My latest review is of Letters to Iris by Elizabeth Noble.

A gloriously uplifting story about love in all its forms from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author of The Reading Group and Things I Want My Daughters to Know

Tess has a secret – one which is going to turn her life upside down in just nine months’ time.

The only person she can confide in is her beloved grandmother. But Iris is slipping further away each day.

Then chance brings a stranger into Tess’s life.

Gigi’s heart goes out to Tess, knowing what it’s like to feel alone. She’s determined to show her that there’s a silver lining to every cloud.

As their unlikely friendship blossoms, Tess feels inspired to open up.

But something still holds her back – until she discovers Iris has a secret of her own. A suitcase of letters from another time, the missing pieces of a life she never shared.

Could the letters hold the answers that Tess thought lost for ever?

An uplifting, unforgettable story about keeping secrets, taking chances and finding happiness where you least expect it.

I was really excited to read this novel, and I can confidently say that I was not disappointed!  Letters to Iris is a novel about secrets and pain, but also about love, family and hope.

We are introduced to the novels namesake, Iris, in the prologue.  We are given a brief insight into her teenage years, and that of her older brother Tom at a time when war was breaking out and conscription was being introduced. We then fast forward to present day, where we meet Tess, Iris’s beloved granddaughter.

The novel focuses on both Tess, a young woman with a secret and an ailing grandmother,  and Gigi, a mother, grandmother and wife who has lost her purpose in life.  They each have their issues, but find their lives intertwining as a friendship blossoms between them.

I’m a bit worried about giving too much away in this review, so am keen not to say too much.  What I will say though is that the stories of Tess and Gigi are beautifully woven together, and I genuinely enjoyed following their stories.  I also loved the way Iris’s story, an elderly woman who had begun to lose her battle with life, was delicately threaded through the novel.  There are heartbreaking moments throughout, in both the contemporary and historic parts of the story.  This isn’t just a story of secrets and loss though; it is also a story of love, family and hope.  There is light even in the moments of darkness, and that is one of the things that I loved about this novel.

I am delighted to be able to recommend this lovely novel – I hope that you’ll read it and let me know what you think!

Rating: 📖 📖 📖 📖 📗

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.