Review: A Family Unestranged
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 14, 2014
In this book, author Jo Iles excels at balancing romantic comedy with a great deal of substance. This appears to be the story of Holly and Daniel, two separated parents with a rocky relationship. On the surface, they are what one might expect from their archetypes. Holly is a hard-working single mother who practically lives for her son. Daniel is a somewhat callous businessman who lives for success. There is more than this beneath the surface, however, as both characters seem to fear exposing themselves to vulnerability.In the course of three parts, two from Holly’s perspective and one from Daniel’s, it becomes clear through the dialogue that each one desires to hide at least some aspect of their personality from the other. Holly wants to appear tougher than she is in an ostensible ploy to make Daniel feel guilty for not having been there for her and their son, Harry. Daniel is aware that he has not been the best father and will occasionally lie, but he is certainly more complex than he at first appears, and the growth of his affections for Holly and Harry presents one of the key engagements of the reading.Harry is not just a simple tool used by the writer to bring the two main characters together. His well-being is not ignored, and from the very beginning of the novel there is some question of what growing up with a single mother has been like for him. It would have been nice if one of the three parts (perhaps the shortest one, at the end) had been from his perspective, but he is still used well to enhance the story. The story overall is compelling and, while brief, provides an emotional journey worthy of exploration.