About The Art of Hiding
Nina McCarrick has it all: a loving husband, two beautiful boys, a well-appointed home and more time than she knows what to do with. Life is perfect. Until her husband, Finn, is killed in a car accident and everything Nina thought she could rely on unravels.
Alone, bereft and faced with a mountain of debt, Nina quickly loses her life of luxury and she begins to question whether she ever really knew the man she married. Forced to move out of her family home, Nina returns to the rundown Southampton council estate—and the sister—she thought she had left far behind.
But Nina can’t let herself be overwhelmed—her boys need her. To save them, and herself, she will have to do what her husband discouraged for so long: pursue a career of her own. Torn between the life she thought she knew and the reality she now faces, Nina finally must learn what it means to take control of her life.
Bestselling author Amanda Prowse once again plumbs the depths of human experience in this stirring and empowering tale of one woman’s loss and love.
My review of The Art of Hiding
An Amanda Prowse book is always something to look forward to, and this book was no execption. The Art of Hiding is an emotive, thought provoking and hugely enjoyable read from one of my favourite authors. As ever, this book reaches into the depths of your soul and drags out every single emotion. I could not read and remain unaffected while reading The Art of Hiding, it touched me deeply.
The story begins when Nna's husband, Finn, is suddenly killed, leaving her alone to care for their two boys, Declan and Connor. Her orderd and well maintained life of everyday luxury is quite literally tuned on its head. She loses their home, income and friends. Nina leaves all of this mess behind to start a new life in Southnampton, the city of her youth, where her sister, Tiggy still lives. For me, this is when the real story begins.
This is such a beautiful book, in that, although about the depths of human despair, and hitting rock bottom, it explores the fact that life always finds a way. The novel beautifully explores the theme of revisiting your roots and the importance of family, no matter what has happens in your life. The book tackles head on the issue surrounding debt, somewhat poignant in these times of austerity, that we are all living in, and I read with a twist in my gut at what happened to Nina, as theoretically, this could happen to anyone.
The crux of this novel is to do with relationships. The relationship that we have between siblings. I loved Tiggy and everything that she stood for. The fiercely protective sister who says what she thinks, while wearing her heart on her sleeve. But the book also delves into the type of relationship that we have with our partner. It asks the question: Do we ever really know our partner? Are they hiding things from us? This is the completely gripping thread that ran throughout the entire book. That of what happened to Finn, and if he really was the man who Nina saw every day.
The Art of Hiding highlights most eloquently the importance of family and that possosions are just things, stuff, that is accumulated over time. It is people that matter. This really is a life affirming book that makes you truly appreciate what you have in life.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy.
The Art of Hiding is published by Lake Union Publishing, 18 July, and can be found on Amazon here.
About the author
Amanda Prowse likens her own life story to those she writes about in her books. After self-publishing her debut novel, Poppy Day, in 2011, she has gone on to author sixteen novels and six novellas. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and she regularly tops bestseller charts all over the world.
Remaining true to her ethos, Amanda writes stories of ordinary women and their families who find their strength, courage and love tested in ways they never imagined. The most prolific female contemporary fiction writer in the UK, with a legion of loyal readers, she goes from strength to strength. Being crowned ‘queen of domestic drama’ by the Daily Mail was one of her finest moments.
Amanda is a regular contributor on TV and radio, but her first love is and will always be writing.
You can find her online at www.amandaprowse.com, on Twitter at @MrsAmandaProwse and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/amandaprowsenogreaterlove
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