The Year that Changed everything

by Cathy Kelly 

2020 was a year that changed everything for everyone! 

Who could have predicted the onset of Covid and the enormous repercussions that we are still coming to terms with three years later. I certainly didn’t know what to expect and my life did change – some of it  good, some bad.  Other years have also ‘changed everything’ – the year I got married, had my children, left the teaching profession and took on a new job in a completely different direction. All affected my life in  different ways. But 2021, was the year that really changed everything for me, in a way I had never imagined,  when I received a cancer diagnosis. My life that year changed drastically and for a while I didn't really know how I was going to get through it all. Perhaps you have had similar years when something has happened that has rocked your world or changed it beyond measure. This book is about just that.

Three women are celebrating a birthday on the same day. The story describes the events that happened on that day that would change their lives forever. Events they could never have predicted.

Ginger is turning 30. Single, desperate for love but very unhappy with her looks and appearance. Will she ever find her true love? Will she l ever earn to love herself and be proud of the way she looks? Will she ever find her happy ever after ending?

Sam is turning 40, has a great job and is good at it.  Finally pregnant after many years of trying, she worries about the oncoming changes to her life and prays that despite her upbringing she will be a good mother, but when her waters finally break, terror sets in. Will she cope? Will she love her baby? Will she ultimately be a good mother or will history repeat itself?

Callie is celebrating her 50th birthday when her world is rocked by a knock on the door. The police are on the doorstep and somehow her husband has disappeared off the face of the earth leaving lots of unanswered questions.  Used to a lavish lifestyle, how will she cope without access to her money and belongings? Will her family welcome her home after many years of estrangement? Will she ever find happiness again?

This book follows the days, weeks and months following these ladies after their unforgettable birthdays and the events that took place. These events cause a ripple effect that will influence their year and the path that each one takes towards a new beginning, a new life and a new understanding of themselves. The ladies don’t know each other so the stories are separate at first, but as the book progresses, their lives become intertwined and towards the end, the three ladies meet, bond and a friendship is formed.

I really enjoyed this book. I found all the characters likeable and believable and I was willing them all on to find the happiness that they deserved. The storylines were interesting and relatable.

The book is described as heart warming and life affirming as the ladies accept their ‘faults’ and realise that they are equal to those around them. I found it a gentle read but interesting, funny, sad and encouraging in different measures but ultimately, I wanted it to work out for all the ladies involved. Whether that happens or not, you will need to find out for yourselves!

A great holiday/beach read.