How would you cope when you lose the love of your life?

Synopsis

April 16th is always one of Charley’s worst days of the year.

It’s her husband’s birthday, a painful reminder of his death four years ago.

So naturally, her car breaks down.

She nearly gets run over trying to catch the bus.

And then she’s made redundant.

Her friends see the redundancy as a chance for her to start again and live the life she always wanted, but since being widowed Charley has clung to familiarity and avoided change like the plague. Then, out of the blue, her mother-in-law Pam pitches up in need of a place to stay after walking out on her 40-year marriage.

Together, Charley and Pam find themselves at a crossroad. It’snot easy to move on after The One, but they can’t stand still forever.

My review

After losing her husband, Charley is trying to hang on to every bit that reminds her of the love of her life. This also means that there are days she absolutely loathes, April 16th being one of them, as it’s Josh’s birthday. So it’s no surprise when on this specific day her car decides to breaks down, she nearly gets run over AND is made redundant.

While everyone around sees her redundancy as an opportunity to start again, Charley does not want to change a thing. But when suddenly her mother – in – law appears on her doorstep, with a marriage of 40 years in the drain, it’s like standing on a crossroad. Moving on seems an impossibility but no one can keep on living in the past. Question is how much Charley can let go without feeling like forgetting her wonderful years with Josh…

I found this a both a heart – breaking as hopeful story.

Charley is a young woman who has lost her husband in a terrible way, without being able to say goodbye.
Marrying Josh meant not only moving but also having contact with her own mother limited to the strict necessary.
So losing him meant to rely on her friends and Josh’s family alone. But no one could understand the pain of losing The One.
I understood why Charley wanted to keep everything like it was, like Josh could walk in the place any moment. But I knew it was also an unhealthy situation because it was keeping Charley from actual living again.

When Pam moves in, it’s the start of a change for Charley. Not only does she now have to take someone in account, but she is also having someone extra nudging in her back. Now that she has the opportunity to do something she truly wants, it’s a pity that she allows the fear take over.
This fear also prevents her to see her true potential. She sees her friends and their achievements, and she is certain she is the “lesser” friend.
But her friends wouldn’t be her friends if they wouldn’t push her to see herself how she truly is. And whenever Charley needed extra help, all her friends were there to do whatever they could.

And I loved how the love between Charley and Pam is obvious. Pam was not “just” a mother – in – law for Charley, but she acts like a real mother towards Charley. Perfect proof that mother – in – laws aren’t all that terrible at all!

This story has some funny moments in it, but it isn’t a comedy. It shows us how hard it can be to move on. Charley is taking baby steps to take back the reins of her life, but without forgetting the blissful moments with Josh.
While reading, I got this sense of hope, that no matter how things get, with the right people around you, you will find the strength again.
And that moving on and opening your heart again doesn’t mean it takes away the love you had for the person you lost, but just that there is extra room for someone new.