From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Saving Missy, comes a novel about a mother, a daughter and a secret waiting to be discovered.
For too long – since the sudden death of her mother as a teenager, since the birth of her daughter, Em, when she was just seventeen – Delphine has been unable to let go of the past, obsessed with protecting Em and clinging to a secret that could ruin everything. She’s been living life in safe shades of grey. The day that Delphine finally stands up for herself is the day that changes everything.
Delphine begins to remember what it’s like to want more: rediscovering her singing voice, opening herself to friendship, and reviving not only her mother’s roots but her mother’s memories. As her life begins to fill with colour, can she be brave for herself and for Em? And what would happen if she finally told the truth?
Em & Me is a big-hearted, hopeful novel about finding second chances – and taking them. BR readers may remember Beth Morrey’s beautiful 2020 debut novel, Saving Missy, about an older woman searching for second chances in her life. Morrey’s latest novel, Em & Me, features another strong female protagonist, but this time it is the young mother Delphine who is seeking to turn her life around. Morrey clearly knows how to tap into women’s issues at all ages and stages of life.
At the heart of this novel is the moving relationship between Delphine and her daughter Em. Having raised Em as a single mother, stretched from paycheck to paycheck, Delphine has not had it easy. Despite the obstacles, she raised a strong, remarkable child in Em. It is Em who inspires her to pursue her dreams of completing her school diploma, learning French in honour of her own mother, and unpacking her teenage years — when she fell pregnant at seventeen years of age. Chapters alternate between Delphine’s present-day narration and flashbacks to her younger years, when she dealt with the death of her mother, and then her pregnancy. This allows well-rounded insight into this protagonist. Morrey’s style is incredibly warm, letting the beautiful mother-daughter relationship speak for itself. So many aspects of this book will be relatable to readers.
Morrey has once again crafted a moving story in Em & Me, one which fans of strong female leads, and warm-hearted family stories are sure to enjoy as much as we did.
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