I’m delighted today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my review of The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up, the latest book from Laura Pearson: published on 6th April by Boldwood Books, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. Many thanks, as ever, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
Not quite a new-to-me author – but it’s been far, far too long since I read and enjoyed one of Laura’s lovely books. Way back in 2018, I was totally blown away by Missing Pieces (republished by Boldwood on 27th February this year) – the writing was just exquisite, every word so carefully chosen, the most wonderful story-telling, and a story that tore me apart (you can read my full review again here). However much I wanted to, I just couldn’t fit in the reading of Nobody’s Wife the following year (this one’s being republished too – on 8th June – and available for pre-order) – but it was a pleasure to welcome Laura with a guest post about the books, film and TV that helped inspire the story (you can read it again here). And I desperately wanted to read her first new book for Boldwood, The Last List of Mabel Beaumont – a massive bestseller, that’s had the most wonderful reviews – but other commitments have meant that it’s sadly still languishing on my kindle. But when Rachel’s email dropped into my inbox about her latest, I was determined not to miss out again…
When Shelley Woodhouse wakes up in hospital from a coma, the first thing she says is that her husband must be arrested.
He’s the reason she’s in here. She knows it. She remembers what he did. Clearly as anything.
But there are things Shelley has forgotten too, including parts of her childhood. And as those start to come back to her, so do other memories. Ones with the power to change everything.
But can she trust these new memories, or what anyone around her is telling her? And who is the mysterious hospital volunteer who brings her food and keeps making her smile? Is it possible to find your future when you’re confused about your past.
An intense and powerful read, emotional and disturbing at times – but also quite beautifully written, entirely compelling, and impossible to put down until I’d read to its perfect end.
As Shelley wakes in intensive care, she knows her husband tried to kill her – she’s confused, and unable to understand why the police haven’t followed through. Until she realises that it’s 2024, and that seven years of her life have been erased – assured that she’s safe, she’s unable to contact her mother, and best friend Dee and the hospital staff refuse to help her fill in the gaps. They tell her that she’s expressed the clear wish that they allow her memories to return – and, very slowly and sometimes painfully, they do. In alternate chapters, we revisit Shelley’s life from childhood as we also witness her slow recovery – her memories often painful, her life blighted by abusive relationships, but with moments of joy and lightness in the other relationships that really mattered to her. And she’s helped on her journey by hospital visitor Matt, who becomes the one constant in her life, an anchor for her thoughts and emotions.
I desperately don’t want to spoil the story – there are many surprises along the way, and the book’s themes are particularly challenging at times, but it’s also a story filled with love and moments of unexpected joy, with a wonderfully drawn supporting cast each of whom play their parts in the unfolding story. The dual timeline works quite perfectly, and does afford the reader some welcome time to breathe amid the mounting tension – I’ve never been a particular fan of alternating chapters, but there was never a single moment when I felt a wrench at leaving one timeframe for the other, and I’ve never seen a structure like this managed as well and as seamlessly as it is by this particularly gifted author. The emotional depth is stunning, the developments perfectly paced, the handling of the cycles of domestic abuse incredibly real and affecting, the moments of frustration and despair totally heartbreaking – but she also succeeds in making Shelley’s story heartwarming and uplifting, with real hope for a happier future.
This really was an exceptional read, and an achievement the author should be justifiably proud of – and a very special book I’d highly recommend to others.
About the author
Laura Pearson is the author of four novels. The Last List of Mabel Beaumont was a Kindle number one bestseller in the UK and a top ten bestseller in the US. Laura lives in Leicestershire, England, with her husband, their two children, and a cat who likes to lie on her keyboard while she tries to write.
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