Here and Now by Santa Montefiore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Marigold is the heart and soul of her family. The one who's kept them glued together all these years. She's a hard-working woman, running a small business, but as possible retirement looms, she still has an adult daughter living at home, another returning to the nest, a retired husband and an elderly mother to care for. All the while, slowly noticing, something is wrong with her mind as simple tasks are forgotten about and can't be recalled.
What's striking is how ordinary the characters are, making them both relatable and likeable. They could be friends, neighbours, just common people going about their everyday lives. So, it's not surprising, they are confronted with similar issues. In this case, it's the heartbreaking decline of a loved one suffering from dementia.
Here and Now is the first contemporary novel I've read by Ms Montefiore and it's same standard and quality I've come to expect when picking up one of her titles. The beginning starts slow revealing the idyllic setting before we slowly begin to see the challenges of Marigold's life. The poignant narrative will tug at your heartstrings as the story unfurls. The author captures the emotions of those close to Marigold perfectly, leaving readers to wipe away their tears.
This novel wasn't an easy one to read for me, but I'm sure am glad I did.
***arc generously received courtesy of Simon and Schuster UK via NetGalley***
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