Title: Flowers in December
Author: Jane Suen
Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0BZQ80
Summary
A MAN GOES HOME TO BURY HIS MOTHER BUT FINDS HIMSELF.
Connor Norton returns to his hometown, following the death of his mother, knowing that he will have to confront personal feelings of guilt and regret. It is a place he has barely set foot in for the past 20 years.
Caught in the period of his life where the vibrancy of youth has diminished and the prospect of becoming middle-aged is looming, Connor finds that he is suddenly alone in the world and must somehow reshape his future and face his own mortality.
With only Tom, the family’s orange tabby cat, as his constant companion, he considers new possibilities and new directions. But will Connor be able to lay the ghosts of his past to rest? And will his return later, to the place he once called home, be enough to let him break free from the remorse which he has carried since he was 18?
In this tender, heartwarming portrait of a man who finds himself trapped between his past, his present and the future, where will this new journey lead Connor and what will the future hold when he gets there?
My review
4/5 Stars
While Flowers in December is a simple and quick read, it’s also powerful and filled with some impacting moments. This novel encases what it’s like to lose a parent and all the emotional steps a person must go through in order to achieve acceptance. For 38-year-old Connor, facing the death of his mother is the hardest thing he’s had to do but in the aftermath of his grief he learns a lot about who he really is.
The writing style is very sweet and simple. While at first it seems as if there is no real conflict in the story, it becomes clear that Connor’s own decisions are what pushes the story forward. This is a touching example of literary fiction at its finest.
Author Kayla Krantz 