The Blurb
When mum of two Beth moves out of her beloved marital home and into an unloved and unkempt cottage, she can’t help but feel demoralised. Faced with months of DIY and dust, her children Jacob and Olivia aren’t impressed either. But when Beth finds a box of letters while she’s clearing out the children’s room, things start to look up.
The correspondence is decades old, between agony aunt Evelyn and those in need of solace. Intrigued as to why the letters have been kept safe all these years, Beth can’t resist reading them, and as the wisdom and kindness of Evelyn falls off the pages, so Beth starts to feel she has a friend and champion in this woman she has never met.
Good advice doesn’t age, and as life starts to look brighter, Beth begins to wonder if she could track down Evelyn and thank her for her help. But as Beth uncovers more about Evelyn’s story, it becomes clear that everything is not as it seems. And now Beth is determined to bring peace to Evelyn as she has to her.
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My Review
This was the first book that I’ve read by Clare Swatman but it won’t be the last.
It’s the story of a woman beginning again after divorce. The premise of the long lost letters and the search for the agony aunt was lovely, but I also loved the frustrations she had with her ex-husband – very relatable. I was annoyed with him on her behalf.
Some of the letters to agony aunt Evelyn are included at the beginning of each chapter, along with Evelyn’s answers. I loved this touch; it made the book a bit different.
Definitely a 5 star read.
About the author
Clare Swatman is the author of three women’s fiction novels, published by Macmillan, which have been translated into over 20 languages. She has been a journalist for over twenty years, writing for Bella and Woman & Home amongst many other magazines. She lives in Hertfordshire. Before We Grow Old, was published in January 2022.
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