The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse #BookReview

What would you do if you learned that the life you lived was a lie?

Nina McCarrick lives the perfect life, until her husband, Finn, is killed in a car accident and everything Nina thought she could rely on unravels.

Alone, bereft and faced with a mountain of debt, Nina quickly loses her life of luxury and she begins to question whether she ever really knew the man she married. Forced to move out of her family home, Nina returns to the rundown Southampton council estate—and the sister—she thought she had left far behind.

But Nina can’t let herself be overwhelmed—her boys need her. To save them, and herself, she will have to do what her husband discouraged for so long: pursue a career of her own. Torn between the life she thought she knew and the reality she now faces, Nina finally must learn what it means to take control of her life.

 

A beautiful story about change and the process one of the character’s goes through of finding herself again. The novel spreads an important and uplifting message, one that encourages everyone to stay true to yourself.

Are rich people really happier? At her introduction our main protagonist Nina thinks so. She was born into a rather poor family but then her future husband swept her off her feet instantly. It made her want to create a distance between her old life and her new one which also meant a certain detachment from her sister as well.

The difference couldn’t be bigger when her husband passes away. Not only does she need to deal with the loss of her husband and the boys of their father, she’ll have to take a step back from her posh lifestyle too.

Of course all of this doesn’t get resolved without any struggle. Just remember there’s always sunshine on a cloudy day, even if you don’t see it immediately it is present, it’s only temporarily hiding behind the clouds. It sure helps that good sisters do what good sisters do, which is sticking by their sister’s side when she needs it and it was sweet to see their dynamic.

I enjoyed the highs and lows of the story which made me feel for Nina and her children. I didn’t feel as sad and emotional as I thought I would feel, however, when reading about this broken family, but I have to admit by the end of the novel my throat closed up after all, and that made me even happier because it was a good feeling that caused it ;-).

The only thing that made me a little sad was the fact that they didn’t speak very highly of Finn and that felt a bit unfair. I don’t feel you should speak ill of the dead – unless they are bad people – and I just didn’t feel that he was. I was happy they gave it a twist in the end at least that was a bit more forgiving.

The art of hiding is a wonderful novel about grief but also hope and happiness and I certainly see myself reading more of this author’s books.

I received a free paperback copy of this novel from the author. This is still my honest opinion.

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