Daughters [Kindle Edition]

This is a book that approaches that question I often ask myself, How would I cope bringing up other people's children? As a single Mother of a daughter, I wonder how I would feel about someone elses child coming into our tight little circle and I can't help thinking Elizabeth has addressed many of the questions that I have previously thought which made the story so much more real to me.

Lara is a mother to three grown up girls of which two are her Step Children. Throughout their lives she has treated them as her own, but is that how they see it and how does those feelings effect their relationship with their half Sister?

Elizabeth has beautifully written a wonderful, thought-provoking novel about a family who are all entering the next chapter of their lives, whether that is marriage, college or moving home. Such amazing observations from each of the character's perspective. Whilst Lara is clearly the leading lady of this book, each daughter, the ex husband and new partners all have their own story that threads through the pages. All struggling with the same taboo subject, the thing that is never discussed. They are all strong people in their own way, each have hidden insecurities that make them do what they do as your turn the pages of this book.

This is not a laugh out loud easy breezy Chick Lit, but instead an extremely engaging story that I believe will make you look around and think of your relationships with your Mother's, Sisters and Daughters as it certainly has me. A truly fabulous book that pulls you into this family with every page.

I am a fan of Elizabeth Buchan's novels, loving her keen observations on the nuances of modern lives and the intricacies of contemporary relationships. Nothing is ever black or white as we come to understand what has shaped the various characters and why they behave as they do. I found this hard to put down, and it is my favourte so far.

Despite its title this book is not just about the daughters of the family it's actually all about the relationships within a blended family. The lynchpin of the family is Lara, ex-wife to Bill, stepmother to Jasmine and Eve and mother to Maudie.

Lara has brought up Jasmine and Eve as her own ever since she first met Bill when the girls were young, after his first wife had died, and has always treated them as her own daughters rather than stepdaughters. So much so that when the marriage broke down, it was decided that it would be best for both girls to remain with her and their sister Maudie.

Now that the girls are all grown up, Lara is having to deal with empty nest syndrome after youngest daughter Maudie announces that she's applied to go to university in the States meaning that she'll be on her own for the first time in years. This makes her taking a look at her own life and it's obvious from the start that there's still a lot of healing left to be done before she can consider moving on.

But as a mother can she ever stop worrying about her children? She's worried for Eve, who is rapidly turning into a Bridezilla during the planning of her wedding, as she's not sure that her fiance Andrew is the right man for her daughter. When she tries to talk to her about her concerns this just puts a strain on their own relationship.

Meanwhile eldest daughter Jasmine is beginning to wonder if her own relationship with Duncan is going anywhere as he doesn't seem to want to take the next step in their relationship of living together. She knows that she loves him but isn't sure if she can wait forever to get her happy ever after.

This book pulled me in from the start as it's not just about the family dynamics but it also deals with a lot of complex issues such as death and bereavement, marriage, infidelity and divorce and the impact that they have on the whole family.