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Posted by Shalini45 Comments on Book Review - The Girl I Used to Know by Faith Hogan @GerHogan #BookReview #BookBlogger #contemporary Book Reviews

Book Review - The Girl I Used to Know by Faith Hogan @GerHogan #BookReview #BookBlogger #contemporary

I went blind into this book because it was written by author Faith Hogan. I don’t need to read the blurb to know the women in this novel would be strong and brave, they would face life and inspire me to find the girl I used to know too.

The first half of the book was slow where the author laid down the foundations of both the main characters. 35 year old Amanda with her husband and kids had a great, well-settled life where the 66 year old Tess, her tenant at the basement, was the only thorn on her side. The women lived in the same house but hated each other with a vengeance. Life was good and moving like a well-oiled machine.

But every bright picture had a darker tinge if you looked closely. One day, Amanda too looked closely into her husband’s pockets and came out knowing a fact which shattered her. Tess tripped on a cat, and with a fractured hand, came to know how lonely she was. Slowly, Amanda’s daughter Robyn became her friend along with the doctor who treated her. Amanda too had to take some important decisions regarding her life.

Approximately, at the mid-half of the book, the story took a deep breath and settled down over me, enveloping me like a warm, cozy blanket as if these characters were a part of my life. I saw myself in them. I saw my fears reflected in their stories. Their dreams had been lost like mine. Their loneliness seemed exactly like the one in my heart.

Faith’s writing took me to a place deep into myself where my wishes had once taken flight. Her portrayal of these brave women who forged a tentative friendship, then became each other’s staunchest support, saw my courage seeping into me. Their determination to live their lives on their terms made me believe in mine. Their emotions simply became mine. Such was the power of Faith’s words.

I had forgotten who I had been when I started my life

I had forgotten the tiny buds of hope my dreams had been

I had forgotten the courage I showed when I faced abuse

I had forgotten the wishes that once flew the skies…

I remembered them all when I read the book

I heard them all when I looked at the words

I felt them all like the promises they were

I knew them all like the girl I once had been…

The poem above has no ending because my dreams are just beginning…

I love Faith’s stories as every word speaks of strength, every sentence talks of a hope. The emotions conveyed touch my heart, the feelings in them calms my mind. Her stories are like long lost friends and the new ones, both bringing joy and happiness.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Aria, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!!

All my reviews can be read here

Amanda King and Tess Cuffe are strangers who share the same Georgian house, but their lives couldn’t be more different.

Amanda seems to have the perfect life. But the reality is a soulless home, an unfaithful husband and a very lonely heart.

While Tess has spent a lifetime hiding and shutting her heart to love.

But if they can open up to one another, these two women may just learn that sometimes letting go is the first step to moving forward and new friendships can come from the most unlikely situations.

Publication Date: 1st December 2017

Publisher: Aria

Categories

Book Reviews, Fiction

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45 thoughts on “Book Review - The Girl I Used to Know by Faith Hogan @GerHogan #BookReview #BookBlogger #contemporary” Leave a comment ›

  2. Great review, Shalini! So heartfelt…I haven’t read anything by Faith Hogan, but I love books with strong female characters.
    Are there any other books by the same author you’d recommend?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. Such a lovely review - I love when books can both transport you into the lives of the characters but also deeply relate to your own life and experiences. This sounds like such a heartwarming read and I’ll definitely have to check it out at some point

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. Wonderful review, Shalini. The characterization sounds good and I like that you were able to relate with the women. That poem that you shared is both deep and beautiful.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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