BOOK REVIEW: Looking Past, by Katherine E. Smith

TITLE: Looking Past
AUTHOR: Katherine E Smith
PUBLISHED BY: Heddon Publishing

Looking Past is a rather engaging fictional memoire; it is a very gentle story of a young girl growing up; a tale of family, friendship, love, life and death, which will strike a chord with mothers, daughters, nieces, and daughters-in-law. Without offering coping mechanisms or guidance, this is an inspiring story about being true to oneself and becoming a mother on one’s own terms.

At eleven years' old Sarah Marchley’s mother dies; suffering a grave sense of loss, she and her father continue their lives believing time will heal and that they will eventually move forward with their lives.

Sarah goes on to enjoy life at university and begins her first serious relationship. She meets her new boyfriend’s mother and despite some doubts, finds herself immersed into the matriarchal Poole family discovering that gaining a mother figure in her life brings mixed blessings.

Told through the narrative of the heroine, the story portrays honesty, realism, warmth, and humour. Readers will no doubt empathise with Sarah, whose grief and confusion at the loss of her mother at key moments in her life, is contrasted with a dry and sometimes subtle humour derived from situations and characters which help colour the book. The father/daughter relationship which develops between the bereaved husband and daughter feels very real, as both come to terms with their grief and learn how best to live together. Sarah's father is unassuming and appealing, as he struggles to find a way to deal with his broken heart and support his daughter throughout school, puberty and on into adulthood.

Readers who enjoy psychological fiction with a dry sense of humour will enjoy this second novel from this author; written from a strong female first-person-perspective, this story is relative to current society and how life presents surprises along the way, suggesting that we may not always get the happily ever after we plan for, but we do get a happily ever after.

The twofold settings of Yorkshire and Cornwall will please people with strong links to those places, but the characters and events hold universal appeal. The author has painted a beautiful picture of the importance of family, dealing with love as well as loss and giving a part of oneself to those we care about.

It is a thought-provoking book which I felt could have really been a true story; it is a human story, a woman's story, and one well worth reading. I think it is an ideal book for anyone interested in the family dynamics in bereaved and blended families, and for anyone who loves St Ives, which features strongly towards the end of the novel. The descriptions of Cornwall, particularly St Ives, bring the settings to life; the author clearly loves Cornwall, a passion I share, and it rings out loud and clear with each page.

All in all, a touching and memorable book, easy to read with a sound storyline and not too weighty, easy to put down and pick up again for a cosy read.

Reviewer - Anne Pritchard