Wow, what a fantastic book! I wish I could give it ten stars! "How to Walk Away" was not what I expected, and I absolutely loved every single page of this motivating rom-com style novel. The novel begins with Margaret celebrating Valentine's Day with her WASPy boyfriend, Chip- she just knows that this is the time, and he is going to propose. He is currently in training to get his pilot's license, and so instead of the proposal she was hoping for in a restaurant, he has set up a test of trust. Margaret's biggest fear is of flying, but she is willing to put all that aside and trust Chip on this day.
Although she gets the expected proposal, what she doesn't expect is the plane crash that follows- leaving her severely injured and Chip somehow unscathed. The word Margaret hears the most in the days following is "lucky," but she cannot feel lucky when her legs won't work and much of her body is burnt. Add that to the fact that Chip has fallen into a depression and won't come visit- and people are telling her to feel sorry for HIM, and Margaret has a tough road to recovery ahead of her. If she would listen to her mother, all she would need to do is "try" and then somehow everything will be OK- all the miraculous recovery stories her mother dug up off the internet say so.
Margaret knows that things will not be as simple as her mother wishes to believe, but this is her life, so she has to do what she must. The hospital assigned her to the only surly and unpleasant physical therapist, Ian- a Scottish man who makes Margaret's life harder- and insists on calling her Maggie. As time goes on, Margaret finds the cracks in his armor and finds her own reasons to push herself forward. While I was hesitant about the potential for relationships with the therapist-client dynamic, it really works here, and it is a slow build... just wonderfully written!
However, the best part of the book was the familial relationships that develop throughout the novel. Margaret's relationships with her mother and sister in particular really shine in the novel. Kit has been estranged from the family for 3 years after an intense party where she pushed their mother into the pool and then left for New York and saying she needed a break from the family. Margaret has tried to get in touch with her since but never gets a reply- so when Kit shows up to her hospital room at night and wants to hang out with her in the evenings (when their mother isn't around), Margaret gives an emphatic no. However, their relationship and that with their mother really develops as the book goes on, and they all become such real and wonderful characters. I loved reading the journey.
The book is an interesting combination of tragedy, comedy, and relationships- romantic and familial- that I found absolutely captivating. I could not put this book down; it definitely became one of my favorites! I would love to see this adapted for a movie, as I think it would be amazing as a rom-com! This book touched my heart, made me laugh, made me think, and made me want to reread it immediately! I can't rave enough about this fantastic story!
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Although she gets the expected proposal, what she doesn't expect is the plane crash that follows- leaving her severely injured and Chip somehow unscathed. The word Margaret hears the most in the days following is "lucky," but she cannot feel lucky when her legs won't work and much of her body is burnt. Add that to the fact that Chip has fallen into a depression and won't come visit- and people are telling her to feel sorry for HIM, and Margaret has a tough road to recovery ahead of her. If she would listen to her mother, all she would need to do is "try" and then somehow everything will be OK- all the miraculous recovery stories her mother dug up off the internet say so.
Margaret knows that things will not be as simple as her mother wishes to believe, but this is her life, so she has to do what she must. The hospital assigned her to the only surly and unpleasant physical therapist, Ian- a Scottish man who makes Margaret's life harder- and insists on calling her Maggie. As time goes on, Margaret finds the cracks in his armor and finds her own reasons to push herself forward. While I was hesitant about the potential for relationships with the therapist-client dynamic, it really works here, and it is a slow build... just wonderfully written!
However, the best part of the book was the familial relationships that develop throughout the novel. Margaret's relationships with her mother and sister in particular really shine in the novel. Kit has been estranged from the family for 3 years after an intense party where she pushed their mother into the pool and then left for New York and saying she needed a break from the family. Margaret has tried to get in touch with her since but never gets a reply- so when Kit shows up to her hospital room at night and wants to hang out with her in the evenings (when their mother isn't around), Margaret gives an emphatic no. However, their relationship and that with their mother really develops as the book goes on, and they all become such real and wonderful characters. I loved reading the journey.
The book is an interesting combination of tragedy, comedy, and relationships- romantic and familial- that I found absolutely captivating. I could not put this book down; it definitely became one of my favorites! I would love to see this adapted for a movie, as I think it would be amazing as a rom-com! This book touched my heart, made me laugh, made me think, and made me want to reread it immediately! I can't rave enough about this fantastic story!
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.