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wordsofclover 's review for:
The Woman at 72 Derry Lane
by Carmel Harrington
4.5 stars
Stella Greene is trapped in an abusive marriage, and her next-door neighbour Rea Brady is trapped within her own home by her fears and anxiety, and is unable to help Stella on the nights she hears her husband shouting. As the two women tentatively begin to get to know each other, and let each other into their lives, they both begin their own journeys in facing their past and overcoming their fears and obstacles.
This was a really great read that sucked me straight into the world of Derry Lane (which seemed to be somewhere between Dublin's Clontarf and Howth?) and I loved how much I instantly began to feel for all of the characters. I loved Rea instantly though I kept picturing her as an elderly lady and she was actually quite young, only about 60! She was tough but full of kindness, and very funny, but also full of sadness too. I liked Stella but as Rea stole the show for me.
This is a book that will just sweep you along with the story and you laugh and cry with all of the characters. There are some really emotional and traumatic moments, especially when a past POV is introduced from a girl called Skye in 2004. You just know you are in for it when it clicks what is going to happen there. I do think Skye's parts were very powerful and because of the reality of her situation and the tragedy of it, I found myself wanting to know more about her rather than Stella and Rea at times.
I liked the cast of characters, though Stella's husband was a bit black and white in terms of his violence, and also sometimes appeared a bit stupid. He was so controlling but then she was left alone all day to do whatever she wanted more or less, so I think parts of this control wasn't as believable as I've seen in other novels that have covered domestic abuse (Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris for example, though that was extreme). The hairdresser friend (whose name escapes me as I write this!) was lovely and fierce but did suffer from the stereotypical GBF tropes I've seen in other novels.
I really enjoyed this a lot and definitely recommend it for people looking for a contemporary read with a hint of serious.
Stella Greene is trapped in an abusive marriage, and her next-door neighbour Rea Brady is trapped within her own home by her fears and anxiety, and is unable to help Stella on the nights she hears her husband shouting. As the two women tentatively begin to get to know each other, and let each other into their lives, they both begin their own journeys in facing their past and overcoming their fears and obstacles.
This was a really great read that sucked me straight into the world of Derry Lane (which seemed to be somewhere between Dublin's Clontarf and Howth?) and I loved how much I instantly began to feel for all of the characters. I loved Rea instantly though I kept picturing her as an elderly lady and she was actually quite young, only about 60! She was tough but full of kindness, and very funny, but also full of sadness too. I liked Stella but as Rea stole the show for me.
This is a book that will just sweep you along with the story and you laugh and cry with all of the characters. There are some really emotional and traumatic moments, especially when a past POV is introduced from a girl called Skye in 2004. You just know you are in for it when it clicks what is going to happen there. I do think Skye's parts were very powerful and because of the reality of her situation and the tragedy of it, I found myself wanting to know more about her rather than Stella and Rea at times.
I liked the cast of characters, though Stella's husband was a bit black and white in terms of his violence, and also sometimes appeared a bit stupid. He was so controlling but then she was left alone all day to do whatever she wanted more or less, so I think parts of this control wasn't as believable as I've seen in other novels that have covered domestic abuse (Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris for example, though that was extreme). The hairdresser friend (whose name escapes me as I write this!) was lovely and fierce but did suffer from the stereotypical GBF tropes I've seen in other novels.
I really enjoyed this a lot and definitely recommend it for people looking for a contemporary read with a hint of serious.