A Year and A Day
Isabelle Broom
Penguin, Michael Joseph
November 2016
Rating 5/5
Welcome to a city where wishes are everywhere
For Megan, a winter escape to Prague with her friend Ollie is a chance to find some inspiration for her upcoming photography exhibition. But she's determined to keep their friendship from becoming anything more. Because if Megan lets Ollie find out about her past, she risks losing everything - and she won't let that happen again . . .
For Hope, the trip is a surprise treat from Charlie, her new partner. But she's struggling to enjoy the beauty of the city when she knows how angry her daughter is back home. And that it's all her fault . . .
For Sophie, the city has always been a magical place. This time she can't stop counting down the moments until her boyfriend Robin joins her. But in historic Prague you can never escape the past . . .
Three different women.
Three intertwining love stories.
One unforgettable, timeless city.
A Year and A Day is a beautifully descriptive story of three girls who come together by chance in Prague who very quickly form a strong bond and friendship.
Megan is a photographer and has come on a trip with her school teacher best friend, Ollie, to take some images of Prague as he learns about the city for his pupils.
Very early on it's clear that both have feelings for each other but only Ollie is open to the idea of a relationship. Megan has been hurt in the past of which we learn the details as the story unfolds and is desperate to keep a hold of her feelings.
Hope, the oldest of the trio, has been treated to a romantic weekend away by her new man Charlie, but is missing her grown up daughter, Annette, who is still upset and barely talking to her mum over the fact that Hope has left her marriage and is making a new life for herself. The couple are incredibly loved up however Charlie's secret phone calls are making Hope question his motives and her true feelings towards him.
The final lady featured is the delicate Sophie who is travelling alone as she awaits her fiance Robin to join her in a few days time.
Sophie is very quiet but tales some wonderful stories of her travels and from when her and Robin first met.
I want to give you all the details as A Year and A Day really is a gem of a book to read, but the way the three sets of travellers are brought together and their experiences of things you wouldn't want to witness yourself, means that if I did, I would completely spoil the plot for you!
What I will say though, is A Year and A Day is a powerful story about love and loss in various ways, about friendships, hopes and dreams.
As with the author's first book, My Map of You, this one is deliciously descriptive - I felt like I was right there on the Charles Bridge with the characters, ear-wigging on their conversations!
This along with powerful story-lines and Isabelle's way with words to make you feel and think what the characters feel and think, makes her work a complete page turner and a must read author!
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