Member Reviews

Moving, emotionally charged, cathartic at times. i loved the style of writing and how the author always keeps you reading and thinking
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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Wendy Pratt's memoir is an intensely personal and poetic reflection on loss, identity, and belonging. Rooted deeply in East Yorkshire, where she has lived her entire life, the book revolves around two central themes: the death of her much-wanted daughter at birth and her connection to the landscape, particularly the now-vanished Paleolake Flixton, which serves as the story's focal point.

Each chapter delves into different communities surrounding the lake, blending its history with her own. Pratt reflects on her father's decision to leave farming, her struggles to fit in despite her intelligence, her tumultuous personal life, and her eventual transformation into a successful poet and facilitator, while never losing touch with her working-class roots.

Threaded throughout the narrative is the profound grief over her lost daughter, making this memoir a haunting, powerful exploration of nature, loss, and the search for belonging.

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

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Trigger warning - grief!

Being someone who has experience grief and trauma I found this a difficult read.

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This is a deeply touching memoir. Everyone deals with grief in their own way. Life is unpredictable and we lose the people we love. Wendy has shared about herself, her life, her family background and has done a deep exploration on the extinct lake situated in North Yorkshire. I really like how insightful the memoir is and the author has shared about herself so well. The description of the lake gave me an eerie feeling. I was expecting the author to share more about rituals. I felt deeply for the author. This is a great memoir.

Thanks to the Publisher and Author.

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