The Story Of Us

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I really need to learn that when I start a Dani Atkins book I don't want to stop reading it until I've reached the end. This wasn't perfect, I guessed several of the plot twists, though the end of The Ending really took me by surprise - the author played a blinder with that one and I'm so very glad that I didn't skip to the end on those occasions when I was rather tempted to. Written from the perspective of an infant, an unborn child, and even an unfertilized egg (a Maybe Baby) - waiting for their own life to unfold from the moment of their mother's conception until after their birth.. This was one of the most uniquely narrated books I've ever read. In the Story of us gaat het eigenlijk om een verhaal van Emmy. Emmy zegt haar baan in de drukke stad Londen op om weer bij haar ouders te wonen en dicht bij haar verloofde Richard. Ze verhuisd naar haar ouderlijke stad om haar ouders te helpen bij de achteruitgang van haar moeder. Niet wetende dat er een vreemde in de stad is gaan wonen die op een noodlottige avond Emmy weet te vinden. Vanaf hier gaat het niet zo zeer meer om het verhaal van Emmy en Richard maar om Emmy en de vreemde. De manier hoe alle personages met elkaar samenhangen is prachtig beschreven. Ieder heeft zijn aandeel, ieder heeft zijn eigen gevoelens en Dani weet dit echt over te brengen. Ein Grund dafür ist vermutlich, dass man gleich zu Beginn mitten ins Geschehen geworfen wird, die Charaktere noch nicht wirklich kennt und somit konnte ich nicht so mitfühlen bzw. die Ereignisse haben mich nicht so berührt wie sie es vielleicht zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt getan hätten.

Emma and her two best friends are driving home after her hen night when disaster strikes. In the blink of an eye her blissfully happy life, in which the most stressful part used to be planning her wedding, is completely turned upside down. She barely makes it out of the car alive before it explodes and owes her life to a handsome stranger rescuing her at the risk of his own safety. As my cells multiplied, I made some plans. I dared to plan. I planned on riding a bike. Having a first kiss. Learning how to play an instrument. Being the first person to dance at every party. Taking my time to look at sunsets. Waking up early to look at sunrises. Finding a best friend. Even the bad stuff, I wanted so badly. The death of a pet. First heartbreak. Second heartbreak. Broken bones. Needles. Arguments. Oh! The arguments I was going to have with people! We would shout at each other. Then make up. I could not wait for my life to begin. From the author of Canada Reads finalist Scarborough, a stunning new novel about the unbreakable bond of family and the magic that can happen when we meet in the middle At the end of last year I had the pleasure of reading Dani Atkins' beautiful, mesmerising and haunting debut novel, Fractured. After finishing it I knew that I had read something truly special and I was amazed that it was the author's first novel, because it was already that good.The pacing was a bit slow to begin with, but my interest really piqued once MG made it to Canada. For me, it is the second half of the story (her time with Liz) that really shone. I appreciated how MG's world views were expanded from her experience. The author also gives incredible insight into caregiver life. When I told people I was planning to write a post about society, and the way people are acting, and the way the media is acting, and the way the government is acting, and the way everyone else is acting, people kept saying the same thing to me. MG works as a nanny for a couple who eventually take advantage of her. Later she finds employment caring for a woman named Liz who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the many challenges faced by MG in this new role (and learning of her pregnancy), she and Liz become wonderful companions. Ash was in tears. Ma was in tears. But I barely cried. I looked right at her, this woman I knew so well. This woman I have watched for ages through time, through natural disasters, through death, through heartache, through pleasure and pain. I looked right at her.

In the end, I'm glad I pushed reading this book as it expanded my world just a little bit more, even if I still don't love the premise and the pace of this genre. Atkins weet wederom een emotioneel verhaal neer te zetten, wat mij in elk geval van begin tot eind bij mijn strot heeft vastgegrepen. Niet alleen liefde en familie spelen een grote rol in het boek, maar ook meerdere manieren van verraad, vergeving en omgaan met problemen. Vooral Emma wordt in het boek verraden en de manier waarop ze dit een plaats in haar leven geeft en ermee om leert te gaan is benijdenswaardig. Haar moeder kampt met dementie en er wordt op een mooie manier weergegeven wat voor impact dit op liefhebbenden heeft. Helaas is het niet allemaal rozengeur en manenschijn, want het plot van het boek is helaas voorspelbaar, alhoewel Atkins toch goed haar best heeft de gedaan hier verandering in te brengen. Ze sluimert af en toe een vaagheid door het verhaal heen om de lezer op het verkeerde been te zetten. Niet iedereen zal hiervan houden, maar ik geef toe dat ik het heerlijk vond :-).

One of the themes I liked about this novel was the strength and bond of friendship. Caroline, Amy, Emma, and Richard had been best friends for many, many years. In the face of tragedy, they clung to one another and the memories that comfort them. I really admired the way that Richard cared for not just Emma but her family too. Emmas großes Ereignis steht bevor, sie erinnert sich beim betrachten ihrer Narbe aber an damals und erzählt uns ihre Geschichte... Care looks many different ways. It's cleaning a house for someone, feeding them before yourself, correcting someone when they misgender someone, respecting people's boundaries. This book is so caring. MG is a class-act in care. More care of others than self-care, but she learns as the book progresses to assert herself and allow herself to unwind a bit. Whether it's children or an elderly woman, the job often looks the same (cooking, cleaning, changing, taking her charges on outings). Her days sound monotonous but the book never feels repetitive or boring. This was such an interesting and educational read. The story is told from the perspective of a newborn baby and recounts the story of his mother’s life from the Philippines to Hong Kong and later to Canada. Im Laufe der Geschichte wachsen die Charaktere einem schon ein wenig ans Herz, aber es ist auch ein wenig vorhersehbar. Zum Ende gab es zwar noch mal einen Moment, an dem ich gezweifelt habe, ob die Geschichte wirklich so weitergeht wie erwartet. Insgesamt ist die Handlung aber etwas an mir vorbeigeplätschert, ohne mich wirklich mitreissen zu können.

The Story of Us is an emotional rollercoaster filled with struggles and triumphs. Most importantly it's a story of mothers, of sacrifice, of found family, of community, and unlikely friendship. I could definitely see this book turned into a stage production, and I cannot wait to see what Catherine Hernandez delivers next.

Mary Grace “MG” Concepcion left her husband in the Philippines to become an Overseas Filipino Worker. First, she goes to Hong Kong and then to Canada. On both continents, MG works as a nanny for several wealthy families who take advantage of her. But she does it all with the intention of one day sponsoring her husband to join her in Canada. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that focuses on the first hand experience of an “OFW” (Overseas Filipino Worker) and if you haven’t either, you need to read this book. In a country where OFWs are common, I think it’s so easy to not even think about the hurdles they must overcome or how often they are taken advantage of because of their powerlessness. I know this is fiction, but some of the situations MG had to experience are clearly true for someone out there. And I love that this book honours overseas workers and gives them a voice. The Story of Us is so much more than meets the eye. I was expecting a pleasant contemporary romance but what I got was an emotional tale that touches on themes of grief, infidelity, love, friendship, family, and so much more.

Der Verlauf ist zwar etwas vorhersehbar aber mit ganz vielen kleinen, unerwarteten Wendungen weiß man eigentlich doch nicht so Recht wohin das Ganze läuft. Und das emotionale Ende überrascht. Emma Marshall is a twenty seven year old woman who was just embarking on a successful career when she decided she needed to go home to help her Dad take care of her ill mother. After coming home and reuniting with her two best friends, she also rekindled her romance with her childhood sweetheart, Richard. They soon became engaged and the wedding is just two weeks away. It’s the night of the bachelorette party as I would call it or ‘hen’ party as she calls it. A tragic event that night changes the entire course of Emma’s life. A tragedy that only two of the three best friends would walk away from. Nou, ik kreeg precies waar ik om vroeg op de laatste bladzijde. Ik kan de exacte combinatie van twee woorden aanwijzen die mij doormidden braken en die in een heftige, lange huilbui resulteerden.I would recommend The Story of Us, I would warn that there is some triggering content. Read with care. Emma and Richard are forced to postpone the wedding to deal with the aftermath of the tragedy. As time goes on, though, secrets are slowly revealed, secrets that shake the very foundation Emma’s life was built upon. Her trust in everyone is shaken. I loved how the author kept us guessing and guessing over who, if any, Emma was going to choose. I changed my mind on and off throughout the story and the suspense was killing me ! I often select the lede for a review based on an associated idea or reference and this time the quirky narrator of The Story of Us made me think of Peter Frampton's song Baby, I Love Your Way from the classic Frampton Comes Alive! (1976) album. As she did with Scarborough, Hernandez treats her diverse and complex characters with love and empathy; each is beautifully rich and beautifully imperfect but still lovable.