Member Reviews

This book will make you feel all of the feelings, which I really like. Nice character development that helps you understand why they are they way they are.

Was this review helpful?

I liked the story and I enjoyed the audiobook.

Pearl lost her father when she was a teenager, he didn't die, but he left her and her brothers for a new family, and never looked back. Or that's what she thought!
Her father died and left her his diaries. And her journey to get to know and understand her father begun.

A sentimental novel about love, family ties, lost relationships, new ones...
But the end seemed unfinished

Was this review helpful?

I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, which has not altered my opinion of this book, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I enjoyed the idea behind this book but unfortunately it just did not come together quick enough for me to really find myself invested in this book at all. I didn't feel like I was able to connect with the main character and due to that I didn't end up finishing this story.

Was this review helpful?

An okay story. This one did not catch my interest as fast as some others did. It was something to listen to in the car.

Was this review helpful?

I listened to the audiobook back in January but got delayed in writing the review. It was only at the beginning that I had trouble keeping up because of the different POVs and timelines but after I got a hang of it, I was immersed in the storytelling. The story was emotional, tragic and yet hopeful. The entries in the diaries that Pearl Flowers gets bequeathed by her estranged and dead father end up painting an entirely different story about her father's life after he leaves his first family to set up home with a younger woman. It is a cry for help but a cry that was left unanswered during his lifetime. The narration was well done by Sarah Durham. I think it was a good choice for me to listen to this as an audiobook.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture/Bookouture Audio and the author Beth Miller for the audio Arc of the book.

Was this review helpful?

Oh I adored this story.

Pearl is an odd duck in her family. And for so long has felt left and abandoned by her family. As a grown women she still has the emotions of a little girl who only wants her daddy to love and understand her.
And with his death she comes to learn that he has left his entire collection of books to her. And especially he journals that he wrote and kept over the years.

As the rest of the family resents and struggles to understand why she was left these books, Everything Pearl has ever known comes undone with decode ing the books.

The aloof father who was disconnected for most of her life is now someone who she sees equally trapped by the choices he made.

This was a genuinely sweet story of self discovery, and reconciliation to the hurts of the past and wrongs of those who love us most.

Was this review helpful?

Not my usual read/listen as I usually go for a psychological thriller so not even sure why I request this Audio book. but that said this was a nice storyline with lots of family secrets and mystery so worth a listen after all

Was this review helpful?

This is an interesting book about family and relationships. After trauma in her life, Pearl Flowers had been hiding away from life for a long time in her woodland cottage in France. She had run a beauty shop in England but since see moved to hide out in France with her husband, she spends her time drawing and occasionally making house calls to do someone's hair. An unexpected phone call throws her world into chaos. She gets the call that her father was dying. He abandoned his family when he divorced her mother and remarried. another woman. His second wife was a very controlling woman and talked him into having no contact with his kids. She adored her father and felt that he didn't care about her anymore. On his deathbed, he left her the gift of 40 years of his personal diaries. These diaries were written in a code that only Pearl would understand. As she reads the diaries, she learns that he truly loved and missed her. He had kept track of everything that had happened in her life. This knowledge helps her heal from her past issues. I highly recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

It took me a little while to really get into this book and at times I found myself a little lost between the multiple storylines. I did however find the book enjoyable and found myself invested as the story continued. The narration of the audiobook was really fitting and I enjoyed it a lot

Was this review helpful?

This was an emotional read about family, relationships and second chances. I liked the parallel stories and how they connected and intertwined the characters, plot points and events. I was originally confused about the cast of characters. But I thought it was well written, it had that element of mystery as well as well written connections between people, and I liked that there were so many different relationships. I definitely recommend this book to any book club centred around women’s fiction or familial relationships!

Was this review helpful?

A slow burning multigenerational family drama charting a middle aged woman’s journey of discovery when she inherits her estranged father’s diary after his death.

Delving into the hidden heartbreak of loss and family breakdown and how pain can shape our inner world and life choices.

The narration by Sarah Durham was excellent and the story was relaxing. Where it fell down for me was in the lack of emotional connection with the characters. I just didn’t feel invested in their lives.

Was this review helpful?

This book wasn't for me. I can see why others love it but I found it sad and depressing. There was a lot of emotional drama and that is not my particularly favorite genre.

Was this review helpful?

Normally I love novels like this but for some reason I couldn’t get into it. I picked it up and put it down so many times that it left me frustrated.

Was this review helpful?

Pearl Flowers lives with her husband Denny in a fairytale cottage in rural France. She gets a phone call from older brother Greg in the UK to inform her their father Francis is dying. Pearl isn't sure what to do, as Pearl and her brothers Greg and Benjy have been estranged from Francis for over 30 years. Pearl decides to travel to Sussex, but he has already passed by the time he gets there. Pearl and her brothers are requested to be at the reading of the will where they each receive a sum of money and Pearl is bequeathed her dad's journals. The journals begin when he leaves Pearl's mother and their children and continue up to his death. What secrets will they hold? Why doesn't he want his wife and step-daughter to read them?

Pearl has suffered serious losses in her life. First her father, then her brother and best friend. There are so many secrets in this family as well as a lot of animosity. Pearl never thought she would return to the UK, or reestablish some of those relationships. The characters are complex and carrying baggage, especially Pearl. There is a great cast of characters and various relationships are explored in this book. Pearl broke my heart. She has been hiding for the last five years instead of facing her family and what happened to her. Benjy was one of my favourite characters. He had a great sense of humour and wasn't going to take anything from anyone. He spoke his mind unapologetically. The story unfolds from the points of view of Pearl, and another initially unknown character named Carrie. As well, we hear extracts from Francis' diary, which gives a third POV. The story is not linear and at times I did have difficulty following it, perhaps because I was listening to the audiobook. I found this story to be sad and a bit depressing, although it is realistic. The audiobook narrated by Sarah Durham, was okay, but difficult to follow at times. It was more of a dramatic reading and all the characters sounded the same. Perhaps that is why I had difficulties following the story at times. Overall, this was just an okay listen for me.

Was this review helpful?

At first, this book appears to be about a dysfunctional family, deserted decades ago by the father who has now passed away. But, it turns out to be so much more, as each person's history begins to unravel. The stories are intricately woven, so that it is easy to follow them. The characters are complex, not just good or evil. And, the story is told by a narrator who really makes you feel as if you're there with the characters. I loved this book, and hope to find more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

I had downloaded the audiobook but it vanished from the app. I was not able to listen to it before it was archived. If I get a chance to read the book, I will update the review.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked this book. The storyline was amazing.  I loved the fact there was so much controversy over the diaries.  I loved the intricate details in the book of a family once broken apart and how years of issues had split them. Will they ever come together or find out the real reason why this happened? Well you will have to read this book as I'm not giving it away. I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator she did a splendid job of creating the tension that flowed through the book. This characters were portrayed in a superb manner that allows me to create bonds with them or completely hate them with some wonderful twists. There were plenty of unexpected events and I enjoyed the ways they were dealt with. I found it very interesting seeing how the main character developed through the book. It was a really good page turner of which I flew through.  I must say I loved the simplicity of the cover and its bright colours it fitted the story perfectly.
Many thank to the author and publishers for creating this brilliant gripping page turner which im sure you will enjoy it.
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/the-woman-who-came-back-to-life-by-beth-miller-bookouture-4-stars
Under either of the following names ladyreading365, lady Reading365 or ladyc reading

Was this review helpful?

An emotional and intense story about a woman hiding in a little cottage in France. Pearl’s life isn’t been difficult, a lot tragedies and lost had shaped her. But now she has to face her past after her dad’s death. Will she be brave enough to read through His diaries and come back to live her life? A great audiobook, the narrator really makes you feel all the emotion the characters go through.

Was this review helpful?

The main character of this story, Pearl, lives with her husband Denny in France, and after getting a phone call to say that her estranged Dad is dying, she travels to see him, but he is gone by the time she gets there. She is very sad about this, but she is then surprised and happy, when she finds out that her Dad has left her a set of diaries that he wrote in shorthand. As she deciphers them, we are taken on a journey with her, back to her past. This journey shows many secrets, and much information which helps Pearl with her life, and with her feelings. She is reminded of how much her Dad loved her, and how much he thought of her throughout his life, even though they were apart.

I enjoyed this story, as I like stories about families, and what they go through. I found the story heartwarming, emotional and interesting, especially as it had many layers to be uncovered. The story relates well to real life, with its many dramas and family secrets.

The narrator's voice was nice, and she did a good job of storytelling.

Many thanks to the author publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I did enjoy this story about Pearl discovering truths behind her family life when she was younger. One by one more things emerged. I felt quite sorry for Pearl - she carried quite a weight on her shoulders. Like stories about messy and dysfunctional families. I listened to this on audio. Had to restart listening once as I got a bit lost. As previous reviewers have said I think this book would work better if I had read it rather to listened to it. It wasn't the narrator but I can't quite put my finger on what didn't quite work. Good job I also got approved on Netgalley for the kindle version too.

Was this review helpful?