Title: The Woman Behind the Waterfall
Author: Leonora Meriel
Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M078MOF/
Summary
Heartbreak and transformation in the beauty of
a Ukrainian village
For seven-year old Angela, happiness is exploring the lush
countryside around her home in western Ukraine. Her wild imagination takes her
into birds and flowers, and into the waters of the river.
All that changes when, one morning, she sees her mother
crying. As she tries to find out why, she is drawn on an extraordinary journey
into the secrets of her family, and her mother’s fateful choices.
Can Angela lead her mother back to happiness before her
innocence is destroyed by the shadows of a dark past?
Beautiful, poetic and richly sensory, this is a tale that
will haunt and lift its readers.
“A strange and beautiful novel” – Esther Freud,
author of Mr Mac and Me, Hideous Kinky, Peeless Flats
“Readers looking for a classic tale of love and loss
will be rewarded with an intoxicating world” – Kirkus Reviews
My Review
5/5 Stars
I’ve read Miss Meriel’s other work which got me excited to see what this one was about. She does not disappoint. Like her other book, we are taken on a strange, thought-provoking journey. Though this time, instead of pondering the wonderings of the universe, we are left to think about ourselves and the way that our lives impact one another.
This story really explores the importance of family, particularly that of mother to daughter. This story covered three generations of women in one family and that touched me. Being raised by my mother and grandmother helped me to really relate to the plot of this story and what all three of the women really felt about one another.
Angela was a very sweet character, and it was so easy to read about her. Her parts of the story were moving and so were her desires to brighten the world around her, even when things weren’t so bright. I related to her almost instantly and loved how much she was willing to do just to make her mother smile.
If you’re looking for a cozy read that’ll tug at your heartstrings, this is it.
Author Kayla Krantz 