Unputdownable

I have just finished this book, I read it in the space of 24 hours. Every spare second I had, I used to delve into it's pages. I love when a book like this one comes along...
I have always liked Maggie O'Farrell, I think she is one of the  most wonderful wordsmiths of recent times. In fact I remember reading her first book After You'd Gone as I got on and off tube trains in London, gripped as I was with this one. I even walked along the street reading it, trying not to bump into people.
I know it sounds odd, but she is such a skilled storyteller that I defy anyone to behave differently!
The Hand That First Held Mine is a multi-layered story of relationships and motherhood with parallel plots set in 1950's Soho and the present day. Full of coincidence and suspense the story beautifully documents two women's love stories and their raw experiences of motherhood but without leaving out the male point of view either. It is full of searing honesty about what it is really like to have a baby - no sugar coating here, but it is written with such overall affection  and sensitivity also that, whether you are a parent or not, you will feel it's power.
As with all her novels, there is a winding road to the final reveal of the connections between the two worlds. It is sophisticated and grown up and her elegant use of language is sublime. I read some of the sentences several times over to appreciate their sheer beauty.

I wholeheartedly recommend it if you would like some escapism....