This Has Been Absolutely Lovely - Book Review
Genre: Fiction | Contemporary fiction
Author: Jessica Dettmann
Year: 2021
Pages: 371
I’ve been struggling lately to pick up a book. Every glance at my towering TBR pile fills me with dread. Normally, I choose a book based on how I’m feeling and what I’m in the mood for. This time, I decided to put a bit more thought into my reading choice. I bought This Has Been Absolutely Lovely on an impulse during a book shopping spree, with my Mum hearing good things about it. With a daunting stack of TBR books just waiting to be read, I decided to give This Has Been Absolutely Lovely a try.
Annie’s dreams have been put on hold since the first of her three children were born. After being turned away from the music scene when she became pregnant, she’s since put her family and motherhood first. Now all her children have grown up with families of their own, she’s finally looking forward to restarting her career as a musician. Youngest daughter Molly is expecting her first child. She’s flitted aimlessly from job to job and now works as a home organiser. But she’s tiring of that. Obviously, her mother will help her out with the new baby. Why wouldn’t she?
When Molly and her siblings return home for their grandfather’s funeral, shock revelations bubble to the surface. Can the family move forward or will these surprise admissions begin to put a strain on their relationships?
There’s so much more to this novel than meets the eye. From what I gleaned from the book’s synopsis, it looked like a fun, easy read about motherhood. But there’s much more to it than that. It’s witty and relatable. You can see that Dettmann previously worked as an editor; her writing is sharp and succinct. I never felt like she was waffling on or weighing the story down with unnecessary information. Every little detail about This Has Been Absolutely Lovely is connected and feeds into another aspect of the story. The plot is brilliantly thought out and well-paced and no stone is left unturned.
The story is woven so well as Dettmann details the nuances of domestic life. Her characters are multifaceted and vulnerable. I was even softening to characters I originally didn’t warm to. It’s such an engaging read, I really didn’t want to put it down.
I love this book. It’s only February but it’s been the best book I have read so far this year. I really can’t find any fault with it. Dettmann paints a realistic, vivid picture of a tumultuous, contemporary family. And I absolutely love it.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★