Five Days by Douglas Kennedy

How long does it take to fall in love?

For twenty years, Laura has been a good wife and a good mother. She's supported her husband through redundancy, she's worried about her son, she's encouraged her daughter.

She's stopped thinking about all the places she'd like to go and all the books she'd like to talk about.

She's not unhappy, exactly. She's not that self-indulgent. As anyone would tell you, Laura is wonderfully constant, caring, selfless. She's certainly an expert at putting on a brave face.

But a chance meeting in a hotel lobby - and the five days that follow - remind Laura of the young woman she used to be - and the woman she could have become.

Is it ever too late to have the life you wanted? Or do we owe it to ourselves to pursue the promise of happiness?

This is a book that really gets you thinking about your life,the sacrifices we make sometimes and how we are not always true to ourselves. How many women do you know that change to become like their partner? Its not the most up-lifting of books but it is well written. In Five Days Laura experienced the gammit of emotions and reflected on how she wanted her life to be and made the necessary changes. It was interesting that she was still able to commit to leaving her husband despite his pleas and more surprisingly that her kids supported her without blinking an eye (which was kind of sad for the Dad). I found her to be very courageous knowing that she wanted more from her life and love life and that when she did leave she seemed to want to focus on herself. If she had left with her lover maybe she would never have found herself and I never thought that he was the right personality for her despite her apparent love for him. He was certainly no Christian Grey thats for sure.
I give this book 4.5 kiwis out of 5 because I found myself thinking about the story afterwards.

The Light Between Oceans by MLStedman

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

I really enjoyed this book, I found it easy to get to know the characters and I learnt a bit about the struggles of being a lighthouse keeper in the early days. I like a story that doesn't leave any loose endings and while I would have hoped for a different outcome for Tom and Isabel, true to life what we want doesn't always come true. I would have liked to see them adopt a child when things didn't work out-I was frustrated at the beginning of the story when they didn't report the baby being found-you knew it was going to be trouble from the start but kept hoping that things would work out despite the deceit.
I give this book 4.5 kiwis out of 5.