#TBT Book Review: Somewhere Inside of Happy by Anna McPartlin

Today I’m starting a weekly new feature on my blog: Throwback Thursday Book Review. First up is Somewhere Inside of Happy by Anna McPartlin that I reviewed back in 2016 and was one of my favourite reads of that year.

Thank you to Netgalley and Black Swan for giving me the opportunity to read an early copy of this mesmerising and unforgettable book.

About the book:

‘And just like that my boy was gone.’

Maisie Brennan is standing on a podium on the twentieth anniversary of the death of her son, trying to find the first breath that will help her start talking to a room full of strangers. A daunting task at the best of times, but she’s also menopausal and one hot flush away from totally losing it.

But as Maisie begins her story, she soon relaxes and word by word disappears into her past, back to 1st January 1995 and the day when one misunderstood action led to a chain of events that changed her life for ever…

If you laughed and cried reading Anna McPartlin’s bestselling story The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes, then Somewhere Inside of Happy will have you smiling and tearful all over again.

About the author:

Anna McPartlin is a novelist and scriptwriter. Her previous incarnation as a stand-up comedian left an indelible mark. She describes herself as a slave to the joke and finds humour and humanity in even the darkest situations. Anna lives in Wicklow with her husband and animals.

My Review:

Wow. Writing a review of Somewhere Inside of Happy is not going to be easy. This is a book that made me laugh, made me cry and ultimately broke my heart.

From the outset you know that Maisie Bean lost her teenage son, Jeremy, 20 years ago, but even so you find yourself desperately hoping that the outcome will be different. The characters come alive on the page and the use of language is remarkable and draws you in from the very first word.