The Years That Followed by Catherine Dunne - 4 stars

[Joy D]

Nuanced fiction set in the 1960s through 1980s in Ireland, Spain, and Cyprus, about two women, Calista and Pilar. They are not related, except peripherally through ties to the wealthy Demitriades family. It is a story of questionable choices driven by youthful impulse and a feeling of being in love. Unfortunately, these choices have painful ramifications.

Calista, an Irish 17-year-old, is swept off her feet by an older man, marries, and moves to the family home in Cyprus. She finds out about his jealousy and violent tendencies too late. Pilar escapes poverty in her home town and moves to Madrid. With the guidance of a family friend, she eventually owns property and supports herself. She impetuously gets involved with a married man, leading to consequences that shape her life.

This book starts with death. It then unfolds gradually, as we get to know the back-story of what happened. The author has a way of bringing the characters to life through her well-crafted language. It felt a bit choppy at times, jumping between the two primary protagonists’ stories. Themes include: struggles of women in a patriarchal culture, the influences of family, and the ramifications of choices. Recommended to readers of tragedies, stories of revenge, or slow-burning, character-driven novels about family relationships. Contains descriptions of domestic violence.

I tagged this one as: Crime, Europe, Family Dynamics, Literary Fiction

It's not really a mystery because we know the basics of who is behind the deaths from the first chapter.