A Life Without – by Katie Marsh

The Last Word Review

A Life Without You is the second novel from Katie Marsh following on from My Everything which was so beautifully written and a story that is thought-provoking. I highly recommend it if you have not yet come across it. When my advanced review copy arrived in April I was very humbled to find out that I had been mentioned towards the end of the book.

It is Zoe’s wedding day a day that is supposed to be a very special day and one that she will remember for the rest of her life. But something is wrong, is this a case of wedding day nerves or is this Zoe wondering if SHE really is doing the right thing. Then the doorbell rings and Zoe’s life changes. A friend of her Mum is standing on the doorstep. Zoe’s mum has been arrested now her wedding day lies in ruins. Is this the moment for Zoe to escape what is meant to be her big day?

What comes next through a story of pure unconditional love from a mother to her daughter. But there is much more to this story and it is a powerful story, of forgiveness or the road to forgiveness. How do you start the process of forgiving a parent for something that happened many years before? Sometimes this journey is not an easy path to take.

Through A Life Without You we see the story from Zoe and her Mum and the letters written by Zoe from an early age to her mother Gina. Then we start to see what went wrong and from her mother to her daughter. At times I felt I was intruding into the very personal lives of a mother and daughter but this is how beautifully Katie has written such an emotive story that deals with themes including the devastating impact of the onset of Alzheimer’s. Some readers will recognise some of the issues raised with the pages at times heart-breaking and yet there is laughter also within the story. There is so much warmth that comes from this story and one of hope when illness can literally tear a family apart. It is a story of hope in despair and one that will make you think about your life and how you must live for every moment of every day. It is an evocative story that Katie tells and one that you will not forget. A story of hope and of forgiveness.

I have little doubt that A Life Without You will receive even more praise. When I started reading I knew very quickly I was reading something quite something a tender story of a mother and daughter and of the past and the future. Bags full of emotion written and will pull on your heart one moment and make it soar the next.

Thank you to Emma Knight at Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced review copy.

A Life Without You by Katie Marsh is published on 14 July by Hodder & Stoughton and is available to pre-order through Waterstones and all good bookshops.