With All My Love By Patricia Scanlan

[amazon_link id=”1471110761″ target=”_blank”][/amazon_link]Irish author, Patricia Scanlan is back with her latest novel “With All My Love”

Briony’s mother Valerie has recently moved to a picturesque town in Southern Spain. Helping her mother to settle in should her the perfect opportunity for some mother – daughter bonding, but when Briony finds a letter addressed to her, she has no idea that her life is about to change so drastically.

As she reads it, Briony realises that her mother had lied to her about what happened with her beloved grandmother, Tessa and that she has denied Briony the most precious of relationships, the type that Valerie now enjoys with her own grand-daughter, Katie.

As secrets and lies unravel, Valerie fears that history will repeat itself and Briony will take her grand-daughter away from her, just like she did to Tessa many years ago.

“With All My Love” is the first book that I have read by one of Ireland’s popular authors. I never read her before as I thought her books were for an older woman. So, when I started “With All My Love”, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I enjoyed the story but I was also disappointed in myself for not reading this author sooner.

“With All My Love” is a beautifully written and warm hearted story that spans across three generations of women having to deal with the consequences of one woman’s decision. Set in rural Ireland in the 1950’s, it deals with the stigma of having a child out of wedlock and the pressure and shame that is brought on the poor mother. Seen through the eyes of the three leading ladies, Valerie, Tessa and Briony, the story gives an insight into how attitudes and perceptions change through the years. I thought the leading women were wonderfully written, all strong, independent, fighting tooth and nail for their children to protect them from the hurts that burden them. I particularly enjoyed Valerie, I loved her journey from flighty young teenager to mature woman as she dealt with the blows that life had dealt her, as she did everything in her power to escape the memories that haunt her whilst bringing Briony up as single parent.

A story that will captivate you from the very start and will absorb you. “With All My Love” is from one of Ireland’s most prolific authors is a poignant and heartbreaking story, packed with Irish charm and wit that will have you smiling and crying in quick succession. A story filled with secrets, lies and the maternal bond between mother and daughter and shows just how far a mother’s love will go to protect her child.

You can pre-order[amazon_link id=”1471110761″ target=”_blank” ] With All My Love on Amazon [/amazon_link] will be available to buy from good bookshops from February 28th 2013.