The Godmothers

    In this blog post, I reviewed Monica McInerney’s The Godmothers. This stand-alone women’s fiction novel is moving, heartfelt, and touching about family and discovering who you are. When Eliza Miller was seventeen years old, she lost her loving mother Jeannie, right before she told the truth about her birth father. She died from an accidental slip in the tub and faded away. Heartbroken, Eliza never knew the identity of her biological father. But years later, after she lost her job in Melbourne, Australia, with the encouragement of her two mothers, Olivia and Maxie, she flies to Edinburgh on a life-changing journey. There, she stays in Olivia’s hotel and asks about the truth about her mother that she had never known, and who could’ve been her father. Though they hedged the truth a tiny bit, they looked for clues in paperwork and photos. She also meets Lawrence, a widower of two years, who works for the hotel and for Olivia. There, she bonds with them and goes to Trim, Scotland, where she discovers the identity of her father and the hidden secret behind it. Lawrence tags along with her on the trip as they grow closer together. After that revelation, she flies back to Edinburgh and heads home to Australia to start a new life and a new future.

This emotional women's fiction is deeply profound, heart-breaking, and heart-wrenching.  I cared for Eliza, who had been through a lot at a tender age, and had the tender love from Olivia and Maxie to help her through it all. I also became worried for Olivia and Maxie, who harbored the real secret about how Jeannie died. The dual locations of Melbourne and Edinburgh were magnificent with gorgeous scenic settings.  The theme of the story is family–and what makes a family–who would love you who you are.

This heartfelt women’s fiction will pull at your heartstrings. I rated this book, four out of five stars for no reason. If you love women's fiction with non-stop dramatic action, plenty of suspense, and hints of twists and turns, check out The Godmothers. This book is recommended for fans who love Karen White, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Taylor Jenkins Reid.