Margaret Jacobsen has her life all figured out. She's just applied and interviewed for a new job - which she's pretty sure she's going to get - her personal life, too, is headed in the right direction as Margaret knows her boyfriend of a few years is going to propose sometime soon. Then, a horrific accident derails all of Margaret's plans.
Now, in the hospital and healing, she must come to terms with the fact that sometimes things change. Whether for the better or for the worse, Margaret will have to make the decision to move forward while being faced with the realities and long-held secrets of her family support system as well as a standoffish Physical Therapist. If she can see past the roadblocks in front of her, she just may find love in a seemingly unexpected place.
I was pretty surprised by How to Walk Away. I don't really want to say too much about what befalls Margaret because I think it made my reading experience better for not knowing ahead of time. Suffice it so say, Margaret has quite the struggle ahead of her to get back to what she deems as "normal" and I loved the way that Katherine Center represents this struggle. It's not always easy and it's not always difficult either. Instead it's a series of ups and downs. Good days and bad ones. Wanting to give up and then pushing onward.
For all the Margaret is the type who has her life and future planned out, she never comes across as spoiled or privileged. She's not a rotten person who has a sudden change of heart, she's just a regular albeit driven person who has to readjust her way of thinking about life and how she lives her life. Things that she might have once taken for granted, that many of us probably take for granted, are put into perspective.
I loved the relationship between Margaret and her erstwhile estranged sister Kitty. Kitty shows up and is there for Margaret after having left home three years ago with little to no contact with the family. There's a reason for Kitty's absence, but the reason for her return is unequivocally her love for her sister. The reason behind Kitty leaving is just one of the secrets the Jacobsen family will uncover and have to deal with during this difficult time.
There were some moments of predictability throughout How to Walk Away as well as some moments that were paced a bit too quick and possibly glossed over that I would have liked more in-depth look at. Particularly the events after Margaret leaves the hospital. Much of the story takes place with Margaret in the hospital, but she goes through a lot of growth when she leaves and has to begin relying on herself again. I feel like it didn't get as much attention to detail which is unfortunate because I think these moments deserved an equal amount of time spent.
Of course, I cannot end this review without mentioning Margaret and her seemingly grumpy Physical Therapist. He's an outside force who doesn't care what happened to Margaret, doesn't care who she was before, he only cares about getting her to the after, and the unrelenting pushing helps motivate her in its own way. What blossoms between them is really sweet, yet didn't mask over everything that Margaret has to go through. Instead it's like a welcome companion, just one of the pieces.
Overall, I was happily surprised by How to Walk Away. It deals with some hard subject matters but never feels weighted down. It's definitely not without it's darker moments, but for the most part, it offers a fresh outlook on how to push ahead from life-altering experiences.
Now, in the hospital and healing, she must come to terms with the fact that sometimes things change. Whether for the better or for the worse, Margaret will have to make the decision to move forward while being faced with the realities and long-held secrets of her family support system as well as a standoffish Physical Therapist. If she can see past the roadblocks in front of her, she just may find love in a seemingly unexpected place.
I was pretty surprised by How to Walk Away. I don't really want to say too much about what befalls Margaret because I think it made my reading experience better for not knowing ahead of time. Suffice it so say, Margaret has quite the struggle ahead of her to get back to what she deems as "normal" and I loved the way that Katherine Center represents this struggle. It's not always easy and it's not always difficult either. Instead it's a series of ups and downs. Good days and bad ones. Wanting to give up and then pushing onward.
For all the Margaret is the type who has her life and future planned out, she never comes across as spoiled or privileged. She's not a rotten person who has a sudden change of heart, she's just a regular albeit driven person who has to readjust her way of thinking about life and how she lives her life. Things that she might have once taken for granted, that many of us probably take for granted, are put into perspective.
I loved the relationship between Margaret and her erstwhile estranged sister Kitty. Kitty shows up and is there for Margaret after having left home three years ago with little to no contact with the family. There's a reason for Kitty's absence, but the reason for her return is unequivocally her love for her sister. The reason behind Kitty leaving is just one of the secrets the Jacobsen family will uncover and have to deal with during this difficult time.
There were some moments of predictability throughout How to Walk Away as well as some moments that were paced a bit too quick and possibly glossed over that I would have liked more in-depth look at. Particularly the events after Margaret leaves the hospital. Much of the story takes place with Margaret in the hospital, but she goes through a lot of growth when she leaves and has to begin relying on herself again. I feel like it didn't get as much attention to detail which is unfortunate because I think these moments deserved an equal amount of time spent.
Of course, I cannot end this review without mentioning Margaret and her seemingly grumpy Physical Therapist. He's an outside force who doesn't care what happened to Margaret, doesn't care who she was before, he only cares about getting her to the after, and the unrelenting pushing helps motivate her in its own way. What blossoms between them is really sweet, yet didn't mask over everything that Margaret has to go through. Instead it's like a welcome companion, just one of the pieces.
Overall, I was happily surprised by How to Walk Away. It deals with some hard subject matters but never feels weighted down. It's definitely not without it's darker moments, but for the most part, it offers a fresh outlook on how to push ahead from life-altering experiences.