In My Mother’s Footsteps by Cheryl Waters #RBRT #BookReview #FridayReads

They say bad things come in threes, and for Claire that is certainly the case. Her mother passes away, her last-chance IVF treatment is negative and then she spots her husband of twenty years with their next-door neighbour. They are definitely more than friends!

 Devastated, Claire decides to travel to the French countryside where she used to spend time in her childhood. Full of fond memories, it’s the perfect place to heal. But she packs with her something that changes the course of her trip – a mysterious letter from her late mother.

As Claire settles in France, she cannot put the letter and the secrets it holds out of her mind. She needs answers. Claire sets off on a path of discovery to trace her mother’s footsteps to a chateau she once worked at.  What will she find along the way?

My Review

It is easy to identify with Claire, the heroine of this novel. We share her grief at failed IVF treatment and then discover that her marriage to her teenage sweetheart has been betrayed. After the death of her mother, she has nothing to keep her in her hometown. Arranging to work remotely, as a travel writer, she sets out for France, where her mother had worked as a nanny before she was born.

Claire feels at home immediately, so she rents a cottage for 6 months. She is astonished to encounter a man she last met when she was in a distressed state in England. He was kind then and is good company now. But Claire has been ignoring a letter left for her by her mother. It concerns Gloria’s time working at a chateau and casts doubt on Claire’s parentage. The section written from Gloria’s point of view is particularly engaging.

I found this kindle version difficult to follow at first, due to its faulty formatting. Words divided by commas run into one and some pages are set out like poetry. My enjoyment would have been increased by good editing.

Despite that, this is a lovely story of new beginnings and forgiveness and includes detailed descriptions of the beautiful French countryside.

In My Mother’s Footsteps at Amazon UK