Today it's my pleasure to take part on the BlogTour for the Audiobook of Growing Season by Seni Glaister, narrated by Kristin Atherton.
About the Author
Seni Glaister worked as a bookseller for much of her career before founding WeFiFo, the social dining platform, in 2016. Her first novel, The Museum of Things Left Behind, was published in 2015. Mr Doubler Begins Again was published in 2019. She lives on a farm in West Sussex with her husband and children.
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About the audiobook
After a life-saving operation leaves Sam unable to have children, could a rural cottage be the fresh start she needs? Or is she running away from her problems? For her husband Danny, this was never part of the plan. He likes predictability. The countryside is just a bit, well – wild. But he wants Sam to be happy, even if he isn’t.
If only Danny could tell Sam what is going on in his head. If only he knew what was really going on in hers. If only they knew that they’re equally afraid of what happens next. Can the couple find a way to face the future together, or have they already grown too far apart?
Review
Sam and Danny relocate to the country, which is a bit like two fish out of water. At the same time the two of them seem to be disconnected from each other. Living the same life together, but on entirely different paths and wavelengths.
The story of two people who live with their own version of the truth, which doesn't always gel with that of the other person. Blame, guilt and responsibility become burdens carried by both, but not in equal measures. Grief for something lost, but perhaps never wanted. Guilt for their part in the deception and loss. It's complex just like life is and certainly the way relationships are.
For me this was a story about reconnecting, not only with yourself, but also with your surroundings. It's also about the people in a relationship redefining what that relationship means to each of them and how they can relate to each other with more understanding going forward. We live in societies that have a 'work comes first and everything else is secondary' kind of attitude. Everything moves fast and there is no room for any fun, taking a breath, and most importantly no time left to enjoy the world around us. It's normal to treat nature like a body part that is always there and always supposed to be there. To ignore the beauty, peace and tranquility of a rural area.
For me it lacked the emotional spark of Mr Doubler Begins Again, which is an excellent book if you haven't had the chance to read it yet. This is a lot more straightforward, earnest and perhaps even more realistic when it comes to the relationships. Perhaps the honesty and the lack of pandering to the masses, and the idea that love always conjures up a fluffy unicorn, is what makes this read.
