Note: clearing old books from before 2019

Did not have time to read this book - still on my TBR. Thank you for the opportunity and my apologies for not getting to it.

Beautiful descriptions of the small seaside town in Australia are among the jewels of this book. After WWII, a woman suddenly becomes a widow, an poet searches for a way to get his inspiration back after the horrors of the war and a doctor tries to find meaning in his life again by helping local people. You think it is a story of endings, but actually it is a story of beginnings.

Fans of literary fiction will probably enjoy this one the most. The time is 1948, and the world is still reeling from World War II. The characters live, work, and struggle in Australia, a place most people don’t immediately identify with the war. Author Ashley Hay reminds readers that it truly was a world war, affecting people in places far from Europe. She also brings to light the reality that war doesn’t just stop; the military fighting may end, but the emotional and psychological challenges continue long.

Hay misses the mark, though, by introducing an element of mystery without solving it. When the husband of main character Ani Lachlan dies, well-wishers and fellow mourners share their memories of him. The trouble is, she has no knowledge of the things they share. In fact, Ani starts to get the feeling that she didn’t know her husband in many ways. Why would Hay raise this big question without offering even a hint of an answer? I recommend fans of literary fiction Borrow The Railwayman’s Wife.

I had tried and failed several times to complete this book and just can't. It's a great story and beautifully written but for me it just seemed too slowly paced. There just didn't seem to be "much going on" in the way of a story at least for me. Since I did not finish it I will not post it on social media as it may have a knock out ending. I will look for future books by this author to see whether this is her style or just this particular book that didn't do it for me. I'm just being honest here! thanks for the opportunity.