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The story begins with Celia working hard towards the soccer fundraiser for her son’s school. It gives us a small glimpse of the sort of life Celia & her family leads. Just an ordinary family who probably would not stand out in any crowd. But their world turned upside down in a matter of seconds when Caleb landed on his face at the shoot-out game. The chaos that followed was the chaos that remained in their lives for quite a while. As if Caleb’s condition wasn’t enough - Celia’s father, Alfie, who had abandoned them long time back, makes an appearance. This time though he has no plans of leaving. He had asked Adele to re-marry him and she had agreed. How does Celia handle it? To know, read the book!
The angst, the suffering portrayed in the book is beyond amazing. It feels so real, so authentic that it touches our heart (Yes, please keep a boxful of tissues ready at hand). The hospital scenes, the treatments, and the interactions between the characters, especially between Celia & Caleb and Celia & Alfie are so emotionally charged that it keeps the readers glued to its pages. The characters are true to life and so are the relationships portrayed. The best part of the book is the protagonist ‘Celia’. Her character is so strong yet so vulnerable. When it comes to her son, she is prepared to do anything. She is the pillar of strength and hope. But the very next moment when she faces her father, her vulnerability and insecurities are exposed.
This book has dealt with a lot of things. Starting with the methods of treatment for the same disease. Some choose to stick to generation old Chemotherapy, while some choose to try alternative treatments. Again there might be different opinions about Spirituality.
The fact that the story was written from the point of view of Celia and Alfie, two most distinguished characters, makes it even more enjoyable. Beside the plot, author’s simple language and smooth flow of writing style has kept the story interesting and gripping.
I hope that she will be back with another book soon!