Saturday 20 January 2018

35109182

What she Left- Rosie Fiore 5*


Author Bio – Rosie Fiore was born and grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. She studied drama at the University of the Witwatersrand and has worked as a writer for theatre, television, magazines, advertising, comedy and the corporate market. 

Her first two novels, This Year's Black and Lame Angel were published by Struik in South Africa.
This Year's Black was longlisted for the South African Sunday Times Literary Award and has
subsequently been re-released as an e-book. Babies in Waiting, Wonder Women and Holly at
Christmas were published by Quercus. She is the author of After Isabella, also published by Allen
& Unwin.
Rosie’s next book, The After Wife (written as Cass Hunter), will be published by Trapeze in 2018
, and in translation is seven countries around the world.

Rosie lives in London with her husband and two sons.
Sam has found his soulmate Helen after losing his first wife leaving him with
two small girls. After several years together and Helen being a housewife, she
leaves home to go on a course, turns the corner and disappears. Her husband
is meant to be collecting the children from school but has left her a message to
say he has been called away and hence can’t get there. When the school call
him he realises something could be wrong- very wrong. Helen is always so
organised- her life and the family plans are so organised that almost everything
is on a spreadsheet. So where is she?

This is a very different “missing person” book- one that makes you stop and
think about life. Not in the realm of murder or kidnap- a totally different scenario.
 I won’t give anything away but towards the end there are some very true,
reflective words in a stunning piece of writing which made me stop and think
about my own life and journey. A very well written account mainly of characters.
We feel for Sam and then realise that at times he is his own worst enemy-
at times you may want to shout at him in frustration for his actions, mostly to
himself. For Lara who does her best to help but ends up being somewhat of a
doormat. For the children having lost a second mother figure. You wonder why
she could leave a blissful life- from the outside and then find out that little bit
more. The ending I was wondering about before I got there- what would
happen? Would there be a happy one? No spoilers- just to say - perfect.



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