No matter how perfect a family seems, you don’t know what happens behind closed doors…

Synopsis

No one really knows what goes on behind closed doors.

On the quiet street of St Brigid’s Terrace in Dublin, Eileen Murphy lives alone at number 26 with her dog Dora. Virtually a recluse, she keeps herself to herself as she tries to come to terms with her tragic past.
Next door in number 28 lives beautiful Lucy Walsh, her husband Neil and their 5-year-old daughter Anabel. To Eileen, who watches from her window, the Walshes are the perfect family.
But one fateful night, Eileen is pulled into their world and she realises that Lucy Walsh’s life isn’t as perfect as she thought.
With the unexpected help from little Anabel, the women become a lifeline for each other to overcome the demons in their lives.
Through Eileen’s help, Lucy finds the courage to overcome her fears and in aiding Lucy, Eileen is forced to emerge from her solitary world and take baby steps to confront her own past.
As the bonds of friendship change these women forevermore will Lucy find the courage to forge a new life for herself and her daughter and will Eileen find it within herself to forgive for her old mistakes?

My review

Eileen Murphy is living a rather reclused life with her dog Dora, as she is still trying to come to terms with her past.
Yet she cannot stop watch her neighbours next door through her window, as they depict the picture of a perfect family, a married couple with a lovely 5 – year – old daughter.
But then Eileen realizes that the perfect family isn’t real, and that Lucy Walsh is living in fear…
With Anabel having touched Eileen’s heart, Eileen and Lucy become more than just neighbours, as they realize that they can be each other’s help in the darkest moments.
With Eileen’s help, Lucy understands that she has to face her fears, and with Lucy’s help, Eileen is stepping outside the real world and is ready to face her past… 

I have to admit, while this story is absolutely a dark one, I somehow expected it to be even darker. But despite what the main characters have been through, and are still, there is also a big light of hope and compassion in it. 

We don’t know what happened to Eileen in the past, yet it’s clear that something terrible did and that she is still guilty about *that*, making it impossible for her to have a happy life.
So even I was in the dark about it (and yes, my mind went a bit in overdrive here, so many possibilities, that I even went to the extreme of it), I couldn’t feel anything else than pity for her. 

It’s sad to see how her past has turned her into a real recluse, afraid of nearly every sound and seeing how she doesn’t interact with anyone and how even going for groceries is a huge task for her… 

But once Anabel with her childish innocence has broken a barrier, we see the nurturing nature of Eileen more and more emerging.
Not only is she touched by Anabel, but Eileen, as there is more interaction with Lucy, truly starts to care about Lucy’s and Anabel’s wellbeing. 

A wellbeing that needs to be looked after, because it’s clear that Lucy isn’t having the perfect little family she dreamed of…
While at the start there are several red flags, it’s until it’s too late that the horror starts for her…
And it is gruesome to read how even the smallest comment can be a trigger where Lucy has to undergo hideous attacks. 

What Lucy is going through, is truly horrifying. And as a bystander it’s easy to say what to do. But the author shows us that things aren’t just that easy. Because no matter what, you (once) love(d) that person. And there is so much more to it than just walking out that door.
But with Eileen’s help, Lucy also understands that there are lines in a relationship that cannot be crossed. And those lines have been crossed in Lucy’s. and there is also to take in account how those actions will traumatize Anabel, as she has seen things that no one, especially not a child should ever see… 

So like I said, it’s a dark story. but if it were all doom and gloom, not only would I not have finished this story, but somehow I would also be disappointed in this author, as I know what wonderful, inspiring and hopeful stories she can write. 

And the silver linings are that two haunted women find each other in their darkest moments. And it was heart – warming to see how they both are there for each other. It’s obvious how Eileen helps Lucy, but Lucy also makes Eileen step outside her reclusive and lonely comfort zone. 

Lucy also makes Eileen understand that what happened in the past wasn’t completely Eileen’s fault, and that there is still a chance and hope for forgiveness and making amends. 

An unlikely friendship begins, where the healing process also starts. Eileen and Lucy are very different from each other, yet that is also the strength of their growing friendship, as they can show each other that there is another point of view, and that together they can find the courage to do what scares them the most. 

Of course this book made me think about the struggles people can face, the mental but also the physical pains someone has. And how these pains can affect people, not only short-term but also long-term.
It’s something that makes you stand still and appreciate what you have, and count your blessings, as not everyone is in that same lucky and happy situation.
But the feeling that stood by me after finishing the book was one of hope and courage. As we see how no matter how dark things can get, it sometimes takes one little girl to make things turn for the better. And that with friends by your side, every fear and every demon can be faced, even if it only takes one baby step at the time.