The Making of Us - Lisa Jewell

photo courtesy: goodreads.com

A fascinating fast track read

It is impressive how Lisa Jewell takes up a concept and weaves a story around it. My first book by her was about a hoarder who was unable to declutter her house and the impact it had on her family. I remember watching a documentary on hoarders and was amazed at how she turned it into such a readable story.

The Making of Us on the other hand is about a Donor Sibling agency and how three people leading separate lives discover each other as family. The plot is cleverly woven, the range of characters complex, resulting in  a highly readable book.

Gist:

 New millionaire Lydia, has lots of money and no family around her. A tiny cutting plants doubts about her childhood, raising some ghosts of the past and she feels compelled to find out her father. Robyn, a promising medical student needs to trace her past to put her fears to rest while 21-year-old Dean finds himself facing a bleak future saddled with a newborn daughter and a dead girlfriend.

Connecting them all is Daniel - the sperm donor who gave them life and Maggie, the woman out to reunite them all.

What works:

• Jewell's books are extremely easy to read. The simple prose, short sentences and bold print makes it a treat for readers to even skim read at times.

• The plot is engaging and simple but filled with flashes of incisive observation. 30 something Jewell, understands the dilemmas of being young and conveys it well; especially the bonding with non-maternal Lydia and Dean.

• My edition has a candid chat with the author at the end, which made for an interesting read. It was interesting to see how its forthright, straightforward talking author was a reflection of the simple, direct narrative that I had just read.

 What doesn't:

• Jewell keeps the story very simple. However, after a point the plot gets to be a bit predictable and it is all about tying up the ends together. 

In a nutshell:

An enjoyable read. I picked it up when I needed a break from Game of Thrones. This one fit the bill perfectly; I finished it in a couple of sittings and enjoyed it.

A quick engaging read indeed.