This Is Where We Say Goodbye by Howard McKenzie-Murray is an emotional read. It is an engaging story of grief, family dynamics, and memories, and of how we try to hold everything together when everything is falling apart.
Maud Tarkington narrates her story over a twenty-four-hour period.
It starts as she hides out at a local laundromat on the eve of her 21st birthday. She needed a place free from distractions, to get away from everyone, so she could write a letter to her brother Lloyd. To say everything she needed to say and be able to move on with her life. However, her words wouldn’t come.
Maud’s world has been shattered by the death of her favourite brother. Desperately trying to understand why he has gone, she spends the hours prior to his funeral avoiding family and rushing around Perth looking for connections.
The story has a lot of quirky humour as Maud tells us of the past, and we rush around with her in the present. All the support characters are perfect. Maud’s friends, family and especially Lloyd’s friend Jake, all add different dimensions to the story.
As Maud shares the letters with us, we also get to know Lloyd.
It is easy to relate to her as a main character, feeling both sympathy and empathy for her. Maud’s sadness and desperation compel you to keep reading as she struggles to make sense of life events.
The book was an excellent read. You keep turning the pages, wanting to know more about Maud. Will she find unexpected strengths to get her through these very tough twenty-four hours? And, will she even make it to the funeral?
The book is Howard McKenzie-Murray’s first novel and has been deservedly listed for the Hungerford Award. Four and a half stars.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading This Is Where We Say Goodbye by Howard McKenzie-Murray. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
This is Where We Say Goodbye.
Many thanks to Beauty and Lace and Fremantle Press for my copy of this book by Howard McKenzie-Murray to read and review.
Maud Tarkington lost her brother suddenly and this book covers just how she deals with her grief.
She is turning 21 and is so lost that she spends her birthday alone in a laundromat.
She can’t face her friends or her family at this time.
This book is different to what I expected. I really liked Maud as a character, she was unique and quirky. Although about grief it actually had some funny moments in it that gave me a chuckle. It was well written and easy to read.
For a Debut novel it was very good and was shortlisted for The Hungerford Award. I look forward to Howard’s next novel.