Together, Again by Milly JohnsonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 1 day
Pages -
Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Source - Bought
Blurb from Goodreads
Sisters, Jolene, Marsha and Annis have convened at their childhood home the huge and beautiful Fox House following the death of their mother, the cold and impenetrable Eleanor Vamplew, to arrange the funeral and sell up. Born seven years apart, the women have never bonded and are more strangers than sisters.
Jolene, the eldest, is a successful romantic novelist who writes templates of beautiful relationships even though her marriage to the handsome and charming Warren is a barren wasteland.
Marsha, the neglected middle child has put every bit of her energy into her work hoping money would plug up the massive gap in her life left by the man who broke her young heart, only to find it never has. And now he has been forced back into her life.
Annis is the renegade, who left home aged sixteen and never returned, not even for the death of their beloved father Julian, until now. It is therefore a surprise to all of them to discover that Eleanor recently changed her will to leave everything to the daughter she considered a wretched accident.
Together, Again is the story of truths uncovered and lies exposed, of secrets told - and kept. It is a novel about sister helping sister to heal from childhood scars, and of finding, in each other, the love they have all been deprived of. Together, Again is about vulnerability and strength, acceptance and family.
My Review
A family of sisters brought together by the death of their mum. One sister has been awol for a while and isn't how they remember her. Jolene is a well known author with her own problems, Marsha is your classic middle child syndrome and Annis the runaway aloof youngest who has changed so much and surrounded in mystery. Their mother was cold, aloof, keeping up appearances and everything was about her love for her husband. As the girls try to work their way through sorting mothers affairs as well as their own unexpecting feelings/issues.
Families, they can be rough as, there is no doubting the siblings all have their own form of issues from how they were treated and raised. The mother is a cold fish and whilst her passing is what kick starts the novel we do hear from her a little and get some insight as the book goes on.
Johnson creates characters you love, characters you hate, characters you pity and or want to hear more about. The book delves into secrets, lies, relationships, personal growth, love and trying to overcome the long reaches the past has on you. Whilst she looks at relationships of different varieties she touches on some darker and shocking themes, coercive control, gaslighting, manipulation, abuse but also brighter and happier aspects too. Using many of the true issues and hardships and or battles some of us face in real life so evokes emotional responses from the reader or just grasps them whilst she creates her characters worlds and draws you in.
It is no surprise I loved this, I am a big fan of Johnson's books, having a slump - read a Johnson, want to lose yourself in dramas that isn't your own, Johnson! 5/5 for me, I have read most of her books but do need to check Goodreads and Fantasticfiction to see what all I have missed.
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