Thursday 17 July 2014

Review - Will You Remember Me? by Amanda Prowse

WOW! What an incredible book! It broke my heart, it made me think about life and mortality, it stirred up lots of memories around my darling mom being stolen from us by that vile cancer disease.  Last night, I sobbed uncontrollably at this heart-wrenching book and at one point couldn't read anymore because I couldn't breathe for crying! I couldn't see the pages because they just blurred beneath my tears.  I think I got through a whole toilet roll before I calmed myself down and brought myself back to a state where I could read the end which was just beautiful!

I just want to order every book that Amanda Prowse has written and devour them one after the other.  I reviewed A Little Love last year, click here for my review.  I adored that book!

She has an incredible way of making you shut outside the world and totally focus on the story and her amazing characters.  She takes you on a rollercoaster journey of emotions as if the story was happening to you!  

Amanda Prowse - you are an incredible author.  To be able to stir up such huge emotions, truly is a gift.

Here's some blurb about the book, which I also have to say has one of the most gorgeous covers I've ever seen.  Then I wanted to share some thoughts I've had since I read that last page.  I'm sure that this must have been a difficult book for Amanda to write as some of the things in the book have occurred in real life. I would love to meet Amanda one day and give her a HUMUNGOUS hug!

Book Blurb

How do you say goodbye to your family for the last time?
 
Poppy Day is looking forward to her best year yet. She's thirty-two, married to her childhood sweetheart, and a full-time mum of two gorgeous children. She loves her clean little house in the countryside - a far cry from the London estate where she grew up. Her husband Mart, a soldier, has just returned safe and sound from his latest tour.

But Poppy is so busy caring for others, she hasn't noticed the fatigue in her body, or the menacing lump growing on her breast. If there's anyone strong and deserving enough to defeat cancer it's Poppy. After all, she's fought harder battles than this. But does life really work like that?

Here are the thoughts I'm feeling today: 

1. I've always wanted to write a letter to Ollie, so if ever anything happens to me, he knows just how much his mom has loved him from the minute I knew he was growing in my body. He has made my life complete! I have a memory box but it doesn't explain what the things in it are and the story behind them.  I would like to ensure he knows what each and every thing in his box meant to his mom. I need to do it now! Who knows what is around the corner. Don't put something off that is important to you.

2. Life is short, don't fall out with people who are really important to you and that you've had years of happiness with.  Sometimes we do and say silly things and they are not always done to hurt you, they're just done.  If you can get past things that have hurt you, you can be at peace with yourself. Forgiving someone doesn't take away what happened, but it does take away the hurt and pain that you are feeling inside and that is eating you up inside. You can't ever change something that happens but you can change how you feel about it.  Hurt goes away.  Don't let important people do the same.
3. When I die, I want to leave wonderful memories behind me so that people remember me with love and happiness.  I plan to make beautiful memories that my son will hold in his heart forever.

4. I have never forgotten my mom and I think about her every day.  She was the best mom that I could have ever wished for.  I pledge to do all I can in my life to be the best mom I could ever be to Ollie so that when I'm not around, he remembers me with love and happiness and knows just how loved he has been.


5. When I die, I will always be around the people that I love helping and supporting them.  I will also
use an amazing lady called Michelle Davies if she'll let me to come back and prove to you that I am around you! You just won't be able to see me anymore but I will do everything in my power to let you know I'm still around you! I will drop feathers, I will put things in your way to make you stop, I will move things, I will be there! And I promise to scoot off when 'personal' things happen! Believe me, I have no wish to see my friends on the loo or doing rudies!

6. I know now that I have NEVER got over losing my mom.  I have learned to live with the fact that she's not in my life anymore but I will not let it be a thing that I hold onto with sadness and grief.  I will remember her as being the person who gave me life and loved me whatever I did even if she didn't agree with me (in many cases!).  I will make her proud of me. 

7. I don't have to tell people who are crap just how crap they are even if their actions and behaviour has affected my life massively.  They have to live with themselves.  Telling them what I think of them (which I would dearly love to do to some people) is not productive for me.  It might make me feel better but it is something that they then have to live with.  They probably already know that they are crap! They probably already feel awful about it.  However, if you are this person who is crap - you can do something about it.  Be someone

8. Life is precious, life is a gift and one day we will all die.  It's the cycle of life.  I am not afraid to die.  I believe that my mom will be waiting for me.  I believe that mom and dad are together now and one day I will see them again. Part of me is really looking forward to that, although I have so much more to do here before I'm planning on leaving. 

9. Don't let things that have happened to you in the past, shape your future.  Too many people say that they're the way they are because of something that affected them years ago!  Life is for living, not being bitter and twisted over something that you can't change! Get over it! Move on! Be the person, you want to be not the person you think that other people have made you.  YOU control your destiny. 

10. Don't whinge and whine! If you don't like something - change it! You have the power to do that! People will be around to support you, but they can't do it for you.  Pick yourself up, dust yourself down, get help if you need it, but you have to help yourself.  You make a choice in the morning when you wake up to be happy or miserable.  People want to be surrounded by upbeat, happy, positive people.  Negativity is like poison! Get rid of it! Do you want to be remembered as a miserable old git that no-one wants to be around or a person who people love to be around?

11. Think about others more than yourself.  Treat people how you would like to be treated. If you treat people with respect, kindness and try your hardest to be nice to people.  And don't forget if you are horrible to me, remember what I said in No 5! I'LL STILL BE AROUND YOU KNOW!

I don't think a book has ever had such an impact on me! I'm feeling SO emotional today!
Kim
x

Amazon UK

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2 comments:

Elaine Spires said...

Oh, bloody hell! I'm grizzling just reading the review! Totally agree with much of what you say, Kim, especially no need to tell people they're drap and surroundng yourself withositivityband doing things. Can't wait to read this! E x

Dot said...

This book sounds fantastic, adding it to my wish list, thanks lovely xx