Daughters by Elizabeth Buchan (Fiction)

1st March 2012, Michael Joseph
442 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Themes: complexities of family life, trials and triumphs of step-families, hidden and open grief, infidelity & the consequences, miscommunication, sisterhood, blood isn't always the tightest bond, taking the plunge, stunning bridal outfit, mild romance, tissues needed

Summary from Penguin

It is a truth universally acknowledged that all mothers want to see their daughters happily settled.

But for Lara, mother to Maudie and stepmother to Jasmine and Eve, realizing this ambition has not been easy.

With an ex-husband embarking on a new marriage, and the surprising and late blooming developments in her own love life to contend with, Lara has enough to worry about, especially with Eve's upcoming wedding.

And when she begins to fear that Eve is marrying a man who will only make her unhappy, and Maudie reveals something that shocks the entire family, Lara faces the ultimate dilemma. Does she step in and risk the wrath of her daughters? Or does she stand by and watch them both make what she fears will be the biggest mistakes of their lives?

Nayuleska's thoughts 

I was drawn to this book firstly by the Russian dolls and then by the fact that I'm a daughter and a sister. The characters are made real by the mistakes they make, mistakes which often don't have a happy ending. Yet by the end each of the sisters and Lara find their way in life as a result of the ups and downs they faced, both together and apart. For the record, Maudie is my favourite character because she is quite like me in this 9/10 read.

Suggested read For more family drama try Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs