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Postcards From a Stranger
(Postcards #1)
by
A secret lies buried at the heart of her familybut it cant stay hidden forever.
When Cara stumbles across a stash of old postcards in the attic, their contents make her question everything she thought she knew.
The story she pieces together is confusing and unsettling, and appears to have been patched over with lies. But who can tell her the truth? With her father sinking
...moreKindle Edition, 348 pages
Published
August 7th 2018
by Lake Union Publishing
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Start your review of Postcards From a Stranger
A charming story about family. Cara, a wedding dress designer lives with her elderly father, who is slowly succumbing to Alzheimer's. She was always led to believe her mother died when she was 2 years old, and her upbringing was a little neglectful. It's only when she discovers dozens of postcards in the attic from her mother, sent years after her death that she realises her mum may still be alive, and tries to hunt her down.
The only thing I didn't like about this novel was how negatively it ...more
The only thing I didn't like about this novel was how negatively it ...more
This book is about controlling people's lives and about bullying. But also about regret and forgiveness.
Cara looks after her demented father and one day, when she goes up to the attic where she was never allowed to go, she finds hundreds of postcards addressed to her and her brother. She tries to find out what's been hidden from her for all these years.
Cara looks after her demented father and one day, when she goes up to the attic where she was never allowed to go, she finds hundreds of postcards addressed to her and her brother. She tries to find out what's been hidden from her for all these years.
Unfortunately, this didnt work for me. I went into the book thinking it would be a breath taking, edge of your seat kind of read but it just wasnt. I found myself skimming a lot because there was so much unnecessary information. The big reveal wasnt really anything too awesome and it was completely predictable. I felt no connection to the characters and actually ended up hating Cara because she was really annoying.
...more
This was a light breezy read though the topic was definitely a deep one. Cara finds postcards in the trunk which opens up the proverbial can of worms. Trying to decipher and get to the bottom of her parents' marriage and what really happened decades ago causes Cara to travel to the United States and then back to London till a funeral brings the past to the present.
The author Imogen Clark has tried to bring twists and suspense and a sense of family to this clearly difficult topic of bullying in a ...more
The author Imogen Clark has tried to bring twists and suspense and a sense of family to this clearly difficult topic of bullying in a ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union for the eARC.
What a lovely book this is...heartbreaking and sweet, with a great ending I didn't see coming.
The story is told from different perspectives and in different timelines by members of the same family. Cara, believing her mother died when she was 2 years old, is now in her 30's and looking after her father who is suffering from Alzheimer's. The way her feelings are described is very realistic: the irritation, the guilt, the claustrophobia and the love ...more
What a lovely book this is...heartbreaking and sweet, with a great ending I didn't see coming.
The story is told from different perspectives and in different timelines by members of the same family. Cara, believing her mother died when she was 2 years old, is now in her 30's and looking after her father who is suffering from Alzheimer's. The way her feelings are described is very realistic: the irritation, the guilt, the claustrophobia and the love ...more
I had been wanting to read this book since I first heard about it on Goodreads. It appealed to my love of history and how circumstances can change people's lives. "Postcards from a Stranger" certainly fit my criteria.
The story is about a family whose mother presumably past away when Cara and her brother were very young. The father was left with 2 children to raise. He tried his best, but had one rule. They must never enter the attic. The children never did. Now the father is old and his health ...more
The story is about a family whose mother presumably past away when Cara and her brother were very young. The father was left with 2 children to raise. He tried his best, but had one rule. They must never enter the attic. The children never did. Now the father is old and his health ...more
GNab Postcards from a Stranger is an excellent story, wrapped around a disjointed, broken family, their decisions and choices and the repercussions of those choices for years and generations to follow. It is a story to warm your heart. I will watch for more from Imogen Clark. I really like her style. And I love her definition of 'mother'.
I received a free electronic copy of this modern British novel from Netgalley, Imogen Clark, and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank ...more
I received a free electronic copy of this modern British novel from Netgalley, Imogen Clark, and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank ...more
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
This is a poignant and emotional tale of family secrets and lies. A controlling father and a distant brother and a dutiful daughter make up the family dynamic. Cara is the daughter who struggles to juggle her wedding dress business whilst caring for her father who suffers with Alzheimers.
I loved Cara, her gentleness and her artistic ability, her relationship with her best friend and the way she saw the best in people. I will definitely look for more books by this ...more
This is a poignant and emotional tale of family secrets and lies. A controlling father and a distant brother and a dutiful daughter make up the family dynamic. Cara is the daughter who struggles to juggle her wedding dress business whilst caring for her father who suffers with Alzheimers.
I loved Cara, her gentleness and her artistic ability, her relationship with her best friend and the way she saw the best in people. I will definitely look for more books by this ...more
Beautiful, poignant. Loved this.
Boring
I thought that this book was going to be full of mysteries and secrets but to be quite honest once Cara met her Aunt in America the book became extremely boring.
I thought that this book was going to be full of mysteries and secrets but to be quite honest once Cara met her Aunt in America the book became extremely boring.
I really got into this book; I think it was mainly a sense of empathy for a character whose life, like mine, had changed due to caring responsibilities for a Dad. Although there the similarities ended, but I was drawn in by the cleverly woven patchwork of the story over three generations of down trodden women. However, and for a reason I can't put my finger on I was a little disappointed by the ending. Maybe it's because everything seemed to get neatly tied up and the world was rosy, which felt
...more
All my reviews can be found on my blog: https://pageturnersnook.wordpress.com
What a read! Such an emotional rollercoaster. This is my first read by Imogen Clark and she writes in such a way that the story sucks you in, consumes you and makes you feel youre actually a part of it. Her writing style flows easily, willing you into a plethora of emotions that could quite easily be your own life. Ive laughed and Ive cried so much. This could be you, or it could be me!!!! I cant help but think that ...more
What a read! Such an emotional rollercoaster. This is my first read by Imogen Clark and she writes in such a way that the story sucks you in, consumes you and makes you feel youre actually a part of it. Her writing style flows easily, willing you into a plethora of emotions that could quite easily be your own life. Ive laughed and Ive cried so much. This could be you, or it could be me!!!! I cant help but think that ...more
Cara is still living in her childhood home, taking care of her father who has Alzheimers. One day she goes into the attic, a room her father forbid her and her brother to ever go into. In a box she finds some postcards which shocks her to her core and she realizes that everything she thought she knew about her parents is a lie.
Later, she finds out that what she thought the postcards meant was not the truth at all and she is completely shocked all over again.
She goes on a mission (alone because ...more
Later, she finds out that what she thought the postcards meant was not the truth at all and she is completely shocked all over again.
She goes on a mission (alone because ...more
lovely discovery through a friend who was reading it.. charming book, so engaging from the very first words. Well written, never dull. The main character Cara is so real, you just want to cheer for her and tell her that everything will be ok.
My only negative comment is about the ending.. SPOILER... why does she need to find a husband and have a child to be happy? I mean, this is a woman who leaves the comfort of her home and flies to San Francisco to discover the truth about her family's past ...more
My only negative comment is about the ending.. SPOILER... why does she need to find a husband and have a child to be happy? I mean, this is a woman who leaves the comfort of her home and flies to San Francisco to discover the truth about her family's past ...more
A really enjoyable read despite the daily struggles that Cara faces in dealing with her elderly father and her distant brother.
I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Cara and Mrs P, her fathers nurse. I dont want to give too much away but I also loved Caras persistence and determination to find out more and track down people overseas.
Unlike many books, the last few chapters were a crescendo and brought the story to a satisfying conclusion rather than a rushed/abrupt ending.
My first ...more
I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Cara and Mrs P, her fathers nurse. I dont want to give too much away but I also loved Caras persistence and determination to find out more and track down people overseas.
Unlike many books, the last few chapters were a crescendo and brought the story to a satisfying conclusion rather than a rushed/abrupt ending.
My first ...more
This began well but then became trite and shallow. Almost all women are wonderful or have redeeming qualities, while the men, apart from Simeon, are most unappealing. At least it was only 99p on Kindle!
Postcards From a Stranger is by Imogen Clark. This novel takes place in England. It deals with a dysfunctional family and how the members of the family cope with it. It also deals with a Mother leaving home and leaving her young children behind. It is a very good book and brings out all sorts of emotions.
Annie Kemp was thrilled when she caught the attention of handsome Joseph Ferensby. He was an older man, twenty-five to her seventeen, which seemed fine to her. He got along well with her ...more
Annie Kemp was thrilled when she caught the attention of handsome Joseph Ferensby. He was an older man, twenty-five to her seventeen, which seemed fine to her. He got along well with her ...more
Dont judge anyone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.
This is the kind of book that I really enjoy, a story that could happen to you or someone you know, the big things that happen in small, ordinary lives.
Cara is caring for her dad, who has dementia. Previously, he was a difficult man and as a reader I had trouble reconciling my feelings for his previous incarnation with the broken man he is now. Like Cara, I had to accept that, whoever or whatever he had been, that person is gone and ...more
This is the kind of book that I really enjoy, a story that could happen to you or someone you know, the big things that happen in small, ordinary lives.
Cara is caring for her dad, who has dementia. Previously, he was a difficult man and as a reader I had trouble reconciling my feelings for his previous incarnation with the broken man he is now. Like Cara, I had to accept that, whoever or whatever he had been, that person is gone and ...more
Postcards from a stranger Imogen Clark
#postcards from a stranger
#Netgalley
Cara grows up without a mother. Her mom died when she was little. Her dad and brother take care of her. She is forbidden to look in the attic, her dad said its too dirty up there.
One day as an adult, while caring for her dad who has alzheimers, she starts going through the stuff in the attic. She stumbles upon a box of postcards.
Who wrote them and why did her dad keep them?
This takes her on a journey filled with secrets ...more
#postcards from a stranger
#Netgalley
Cara grows up without a mother. Her mom died when she was little. Her dad and brother take care of her. She is forbidden to look in the attic, her dad said its too dirty up there.
One day as an adult, while caring for her dad who has alzheimers, she starts going through the stuff in the attic. She stumbles upon a box of postcards.
Who wrote them and why did her dad keep them?
This takes her on a journey filled with secrets ...more
I tried to read this a few months ago but did not like the changes in character POV and time scale so abandoned it after a very short while.
I have now read it in full. It is a heart-breaking story rife with examples of good and bad human relationships. The message I got from the book was that it was a series of lessons about relationships and choices, a challenge to look at the relationships in one's own life. Others may see it as purely a story. I'm fortunate in that I have never known people ...more
I have now read it in full. It is a heart-breaking story rife with examples of good and bad human relationships. The message I got from the book was that it was a series of lessons about relationships and choices, a challenge to look at the relationships in one's own life. Others may see it as purely a story. I'm fortunate in that I have never known people ...more
https://thebookloversboudoir.wordpres...
I love books about family secrets and I love mysteries and this cracking read offers both. I enjoyed the way the book is structured alternating between Cara trying to uncover the truth about the hidden postcards in the present and flashbacks of her mothers past. My grandmother had Alzheimers and this is tackled with great dignity in this book. Caras father reminds me a lot of my grandmother and it was heart-breaking to read at times. Cara is a great ...more
I love books about family secrets and I love mysteries and this cracking read offers both. I enjoyed the way the book is structured alternating between Cara trying to uncover the truth about the hidden postcards in the present and flashbacks of her mothers past. My grandmother had Alzheimers and this is tackled with great dignity in this book. Caras father reminds me a lot of my grandmother and it was heart-breaking to read at times. Cara is a great ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A story of a self centred, immature girl, Cara, who can't seem to get past how everything has been so hard for her. Don't get me wrong, she hasn't had a cake walk of a life and the book opens with her caring for her father who has developed Alzheimer's. She always seems to be searching for someone to blame.
The story is of her search for the truth behind her current situation. Although, I don't feel she ever comes to terms with it or the reality, she does seem to develop an unsettled acceptance ...more
The story is of her search for the truth behind her current situation. Although, I don't feel she ever comes to terms with it or the reality, she does seem to develop an unsettled acceptance ...more
I wanted to like this book because it dealt with themes that were familiar to me. But about halfway through the book, I felt as confused and frustrated as the dad who has dementia and I decided it would be better for myself and everyone else involved if I simply chose another book. The book changes voice from one character to the other with little to no warning and I found it quite jarring.
There are books where this is successful but I think it would be better to stay in one characters POV for ...more
There are books where this is successful but I think it would be better to stay in one characters POV for ...more
This was one of those books that I could not put down. It kept my attention throughout and had several different story lines contained in one story. And all story lines gave me things to think about had I been in that characters place. Just a wonderful book about choices people make and how others live with that choice. I enjoyed the authors writing style so much that I just bought three more of her books.
...more
Review of Postcards
This book has all the ingredients for a really enjoyable read: it is well written, the plot keeps up the tension throughout, it was believable and it addressed a few issues along the way without being too obvious about it.
Cara is the first-person narrator who is caring for her aging father who has early onset Alzheimers. I felt immediately engaged with Cara and her situation and how she would manage. We discover how she came to her current circumstances through a series of ...more
This book has all the ingredients for a really enjoyable read: it is well written, the plot keeps up the tension throughout, it was believable and it addressed a few issues along the way without being too obvious about it.
Cara is the first-person narrator who is caring for her aging father who has early onset Alzheimers. I felt immediately engaged with Cara and her situation and how she would manage. We discover how she came to her current circumstances through a series of ...more
My review of Postcards from a Stranger Kindle Edition by Imogen Clark:
Lets get the clichés out of the way:
Page-turner check!
Unputdownable check!
Thats all you need to know about this brilliant book. Buy it! Read it!
Thats it my shortest review, ever.
...more
Lets get the clichés out of the way:
Page-turner check!
Unputdownable check!
Thats all you need to know about this brilliant book. Buy it! Read it!
Thats it my shortest review, ever.
...more
This is the first book Ive read by this author and overall I enjoyed it. The underlying theme of the story is a very serious one though and Im not totally convinced that Annie would have behaved in the way she did. Its a story of secrets and broken families which pulled at the heartstrings at times.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 ...more
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 ...more
It was a bit meh. Quite predictable but an easy read all the same.
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Readers also enjoyed
Bestselling author Imogen Clark writes contemporary womens fiction about the secrets that hide at the heart of the families that she creates. She lives in Yorkshire with her husband and children (who hopefully have no such secrets to tell!)
POSTCARDS FROM A STRANGER and THE THING ABOUT CLARE both reached the top of the Amazon Kindle Charts in the UK and Australia and WHERE THE STORY STARTS has ...more
POSTCARDS FROM A STRANGER and THE THING ABOUT CLARE both reached the top of the Amazon Kindle Charts in the UK and Australia and WHERE THE STORY STARTS has ...more
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