Getting Away By Kate Sawyer

‘Getting Away’ is the latest book by Kate Sawyer.

Margaret Smith is at the beach. It is a summer day unlike any other Margaret has ever known. The Smith family have left the town where they live and work and go to school and come to a place where the sky is blue, the sand is white, and the sound of the sea surrounds them. An ordinary family discovering the joy of getting away for the first time. Over the course of the coming decades, they will be transformed through their holiday experiences, each new destination a backdrop as the family grows and changes, love stories begin and end — and secrets are revealed.

What can I say about this book? I had so many conflicted feelings with it but when I read the final sentence, it left me in a sobbing mess.

The story is seen through the narrative of the Smith family and spans over a number of generations, as the family go different situations together, ranging from love, loss and deceit all neatly coming together when we reach the last page, apart from one element of the story that seemed to be missed, which I would have liked the author to go into more detail about.

Elizabeth is the mother of Margaret, Tommy and Robert and she never got over her first love, Bill Lacey, a man who is always in the background of her mind even though she married a lovely man called Jim. The story follows the family through the decades, as everyone finds their place in life particularly Margaret, Tommy and Robert and their children and spouses. I enjoyed the different narratives in the story and the time span but found myself occasionally getting lost in all the names and drama.

The story is beautifully written with engaging dialogue and the most vivid descriptions of beautiful destinations that sweep the reader away. A generational story that spans the decades and has an observant insight into ordinary lives when they escape their mundane lives and discover new places together.

‘Getting Away’ is a deeply poignant and moving story that makes you pull your loved ones closer.

You can buy ‘Getting Away’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.