Review: A Touching Story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 30, 2010
The sudden loss of her father signals the start of a journey of self-discovery for Maud, a 30-year-old woman from Ireland. She discovers her Swedish roots, when she realized that her mother, who passed when Maud was only four, was from Stockholm. Maud travels to Sweden to meet with the extended Swedish family that has been kept secret from her all these years by her father.Susanne O'Leary unravels Maud's journey in a captivating way, with the reader immediately drawn into Maud. One feels her loneliness and struggles as she tries to deal with her new heritage and her new relationships. O'Leary's characters are fascinating and well fleshed. On a personal note, I was very touched by this story on several levels. I related to Eleonore (Maud's mother), in how she had uprooted from her family and moved to a new country, and also with Maud and her coming to terms with her mother's death and trying to getting to know her posthumously.I would highly recommend this charming story to anyone who enjoys a light, relaxing read.