Love Wins
Things We Do For Love by Vered Neta is a beautiful contemporary novel about a family.
Families are made up of all sorts. No one model fits all. The family in the novel consists of octogenarian parents, three daughters and their partners and a granddaughter. The novel is told from alternating points of view.
We see the devastating diagnosis of Alzheimer’s as a strong woman loses herself bit by bit. “A ray of light enters the black hole of her memory.” As time passes, she reverts to a child-like state.
Old age is cruel. We witness a life struck down by a stroke but determined to carry on.
The three daughters grew up in the family home. Their lives echo down the hallways. “Ghosts from the past still occupy the room.” Memories are within the very fabric of the building. Their familiar relationship functions the same at fifty as at fifteen. There is the organized one, the quiet one and the one striving for motherhood. We see the difficulties of balancing their lives with taking care of elderly parents. All three still have the ability to rub each other up the wrong way.
We follow a character who has been so busy behaving in the way others want her to – wife, daughter, mother – that at sixty as the roles are diminishing, she feels adrift, wondering who she really is.
Many characters within the novel define themselves in relationship to others but need to know deep down, just who they really are.
This is a very beautiful novel exploring complex relationships within a family. I loved it. There are some difficult topics, sensitively portrayed. In the end, we can say that within this family, love wins.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
Things We Do For Love
Daisy Bach, a therapist, has always been certain that she did not want to have children. Her childhood experiences with an overbearing and controlling mother, Verity, who tore the family apart, further cemented this decision. However, at the age of forty-five, Daisy finds herself reconsidering this choice.
Unfortunately, her decision to try and conceive is complicated by her mother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. With strained family relationships, Daisy faces the daunting task of caring for her elderly parents while also attempting to conceive.
As she navigates this challenging time, Daisy is forced to confront her deep-seated resentment towards Verity. This journey leads her to re-evaluate her beliefs about motherhood, forgiveness, and the true meaning of a “happy” family. Will Daisy find a way to reconcile with her past and make peace with her present? Only time will tell.
Purchase Links –
Author Bio –
Vered has lived in three different countries for the last six decades, so trying to trace her origins is a thrilling quest. Nowadays she lives in Tenerife on an off-the-grid finca creating a self-sustained life for her and her partner while writing her novels and scripts.
Her stories are character-driven dramas, giving voice to the untold stories of women and their triumphs in today’s society. Her mission? To illuminate the world with kindness and positivity, one story at a time.
Vered’s words have touched countless lives through her multiple books on motivation and relationships. Her book “Financial Independence for Women” sold over 50,000 copies.
In 2010 Vered was awarded the TIAW World of Difference Award, an award given to women whose efforts have advanced women’s economic empowerment locally, regionally or worldwide.
Social Media Links – www.veredneta.com
https://www.facebook.com/vered.neta,
https://www.facebook.com/VeredNeta60/
