A midlife fiction book recommendation
Fleeing domestic violence, Grace and her two teenagers find sanctuary and a new life in her childhood village.
Grace, a physician, lives in Dublin with her two teenagers and her plastic surgeon husband, a brutal man who hurts and controls her. As the story opens, she and her kids are fleeing to her hometown to live with her widowed father, Dr. Des Sullivan. Des ran a family medicine clinic in the village, but now he has retired because of the onset of Parkinson’s, leaving his business partner struggling to run the clinic alone.
Grace steps in to help. In a running joke, everyone addresses her as Young Dr. Sullivan. At first, the townspeople don’t really trust her, but she’s determined to do a good job and win their confidence. The main antagonistic threat comes from the abusive husband who promises to upend their new, happier lives. As the story progresses, Grace and the kids blossom. It’s an empowering, uplifting story with a bit of romance.
I enjoyed this story because it’s nice to see an older main character with pluck. She is clear-eyed about where she needs to grow and develop, and she follows that path despite the challenges. A satisfying story of changing one’s life for the better in middle-age. You can see it on Amazon here.
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