The Taste of Air by Gail Cleare

A lady in assisted living leading a quiet retired life. Two daughters who love their mother but who lead busy lives themselves. When a call comes from a hospital with the news that their mother was admitted with acute pneumonia, both girls are extremely perplexed. Vermont is several hours away from where their mother lived. How did she get there? Was she involved in an accident?

Nell goes hoping to find answers. What she uncovers is a life led by her mother going back decades. A life unknown to their father, unknown to them. Their mother had friends, a community of people who loved and supported her throughout this period and how she was able to keep this a secret is something they couldnt figure out.

The premise of the story was an interesting one. I expected there to be much more of interest in Mary's secret life. It was more mundane than that. Having being a carer for a husband with Alzheimer's this was a bolt hole for Mary but it started long before that. For Mary it started when her marriage went through a dull and bad patch and she needed a place of her own. She obviously never wanted to be a burden to her children and this was the way she sought to keep her life on an even keel.

I went into the double life expecting much more drama than there was! Nell and Bridget were two girls who accepted with equanimity the life of their mother, and understood why she did it the way she did.

Interesting story.

Sent to me by Netgalley for an unbiased review, courtesy of BooksGoSocial.