Maggie O'farrell instructions for a heat wave

[louloutheshamed]

Anyone read this?

I just finished it in a couple of days, quite a gripping family saga but I didn't love it like I loved the hand that first held mine.

And I hated the character of Monica!!

Anyone else?

I've just read it. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it as much as her other books. I don't know why, I just didn't find it as gripping. The dyslexia element seemed a bit shoe-horned in as well.

There was an interview with her where she talked about why she wrote about dyslexia -

www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/feb/27/maggie-ofarrell-stammer

I love everything she writes but "The Hand That First Held Mine" was incredibly good.

I felt very sorry for Monica at the end when I thought about what she left with.

Yes, I'd seen that article. But it still seemed like it was something she wanted to include / write about. Nothing wrong with that. In fact thinking about it, maybe because I'd read the article it seemed a bit - I don't know how to express it but, now her life has been affected by dyslexia it's worth writing about? But I know that sounds harsh.

What I got from the article was that she was inspired to write about it as it was on her mind. Her son's experience would obviously be so different from in the 60s/70s. I thought it was one of the most interesting parts of the book as so many people went undiagnosed then and did have their lives blighted by it and yet the amount of adults who have difficulty with reading even now when we know so much more about it still gets very little attention, given the scale of it.

I loved it. I grew up in a Scottish Catholic family living in England and could really relate to the Irish Catholic family in the book.There were moments that rang so true they made me laugh at loud. I also thought she created the atmosphere of a long hot summer very well - I could feel the heat emanating from the pages!

I really want to read this, especially I was born in that infamous summer. My local library isn't stocking it though and kindle price is too high for me. Consoled myself by reading My Lovers Lover instead

I love all her books, the drowning part in the hand that first held mine haunts me though
I am waiting for the kindle price to drop before I buy this one

I hadn't read the dyslexia article until after I finished the book, it didn't seem forced to me. I thought the writi in the steam on the glass at the airport was one of those genius, heart wrenching moments, and I felt huge relief when she finally told Gabe.

I hated Monica though! So whiny and self pitying...

This is £4.99 on the book people website. I'm going to have to aren't I?

Liked it but didn't love it, I felt like I was waiting for something that didn't happen. Have such memories of that summer, maybe I was looking for those.
Loved 'the hand that first...'.