The Hand That First Held Mine- A Book Review

I have mentioned a few times that before Syd I worked in a book shop, and that I loved it. You can rightly deduce from this that I am a bibliophile. In normal years, when I don't have a new baby, and am getting solid sleep and a bit of peace, I read a book a week. At least. This past year I have read about 4, finding it easier to sneak in a few minutes here and there reading a blog, or a newspaper article, but boy do I miss it!

I have finally got round to reading Maggie O'Farrells 'The Hand That First Held Mine'. O'Farrell has been amongst my favourite authors since reading 'After You'd Gone', her year 2000 debut, so I bought this book a while ago when it first came out in paperback, but it took me until a couple of months back to make a start.


I always have a pang of worry when embarking on a new novel by someone I rate highly, a slight anxiety that expectation will not be lived up to, but I need not have feared, I was immersed within a few short pages. The fact that the book has motherhood and it's trials and tribulations at its heart made it an excellent post baby toe back into the proper reading water.


The novel focuses on two lives, 50 years apart. Lexie in the London art world of the 1960s, her love affair, and subsequent motherhood, and Elina, a contemporary new mum who is struggling to cope with her much wanted first baby following a tricky labour.


For a fair amount of the book the stories run along side by side, but not in conjunction, but as we continue our journey with them we can start to sense some common links. I will not go any further into the tale as I do not want to give any spoilers, but it's conclusion does not disappoint.


A great story, wonderfully expressed in O'Farrells verging on poetic prose. I found plenty to empathise with the characters over, and was sad when I had finished the book. It is definitely going in the keep to read again pile!

Miss Bookworm Cisco xxx

Written as part of the Tots100 Summer Reading Challenge.

Book bought, paid for and chosen by me.

Review written on promise of chocolate.

I like chocolate almost as much as I like books.