With All My Love

My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013.  I just finished book 48.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date for this book is July 30, 2013.

With All My Love by Patricia Scanlan

Summary (via Goodreads):
When Briony McAllister takes a trip to visit her mother, Valerie, she uncovers a letter from her long-lost grandmother, bringing to light a nearly unforgivable act her mother has kept secret for decades.  Having always believed that her grandparents didn't want to see her, she finds out the opposite is true: her grandmother had been seeking her out all along, and it was her own mother who willfully kept them apart.
Devastated that her past has come back to haunt her, Valerie realizes that her daughter's anger might cause their troubled family history to repeat itself in a new generation.  Rich with emotion and featuring magnificent descriptions of Ireland, With All My Love deftly weaves the stories of the past and present to take us into the heart of a family at war.  As the truth is revealed, so too are the complex yet enduring bonds between mothers and daughters.

My Opinion:
Not the kind of book you read in public, especially if you are prone to tears.  I am emotionally drained after reading this book; that is a compliment.  It dripped with emotion and I found myself aching with remorse over the lost years (while I felt for Valerie during the flashbacks, I found her actions unforgivable), gasping as they relived their pain, and full-on ugly crying for the last third of the book.
A climatic moment near the end was too cheesy to make it a 5 star read but this was a solid book and I will look for others by the author.
 
Quote of the Blog:
*Since I read an ARC, I couldn't quote from the book directly like I normally try to.  Instead, I found a quote from a different book that seemed fitting.

"No human can bury their past indefinitely.  It's only a matter of time before you crack." ~ K.A. Tucker, Ten Tiny Breaths