Friday Memes and 'The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells' by Virginia MacGregor

Last year I was lucky enough to get to read What Milo Saw by Virginia MacGregor and I ever so slightly fell in love with MacGregor's writing. She just sketches family life beautifully and her stories are incredibly intriguing! So I'm incredibly happy to share some teasers from her latest literary effort: The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells! Hop over to my review to find out the rest of my thoughts about this novel!

One ordinary morning, Norah walked out of her house on Willoughby Street and never looked back. Six years later, she returns to the home she walked away from only to find another woman in her place. Fay held Norah's family together after she disappeared, she shares a bed with Norah's husband and Norah's youngest daughter calls Fay 'Mummy'.

Now that Norah has returned, everyone has questions. Where has she been? Why did she leave? And why is she back? As each member of the family tries to find the answers they each need, they must also face up to the most pressing question of all - what happens to The Mother Who Stayed when The Mother Who Left comes back? 

From the author of What Milo Saw, comes this powerful, emotional and perceptive novel about what it takes to hold a family together and what you're willing to sacrifice for the ones you love.

Book Beginnings and Friday 56 are hosted by Gilion over at Rose City Reader and Freda over at Freda's Voice respectively.

BB:

'The world is waking up. Or it is trying to, anyway.  

It's waking up in the small town of Holdingwell.  

It's waking up on Willoughby Street.  

It's waking up in Number 77, the tall red-brick house with scaffolding that stretches up to the roof.' p.1

I absolutely loved this beginning! It was such a gentle way of working your way to the main characters, echoing the process of actually waking up and settling in your own body each morning. And somehow it also real;y reminded me of that typical Disney film openings where the camera slowly but surely zooms into the house where its main characters live. Such an idyllic beginning and oh how wrong it'll go.


F56:

'Not again. This time, he'll hold it together. He'll be the one to take charge. He'll take Norah's return calmly. He'll keep his promise to Ella: he's going to make it okay.' p.56

By p.56 it has already gone slightly wrong, but then MacGregor never hides that this book is about the difficult process of healing a broken family. How will the husband cope, how will the daughters cope? I guess you'll just have to read it yourself to find out!

Do you like the sound of The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells? And have you read What Milo Saw?