A review by ninarg
The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I am joining the choir that sings the praises of this book. It's brilliant. Blending art, motherhood, betrayal, lies, hurt, love, loss and London, the story shifts back and forth between Lexie and Innes in 1950's Soho and new parents Elina and Ted around the year 2000. All characters are richly drawn and I was invested in their stories, whether I was with Lexie and Innes in the art magazine office or with Elina and Ted trying to figure out how to parent without breaking down. The characters are vulnerable, caring, brave, and scared, they felt so real. And as I tried to figure out the link between them all I got more and more angry with some of the other characters as I saw the big betrayal building up.

I can only recommend you pick this up. It is one of the better Maggie O'Farrells, and that is saying something.