Book Review by Pat Allchorne: The Pieces of Us by Claire Alexander

Sometimes what we need to read is a book that we know will have a happy ending — one that gives us ordinary characters whose lives aren’t too complex, and a story we can simply relax into.

Take three women in one family, three generations, and throw them together. Cat is in her mid-thirties, working in a florist’s; her daughter Ruby is sixteen, a typical teenager; and her mum Minnie is fifty-eight with early-onset Alzheimer’s, now five years into its progression. The three of them think the world of each other, but can they live together as Minnie’s dementia becomes increasingly worse?

The book begins with Cat moving Minnie out of her home and into the one she shares with Ruby. Minnie has lucid moments, but the times when she doesn’t are hard to manage. Lena comes in as carer for Minnie so Cat can go to work part-time; Ruby is good with her grandma but is on the verge of her exams at school and trying to decide what to do with her life.

Throw into the mix Asim Khan, the estate agent who is selling Minnie’s house, and Sean, Ruby’s boyfriend, and we end up with romance on the horizon for Cat — who feels far from ready, as her spare time is non-existent — and a pregnant Ruby, putting paid to any immediate plans for college.

While sorting through boxes of Minnie’s things, Cat comes across some paperwork which seems to suggest she is adopted — something of which she is totally unaware. Trying to talk to Minnie about it goes nowhere; her mother’s mind switches off the moment it is mentioned.

With some help from Asim, Cat tries to find out more information from the authorities, but at the time she was born it was common for people to arrange their own adoptions privately, and no official documentation exists. To help us piece together the background story, we have chapters interspersed with Cat’s tale — that of Beth, thirty-odd years earlier. As Minnie becomes less lucid, and Ruby’s pregnancy becomes obvious, Minnie often calls Ruby “Beth”.

I managed to piece together most of the background story from the hints given, but I mustn’t give any more away. Minnie’s dementia is dealt with sensitively, and will strike a chord with anyone caring for someone in the same situation. The three women are all strong in different ways, and as each of their lives slowly falls apart, strong friendships, love, and their own determination help to put the pieces together again. Each must discover her own strengths and realise her individual value — not just who she is in relation to the others.

I found it hard to put down, wanting to know how each problem would resolve, and hoping each character would come to recognise her own worth.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The new novel from Claire Alexander, author of Meredith, Alone , is available to pre-order now - more exciting details coming soon!

Three generations of women. Three life altering events. As they discover the truth of their heritage, they'll discover what makes the pieces of us...

At fifty-eight Minnie McAllister isn’t an old woman. But as Alzheimer’s ravages her mind, her brain says otherwise.

Cat McAllister is tackling everything life can throw at her. And just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, she’s faced with the discovery that Minnie might not be the mother she once knew.

Meanwhile, Cat's daughter, Ruby McAllister, who is staring at a two very blue lines, faces a decision that will change the course of her life.

As three generations of women are pulled in three different directions, each are forced to learn lessons about themselves that they never could have imagined.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR | WEBSITE

Claire Alexander lives with her young family on the west coast of Scotland. A freelance journalist, she has written about parenting, sobriety, mental health and wellbeing for publications including The Washington Post, The Independent, The Huffington Post and Glamour. When she's not writing or parenting, she's on her paddle board, thinking about her next book.

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