Published By: The Publishing Circle
Released On: 25/04/2023
Second Chances is a touching tale that takes us on a journey from India to Kent, UK, following the intertwined lives of the residents of the same road. At the heart of the story is Molly—kind-hearted, resilient, and determined to start anew after her husband Rory leaves her and their son Jamie. But when Jamie disappears on the day they were supposed to move to Kent, Molly’s new life takes an unexpected turn.
As Molly settles into her new community, she befriends her neighbours, Florence and Colonel Bryce Beckwith, who share their own stories of love, loss, and longing for second chances. The three of them navigate their regrets and come to realize that it’s never too late to make a change.
Second Chances is a poignant, multigenerational tale of connections and community, showcasing the unbreakable human spirit and the hope that can come from taking a leap of faith.
*****
Thanks to Miriam for gifting me a copy of her latest book in return for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this. It was a good story and well written.
I loved the fast paced nature of the opening chapter. It’s rushed and frantic and really complements the nature of the scene. It’s tight and it’s stressful and you’re thrown straight into the scene.
There’s a number of characters who, at first, don’t appear to link, but then you start to learn how they’re intertwined and I really enjoyed that. It flows across the years and not always in the right order and that takes a bit of getting used to – it’s not often, only the occasional chapter that flashes back to something. It wasn’t a deal braker for me, but I would have preferred a small heading or something on those particular chapters, just so you know when they’re taking place, otherwise you have to read into the chapter before you realise it’s not happening at the same time. Like I say, not a massive issue in the least, but I think it might just have made the reading of those bits a little easier.
I’d say this is heavy on the character development and thin on the plot. I don’t mean that in a bad way. I prefer books that are more focussed on characters than a busy plot, so I liked that, but it is up to personal preference.
I like the spread of ages in the characters. We’ve got teenagers, middle ages, and the elderly, and they’re all given the same amount of time. There’s no pushing the elderly to the sidelines, for example, which is nice, as you get to see the thoughts and reactions and opinions of a cross-section of society.
The idea of ‘second chances’ is well and truly front and centre in this book. Second chances at love, at family, at work, with friends, with hobbies, with yourself, and with life itself.
It’s a look at the everyday characters. Everyday life. Family, what to wear, community, church, what to eat, business etc. Seemingly mundane things that are all recognisable, but just with a little added extra.
This may be the first of Miriam’s books that I’ve read but I can already see the rhythm she’s found in her writing. It’s easy to read and exciting and you’re definitely in the middle of the action, and you almost become the characters, willing them on. Even after I’d finished reading it, I kept thinking I had to go back to it, because I enjoyed it so much, I still wanted to be part of the story.
Miriam is not an author I knew of, and her email came out of the blue. With several other books on my list to review, I was reluctant at first to agree, but something about it made me say yes, and I’m glad I did. It’s a really beautiful, heartwarming, tender story.
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