Blog Tour ~ The Forgotten Guide to Happiness by Sophie Jenkins

Jaffareadstoo is thrilled to host today's stop on the blog tour for The Forgotten Guide to Happiness

Avon
26 July 2018

My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this book and the invitation to be part of the blog tour

What's it all about..

You can lose your memory, but you never forget how to love…

Lana Green has a talent for pushing people away. As a writer, she’s perfectly happy to be left alone with her books. But when she meets Jack Buchanan and Nancy Ellis Hall, Lana’s solitary life will change for ever.

Nancy has dementia, and social services believe this makes her vulnerable. But Lana can see the funny, brilliant woman underneath the illness.

As Lana and Jack struggle to keep Nancy out of a care home, Lana starts to question everything she ever thought mattered.

Because what’s the point in stories, if there is no one to share them with?

What did I think about it..

Lana is a struggling young writer who, after the success of her debut novel, is determined to get to grips with her difficult second novel. However, her home circumstances are conspiring against her and, as she takes stock of her life, so she gets drawn into the world of Jack Buchanan and his step mother, the renowned writer, Nancy Ellis Hall. Nancy's dementia is starting to become a problem but this strong-minded woman is determined to have control of her own life even though she really does need a little help. When Lana needs somewhere to live, in order to keep Nancy’s safe, the perfect solution is for Lana to move in with Nancy as her live-in helper. The quirky mixture of these two very different characters infuses such warmth and wit into the story that it’s a real pleasure to read of their exploits as they gradually get used to each other’s company.

This is a really lovely story about friendship and companionship which looks at the need we all have to be loved and understood. The characters are quite special, especially Jack, who takes on the role of Lana’s muse as she searches for the perfect hero for her novel. I loved the way that the author has included references to other writers within the story which adds a nice quirky touch and makes Lana’s journey as a writer all the more realistic. Nancy is such a strong character and so determined is she to have her voice heard that she, quite literally, leaps of the page. I found her story quite poignant, especially the way in which the dementia has taken hold of her, which is so sad, but also tremendously inspiring too, I admired Nancy's strength of spirit.

The Forgotten Guide to Happiness is beautifully written story which covers the progression of dementia in a really sensitive and positive way and which also shows that life, when we least expect it, can suddenly take a surprising turn for the better.

About the Author

Twitter @sophiejenkinsuk

@AvonBooksUK