Member Reviews
In this book we meet Stella, the youngest member of the three generations of her family living together in the family home with the green front door. Stella lives with her mum Bonnie and Grandmother Florence. Stella is embarking on an exciting times and a decision that might be about to change her life forever, she wants to become a single mum using a sperm donor and is struggling so choose the best one. Mum Bonnie ; an educated woman is trying to be supportive but is fighting demons of her own as this issues is causing memories of her own past to raise to the surface. Stella’s grandmother Flo also is reminded of times when she herself was a young pregnant girl and freedoms that are now afforded to young women were not options back then. A wonderful book that takes the reader back through generational and societal changes while keeping the tone light and showing the humane and necessities of friendship. A beautiful moving and poignant book. Excellent
Three women, all different generations but from the same family are living together.
Stella, her mother, Bonnie and Grandmother, Florence.
When we meet these 3 very strong women, Stella is trying to choose who she wants to be her sperm donor. She has been yearning for a child for a long time and she's not messing about - Stella is going to research this as fully as she can to make sure that this longed-for child has the best chance in life from the beginning.
All three women are strong in their own ways and are very supportive to each other.
This is the kind of book that makes you thankful for all of the women in your life.
Stella resides with her mother and grandmother, and despite being in her 40s and experiencing a string of unsuccessful relationships, she yearns to have a child. Deciding to pursue motherhood through a sperm donor, Stella receives unwavering support from both her mother, Bonnie, and her grandmother, Florence. In a touching gesture, Stella presents them with a notebook, encouraging them to document their stories for her future child. As they embark on this writing journey, a flood of memories resurfaces, unveiling hidden secrets and unraveling their seemingly straightforward past lives. The book centers around the intertwined lives of three generations of women who find themselves living together in their ancestral home. The deep connection among daughter, mother, and grandmother is beautifully depicted, and I particularly appreciate the unwavering support Bonnie and Florence provide for Stella's decision. The characters are all remarkable and resilient, despite the generational gaps between them. Overall, this heartfelt story has left a lasting impact on me.
A story of family and dynamics that made me think about my own family. I love that they have secrets of there own.
Stella assumed by 40 she would have her life together. Marriage, babies, the whole works. But she is living with her mother and grandmother in the home she grew up in. She decides she will have a baby alone, and asks her mum and grandma to write journals to the baby about their family. Each of the 3 women are hiding secrets that journaling allows them to disclose.
A lovely multi generational family saga.
This was amazing. I loved it all. All 3 female characters were strong, relatable and full of love for each other. I would absolutely love another in the series!
An irresistible slice of escapism and a joy to read. Compelling, absorbing and highly entertaining. Fast-moving and fun! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"You Get That From Me" by Charlotte Butterfield is a heartwarming and emotional story about family, forgiveness, and finding oneself. The novel follows two protagonists, Jess and Lily, a mother and daughter who have grown apart over the years due to unresolved tensions and misunderstandings.
The story is beautifully written, alternating between Jess and Lily's perspectives, allowing the reader to see both sides of the story. Jess is struggling with her own demons, trying to come to terms with her past mistakes and the realization that she might have been a bad mother. Meanwhile, Lily is dealing with the aftermath of a recent breakup and struggling to find direction in her life.
The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the author does an excellent job of capturing the complicated dynamics of family relationships. There are moments of tension and heartache, but also moments of joy and laughter, making for a well-rounded and engaging read.
Overall, "You Get That From Me" is a touching and poignant story that will resonate with anyone who has ever had to navigate the complexities of family relationships. It's a reminder that forgiveness and second chances are possible, and that even the most broken of relationships can be healed with time and effort. Highly recommended.
Stella is 40 and single and really wants to be a mum, so she has decided to go down the artifical insemination route.
However she is having trouble choosing a donor. Its really important to her to find the perfect donor dad for her child as her own father was useless and she feels that this is why her life hasn't turned out quite as expected.
With the supprt of her mum Bonnie and grandmother Florence she trawls through the details of the donors available, but how can she choose? She also asks Bonnie and Florence to write down their stories for her potential unborn child so they will know where they came from. However, this is not as easy as it seems, both women have secrets...
A lovely story exploring the bond between family members and the influence of nature vs nurture on our sense of self!
Another stunning book by Charlotte, expertly written. Lovely range of characters and plot, penned in Charlotte's expert way. Loved it!
This is a book about strong women - not the 'strength in the face of terrible adversity' kind, but the 'forges through the myriad obstacles, making small sacrifices for others every single day' kind. The strength that all the important women in our lives, the ones we aspire to be like when we grow up, possess with quiet dignity.
When Stella decides to have a baby by donor she asks her mother and grandmother, who she is living with, to join her in filling in books for her unborn child to tell them about themselves and the family they are entering. Charlotte Butterfield uses a great technique to write this book - we first read entries from one of the women about a particular event in their lives and then we read about how that event actually played out. It works so well to show us not only the struggles and happiness that the characters have experienced, but also how they have re-framed things as the years have gone on. It shows which elements of what they did or felt they have hung onto, and which ones they have chosen to discard or change in their memory. This helps us to know and understand them and gives us insight we wouldn't have otherwise had.
It's heart-breaking and uplifting in equal measure and a realistic portrayal of the intricate and complex relationships that develop within families.
skeletons in the closet, secrets in past.
i loved how this book followed the story of 3 generations of the same family but that everyone has secrets that the keep, things they are ashamed off, sadness and hardships but through them all the survived and found happiness
a great read
Loved it! The three main characters are going to stay with my for a while, wow what a bunch of strong women. I love who the story takes you on a journey of getting to know each of them, and how actually as the reader, you learn more about them than they know of each other as they each have secrets. But at the end of the day, the secrets and lies don't matter, they are there for one another, supporting those they care about and the life of the house with the green door will go on for generations to come. Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for my arc
This was an interesting read. I'm not sure what I expected, and this is nothing like the last book I read by this author, but I have to say that I was fascinated but the flashbacks and how they didn't match up with the written memories that were being written.
There were times when I thought that the story was moving a bit slowly, but they Flo or Bonnie would start writing in their journal for the unborn baby and I was captivated by the way that they wrote it and and then the way that we got to see what really happened. Part of me is baffled that they never openly shared these stories with each other as they are all so close and in many ways had a similar experience, but they I guess we all have out secrets. When Stella found her grandmothers book and found out the truth I was quite touched that she honored her wishes and placed the book back and never brought it up with Flo and let her think she kept her secret. Ultimately it just showed that they didn't judge each other and nothing was going to break the bond that the three generations shared.
A quick and easy read that was enjoyable and fascinating to read about the changes in the decades about the views on women and their roles.
I was so pleased to receive and ARC of this book and read it in one sitting. It is a wonderful story told from the point of view of three generations of women in the same family. I found it incredibly uplifting.
This is a fabulous empowering multi-generational story about strong women, who for a multitude of reasons have brought up their children in an unconventional way. Despite that, love is never in short supply and the loud and clear message is that nurture trumps nature every single time. What a wonderful life-affirming book!
This novels have 3 point of view from 3 generation woman. First, there is Stella who move back to her parent house. She find letter from her younger self and compare it now. Stella only can cringe, she not married, not in career she write and now in her 40. Finaly Stella consider fertility clinic, in reality its not easy to choose sperm donor. Stella start project to write to the baby, she want her mom and grandmother to participate.
Second, there is Florance the grandma. She write the story from her childhood until meet the grandpa. She through a lot, meet wrong man and meet right man but chaos come, strict unsupported parents, until finally married the grandpa.
Third, there is Bonnie, Stella mother. Married to young and to hurry make her face difficult marriage lead to divorce. Love the right man in wrong time. Her past make it hurt to open up again.
I think this 3 woman have same cycle and not try to break it, they accept it and live with it. Hope the new baby can break this cycle. I laugh when Stella dosnt prepare name for the baby and call it 'Thing' for 3 weeks. Every woman in this story struggle with their own problem, i adore how strong there are, how supported they are, what make me glad at the end the grandma and mom have a chance with the right man. I hope Stella have a chance meet the right man.
Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.
#YouGetThatFromMe #CharlotteButterfield #HodderandStoughton #NetGalley #ARC
Once I received the opportunity to read 'You Get That From Me' from Hodder and Stoughton, I just had to grab it and put it at the top of my tbr pile!
This story is about three women Stella, Stella's mother Bonnie and Bonnie's mother Florence. Stella decides to make a family of her own using a sperm doner. I quite liked how this subject was a huge part of the storyline with all women writing letters to Stella's unborn child.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Stella's, Bonnie's and Florence's individual pasts which were quite different given the difference in eras.
I absolutely adored how close these three women are and that family is what you make of it. Charlotte Butterfield's narrative flowed so freely between past and present which was so important to the story. She has written some very strong character developments, especially for Stella.
'You Get That From Me' is a story about strong family connections and that love between family can conquer anything. I felt joy, happiness, and some infuriation whilst reading each of these characters stories.
I can't wait to read more of Charlotte's books. I highly recommend you grab a copy of this book when it's published as it takes you on quite the rollercoaster.
Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Let’s get one thing straight. I absolutely loved this book.
The idea of sperm donation and single parenthood is still a bit of a taboo subject, so I loved how everyday it was in this book. She showed that it isn’t something to be hidden. It’s also a great look at different forms of motherhood in different time periods. The unwed teenager, the unhappy marriage, the single woman. It really shows that family doesn’t necessarily have to be blood related. It doesn’t have to be man and woman and 2.4 children. A family is what you make of it. Whilst our blood family may make up our genetics, they don’t make us who we are, and that was refreshing to see.
I liked the idea of the different generations of women writing their life story down for the baby. For someone who has no grandparents left and only one parent alive, I wish I’d got more people to write down their stories.
The notebooks Stella gifts her mother and grandmother to write their stories in was a great way to have flashbacks. It explains their history to us in less of a formulaic “I did this and then I did this and then I went over there and said this” kind of way. It felt more natural to the book. It seamlessly moved between the past and present without it feeling bumpy.
Stella is a great main character, she really is. And she’s joined by two other spectacular characters. I loved her mum Bonnie. She’s caring and awkward and everything mums can be. She sometimes puts her foot in it, but she loves her daughter. And the same is said for Bonnie’s mum Florence. She is kooky and secretive and loving and strong. Such a great trio.
For me, this was a love story. But not necessarily a simple one. It’s the love of a grandmother to her grandchild, mother to child, for an old flame, and for oneself.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself laughing and smiling, shouting and crying whilst reading the same page. It is all so beautifully written.
I will add that it does contain some potentially difficult topics: single parenthood, fertility treatment, affairs, breakups, domestic abuse, pregnancy, but it’s not negative. She’s handled it so well that it is such an uplifting story.
It is so gripping, I read it in less than a day as I just couldn’t leave these women without finishing their story. It’s all absorbing. Charlotte is definitely an author for my bookshelves. If this is anything to go by, her writing is gorgeous and emotive.
Lovely story set around 3 generations of women. Dscovering secrets, reliving past decisions and reaching conclusions. Stella slightly over thinks everything for me but overall very enjoyable
Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy.