The Garnett Girls

This powerful family novel centres around five strong women: Margo and her daughters Rachel, Imogen and Sasha. Margo's sister, Alice, although in the background, MUST be included in the count of the Garnett Girls. She is the glue that holds them all together, quietly in the background and showering them all with love and support.

Margo falls passionately in love with Richard, who she meets as she enters womanhood. Their relationship, deeply disapproved by her parents, leads to Margo escaping to London to be with Richard. Their love affair turns to marriage, and then the birth of three beautiful girls. However, Richard suffers from alcoholism and is not often present for his girls. One day, he dissappears, leaving Margo heartbroken and unable to look after her girls. Rachel, her oldest, with the support of Alice, helps to keep court while Margo recovers.

The story explores the effects of losing a parent/lover, constantly wondering why and where they might be now. I loved how each of the sister's experiences were explored into the loss of their father and their relationship with their mother. I loved reading about each of them as adults and their family gatherings at their home in the Isle of Wight.

The characters are larger than life, dramatic and totally addictive. I loved how different the Garnett ‘girls' are and the real sense of sisterhood this novel gave. Although the novel came to the end and the story was beautifully concluded, I could have continued reading about the 5 women on loop. Racy, in parts, this novel captured my heart and was a pacy read. If you love character-driven novels set in an idyllic beach location, then this is the book for you. A book about the lives of women and the strong bond of sisterhood.