Lifesaving for Beginners [Paperback]

This novel starts with a bang - literally - when a truck crashes into two cars. Mother-of-four, Beth, is killed. In the other car is thirty-nine-year- old Kat, a single woman with two big secrets. She survives. Over the course of the novel, it becomes clear that the lives of these two women were already connected in a way neither could have known.

The story is told in alternating chapters from the viewpoints of Kat, and Milo, Beth's nine year old son. Milo is beautifully drawn. The portrayal of children can often seem contrived and artificial, but Milo is an authentic mix of grieving child and normal little boy (my own children lost their father at a young age, and I could so identify with this), and is a most endearing character. Milo is cared for by his adult sister, Faith, who has her own problems, and is struggling to come to terms with her own grief.

Meanwhile, Kat is living in Ireland. She has a boyfriend, parents and a brother, Ed, who has Downs Syndrome. Ed and Kat are very close, and their relationship is delightfully portrayed, again without being in the least contrived. Part-way through the narrative, information comes to light which changes the lives of all the characters, inextricably connecting the two families, while Kat is forced to acknowledge the other secret she has kept hidden for years.

This is a delightful novel; an absorbing story which flows easily, warm characters and enough suspense to keep the reader involved. Highly recommended.

After the accident.... Two narrate. In Brighton, nine year old Milo, whose mother was killed by the truck; in Dublin, thirty-nine year old Kat, who had a miraculous escape. That road accident seems their only link, until a shock discovery which changes everything.

For much of the way, my thoughts were mixed. Milo's contributions had a directness, innocence and charm. Kat proved harder to like, the secret writer of best selling crime novels seeming too self-centred and abrasive to those who deserved better. Gradually everything moved into a higher league - later chapters a delight, with humour enriching.

Appealing characters are met en route. Personal favourites? Kat's under-appreciated companion burly farmer Thomas, so often with hay in his hair and mud on his boots; her Downs Syndrome brother Ed - he totally without subterfuge, telling it as it is. Movingly with impact is Milo's mother Beth - only around for a page or two, but her loss deeply felt.

Spared any hint of mawkishness, here is a tale that ultimately both satisfies and uplifts.

Recommended.

Ciara Geraghty's books have been on my to-be-read list for quite a long time but I never actually got round to reading them. So when I received a copy of her fourth novel, Lifesaving for Beginners, I couldn't wait to get started. But even though it sounded like something I would enjoy, I had no idea what to expect. All I can say is: three pages in I was already hooked and I'm not exaggerating when I say I loved this book from start to finish.

At the risk of sounding terribly morbid, I love the fact that Lifesaving for Beginners starts in such a dramatic way. A few pages in, two women are involved in a car crash in Ireland: Beth, a mother of four from Brighton and Kat, a thirty-nine year old writer from Dublin. Beth dies instantly, while Kat walks away without a scratch. The book tells the story of their families whose lives will never be the same again. Then, just when they think they're starting to figure out how to move on and deal with the past, something comes along and once again, changes everything, bringing the two families together. The fact that the book starts with such tragic events means that you just cannot help being drawn to the story from the very beginning.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the fact that the story is told from two different perspectives. There are books where this type of narration doesn't work and I've read a few books where it would have worked but the author didn't really nail it but in this case, it works perfectly well. Half of the book is told from Kat's point of view, and half from Milo's (who is Beth's 9-year-old son). The two different perspectives definitely make the book more diverse - not only do we hear the story from both families' point of view at the same time but it's really interesting to hear a 9-year-old boy's and an adult's take on things. Milo is by far my favourite character from the book - he's just adorable and the way he's dealing with the situation is very moving. I loved how after the tragedy he's the one who becomes the adult in the family and makes more reasonable decisions than her sister Faith or anyone else. He's the one who adds some humour to the story and whose childish innocence and witty remarks will put a smile on your face while there's a tear in your eye.

Geraghty's novel reminded me a little bit of Marian Keyes' books: their writing style is different but they're similar in the sense that both of them deal with serious and difficult issues in an optimistic, heart-warming and quite humorous way. Lifesaving for Beginners is without a doubt one of my favourite books this year and Ciara Geraghty soon became one of my favourite authors. It's one of those books where you can't wait to see how the story ends but at the same time, you don't want it to end. It's a remarkable read that I'm not likely to forget anytime soon and I can't recommend it enough. Trust me, it'll blow you away.