A Sister for Margot / CountryWives

I met Emma at Britmums Live in June and we discovered that we both live in Henley. She then told me about her book and I was fascinated. I am always impressed by the authors who publish as an e-book and hope, through hard work self-publicising their book, that it will get picked up by a publisher. Emma is a talented story teller and very quickly you are drawn into the web she weaves. Her characters are extremely believable as they are flawed but very likeable. The book spans three generations of one family who lived through the war and then through all the dramas that any, and nearly all, families have, death, illness, heartbreak and love. The book keeps you interested and intrigued throughout even though you sort of second guess how it is going to turn out you are still willing it to be so as you genuinely care for this family. Emma’s description of Ibiza is particularly real, coming from her own intimate knowledge of the island, her grandmother having retired to the island many years ago. It is this grandmother who inspired the story in that she worked as an actress during the war, then afterwards as a TV presenter before deciding to move to Ibiza however the rest of the story is entirely ficticious. I absolutely loved this book and will miss the family that I became so involved with over the past few days. I hope Emma has another book in the pipeline!

STOP PRESS Congratulations to Emma for being a finalist in this year’s Britmums’ awards for her charming blog called An Author’s Notebook.

Amazon Product Description

In a seaside theatre, with Hitler’s bombs raining down, the actress Maud falls in love for the first time. She dreams however of seeing her name in lights and part of her resists getting embroiled in an affair. But she can’t fight her feelings forever.Forty years later in an English suburb, Margot is on the brink of divorce and depression after losing her sister in a tragic boating accident. Her orphaned niece Ruby is sent to live with her grandfather in Ibiza, and develops a morbid fascination with the past. Rattling the family skeletons will unearth a secret that touches all of their lives.In this debut novel, Emma Clark Lam writes a compelling family saga that examines the themes of wasted potential, sibling rivalry and romantic love. Three generations of women struggle to find their niche, while challenging the taboos of their time. Clark Lam’s forte is her vivid characterization – the three main characters continue to live with you long after you have finished the book. Underpinning the whole story is the cycle of life, with all its associated emotions of loss, grief and renewal.