Laura are young, and Annie wants to have another child. What follows is a series of tragedies and secrets, devastating events which ripple through many lives into the present.

‘Grief, she is learning, is love’s echo: it is not possible to have one without the other.’

I found this story moving and wondered how I would deal in a similar situation. I admired Bill’s resilience, felt sad for Annie, and wondered where the truth would lead Nell.

Recommended.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Nell is losing her father Bill to cancer and her mother Annie to dementia. The always strained relations between her and her sisters Laura and Clare are tauter than ever, and amidst all this escalating anxiety a family mystery of all-encompassing depth threatens to wedge a distance even between Nell and her boyfriend Josh. From her position as Associate Professor in stem cell therapies at UCL, to the domestic day to day of Annie's increasingly disheveled recollections, everything about this suspenseful drama was so believable, I can't wait to read more by Hannah Beckerman.

I really enjoyed this book, Thanks Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity read this story in exchange for an honest review.
What does it mean to be a parent- is it biology, or is it years of love tenderness and nurturing that make us family? . When Nell’s father tells her he loves her, even though she isn’t his to love, on his deathbed, it opens up a whole can of worms. Unfortunately Nell’s mother Anne is in advanced stages of dementia, and is rarely lucid. As Nell ponders the meaning of his words, she uncovers family secrets that were kept from her. There is right and wrong, choices made that haunt those involved for the rest of their lives.
Side note- once again we have a woman who is not believed when she tells them something that doesn’t fit with conventions. Can we please just believe women?

When a book lingers in my mind and I keep turning over my reaction to it I know that it's hit the spot! I could feel Annie's pain and desperation, feel her love for her child, this is the best sort of writing from the best sort of author. Truly wonderful word pictures.

I initially found it hard to get involved with the book as the characters didn't come alive for me, I found the lack of relationship between the sisters and the deathbed revelation rather unbelievable but when I got into the second half, when Annie has given birth to Nell, my opinion changed and I was completely absorbed from that point onwards. The anguish that Annie suffers, the fact that she can't make herself heard and then her gradual acceptance is beautifully done.

I wish I could say more but it's difficult without giving too much away, suffice it to say that I'm sure I would have done exactly the same as Annie and that's why the story is still at the forefront of my thoughts... what if it had happened to me...

I was excited to receive an advance copy of The Impossible Truths of Love, having previously read and loved Hannah Beckerman’s If Only I Could Tell You. Unusually, I only glanced at the blurb and immersed myself.

What a book. Nell’s father is dying of cancer and her mother has an aggressive form of dementia which is stealing her memories at pace. A comment from her father throws Nell’s world off balance and into a maze of what may have happened in her family at a time when asking others for answers offers little return.

Told over 2 timelines, Nell tried to unpick what may have happened in the current day and her parents, Annie and Bill, fill in the blanks from her earlier life. I haven’t been able to put it down.

Beautifully written and utterly compelling. 4.5*. It may be a tough read to anyone with kids or moreover if they have lost a child.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing, Lake Union and Netgalley for the ARC.

A really good story which left you wondering what happened next. Very emotionally charged throughout.

Get out the violins from page 1 on. Way too much heavy feeling and repetition! I gave up 30% of the way through the book as it was just more drama, more characters I didn't like and an easy to figure out plot.

Nell is the odd sister out in more ways than none and this is driven home by her dying dad's last words and a very bitchy older sister. Already, it's enough to make you pull your hair out!

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

A touching and heart-warming novel about lost babies, grieving parents and enduring love.
The novel switches between Nell’s life as a 35 year old and her childhood with her parents Annie and Bill.
We know that a secret underpins her early life but the truth gradually unfolds through the novel.
This novel really grew on me; it was always enjoyable but about halfway through the plot took a swerve and the characters really came to life. It went from a solid four stars to a good five.
I read the second half at break-neck speed!
Recommended: an intriguing plot about family secrets and a tragic story that you won’t see coming.

One of those stories that has you gripped from the start mainly because the characters engage so well and you want to know more. I did find the book way too long though and was glad to reach the ending which was a bit unsatisfactory .If the rest of the story had been more concise we might have got a bit of the what happened after I was interested in

A powerful story of the private lives of mother Annie and daughter Nell, A page turner of a story, deeply felt, finely woven, and sharp as a tack about the unspoken conflict and isolation within families, as well as the lengths people can be driven by both love and loss.
Full of trauma and past secrets keeps you hooked to find out the truth at the end.
Would recommend.

This is one of the most beautifully written books that I’ve ever read.
It’s emotionally charged, touching and hugely engaging. The intrigue in this book meant that I had to keep reading until I finished,
I could and I certainly will read this book again.
It might even be one of my favourites. What an amazing book.

I think I have a new favorite author! What a pleasant surprise Hannah Beckerman's The Impossible Truths of Love was. A totally unexpected novel about what constitutes love of family, parents and siblings. and the heart wrenching effects of the grief over losing a child.. Beckerman writes about it as if she had experienced it herself and I can relate as I have lived through it. You may get used to it, but you never get over it so Annie and Bill's experience is one that will make your cry.

But that's not all this book is about. It' contains a mystery, unexplained until the very end and I will not spoil it. You will have to read it for yourself. Nothing here hits any wrong notes. and at the end you must determine for yourself if Nell Hardy does the right thing.

Thanks to Lake Union for an uncorrected proof in exchange for my review.