The Food of Love

In my opinion...

I have read some of Amanda Prowse’s previous novels and enjoyed them, but found this one very difficult to review.

The subject matter is a tough one to write about, and I think Mrs Prowse was very brave to tackle such a major issue which is so relevant to youngsters and adults nowadays.

I spent my University days with a friend who was anorexic, and recognised issue after issue that were raised in this novel. The research was certainly thorough, and made me feel distressed reading it, as it is brutally honest and accurate.

It also shows the terrible effect this illness has on the family, both parents and siblings, which frequently leads to marriage break ups and dysfunctional siblings, as everything revolves round the anorexic youngster.

I did not find Freya a sympathetic character, and as a mother and food writer wonder why she was not more perceptive. I also was unsure about the way the story was written, particularly using the hourly countdown chapters, I think if Freya or Lexi had told the story I would have felt I could get under the skin of the characters a little more.

Certainly a challenging novel, which invoked many memories, and I was relieved to finish it- which in itself was a measure of its success.

Thank you to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for my ARC

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A loving mother. A perfect family. A shock wave that could shatter everything. Freya Braithwaite knows she is lucky. Nineteen years of marriage to a man who still warms her soul and two beautiful teenage daughters to show for it: confident Charlotte and thoughtful Lexi. Her home is filled with love and laughter. But when Lexi’s struggles with weight take control of her life, everything Freya once took for granted falls apart, leaving the whole family with a sense of helplessness that can only be confronted with understanding, unity and, above all, love. My rating...