Reviewed by Emma Crowley
Five years after the death of her firefighter husband, Eden knows better than anyone that life can change in an instant. Now, instead of the future she had planned with Andy, she has Lila - the daughter he never got the chance to meet. And instead of Andy, she has his family.
Then Eden meets someone. Someone she knew before Andy, before Lila, before the tragedy. Someone who reminds her of how she used to be. But Andy's mother has other plans. And Eden is facing an impossible choice. One that could tear a family apart . . .
Many thanks to Headline Review via NetGalley for my copy of What Eden Did Next and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
What Eden Did Next is the 30th novel from Sheila O’Flanagan which is an incredible achievement. So many authors come and go but she has stood the test of time and her books have brought me much enjoyment over the years. I’ve read every single one of her books and whether it be curled up on the couch during winter time or spending an afternoon in the summer sunshine her books have taken me away from the world for several hours and provided much pleasure.This new book tells the story of Eden who has suffered immense tragedy in her life. At a very young age she lost both her parents in a car accident and even as an adult she feels guilt over the circumstances. Subsequently, raised by her Aunt and Uncle life growing up wasn’t all that easy having been taken from her family home and a friendship that meant so much to her.
Eden’s adult life has not been without trauma either as her husband Andy, a firefighter, died in a fire only two weeks after their honeymoon leaving Eden as a single mother to Lila who is now 4. No doubt about it Eden has been through the wringer and deep down although she wishes to move on she finds the past is constantly calling her backwards. She suffers extreme guilt that she is the one to still be alive and bringing up their daughter and she feels she owes so much to Andy’s family who supported her through the darkest of times. The book follows Eden as someone unexpected appears back in her life at a time when perhaps new avenues are tentatively opening up for her. Is she ready to embrace some happiness in her life and take the steps forward that she has been longing to make? Or is she forever bound to try and repay the kindness shown to her by Andy’s family?
Throughout the book, Eden writes letters to Andy and she has done so ever since he passed away. It’s like her coping mechanism to help her through the tough days and difficult and emotional situations that continue to develop. She takes comfort when the letters arrive in the post even though she knows the recipient is no longer there to read them. Her deepest thoughts are expressed in this manner as she feels she has no one around to confined in as to what keeps her awake at night thinking. Yes, she has Andy’s family but she really doesn’t want to admit everything to them. Ever since she was young, Eden had told herself that the only person she could depend upon was herself. She had never wanted to find a soulmate but then Andy entered her life and all that changed. But as with her parent’s life changed in an instant and the one she could depend on was taken from her.
Eden married young and is still young so there is plenty of opportunity to make a new life for herself but she doesn’t want to. To be honest when we first met Eden, I thought she was doing really well for herself. She had her job as a carer and her calligraphy work was also starting to take off. She seemed independent and wanted to make a good life for her daughter. She thinks she relies too much on her mother-in-law Valerie for childminding but who wouldn’t take up the offer when given the chance when she knew Lila would be looked after well. I thought Eden was so down on herself and it really related back to losing her parents and also how she felt when Lila was born. Yes, the death of Andy was horrific but it came across as if she was punishing herself. That she had to remain single and beholden to Valerie and her sisters-in-law. Their grief and control was preventing her from moving on. You could see she wanted to break free but duty and obligation kept her in a firm hold. She had retreated into herself following Andy’s death but you could see the further the story progressed that underneath it all there was a strong woman waiting for the go ahead to emerge and to stand up for herself.
When presented with a choice from Valerie, one which was in theory a great idea but in reality and when you got down to brass tacks it really wouldn’t have worked, well I just wanted Eden to stand firm and say no. But she seemed to hesitate time and time again and not just come out and be firm with regards to her decision. Instead of being pulled back by memories and having Valerie control her, I wanted Eden to move forward in a strong and solid way. That’s not to say she had to forget what Andy meant to her. Some very wise words from her Uncle towards the end of the book were perfectly written, inspiring and well considered and provide plenty of food for thought for both Eden and the reader.
It’s through her work as a carer that Eden is brought firmly back to the past and things in the present start to take a new and dramatic turn which is much welcomed by the reader. Caring for Elizabeth, who is 75 and recovering from a mugging, Eden arrives daily to Sycamore Grove. This street is where everyone knows everyone else’s business and chairperson of the residents association Krystle is at the forefront of it all and along with her fellow women residents they keep the WhatsApp burning at all times with their views on al the movers and shakers. Elizabeth is certainly not part of any of that but yet when someone moves into the house across the road of course her interest is piqued and in turn she gets Eden in on the action with her viewpoints. But for Eden things have got very personal as the new resident is non other than her childhood friend Rafe whom she was taken away from so suddenly.
Rafe is in a similar situation to Eden in that his wife died in tragic circumstances and now is raising Poppy single handedly. Rafe and Eden’s childhood friendship was intense and now in the present he is of the same mind as Eden in that he wishes to no longer get involved with anyone. His sister Petra puts him off at every turn as things start to develop in unexpected ways and similar to Eden’s in-laws, Rafe’s family pile the pressure on. You can tell both family’s are only coming from a place of good but really they should leave both Rafe and Eden forge their own paths be that sole or as a pair. For really, it’s so obvious the two need to be together. That connection that even though they were so young is not gone. It may have been forgotten for awhile but when Eden is with Rafe she is brighter, happier and there is a glow about her. The same can be said for Rafe. Although I do think although Rafe suffered he was more ready and willing to move on than Eden was.
What Eden Did Next is an easy book to read and I flew through it in two sittings. I enjoyed Eden’s story as the author captured perfectly how a mother deals with grief and how she was held back by memories and those that chose to control her. But Eden’s doubt won’t always be there and it was a pleasure to see how she went about instigating the necessary changes in her life in order to try and move forward. OK, this book won’t stay with me forever but I certainly wouldn’t miss out on a book by Sheila O’ Flanagan and I hope she continues to write many many more.
Thanks Emma and Sharon x
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