The Way Back to Us: The book about the power of love and family
As seen:
By Kay Langdale
avg rating
1 review
‘Kay Langdale has got the knack of writing books that you carry on sitting in an empty carriage for a few extra minutes to finish, to stay a little longer with her characters’ Lucy Dillon (author of A Hundred Pieces of Me)
’There’s no doubt Langdale is a wonderful writer, plots beautifully and is brilliant at showing her characters’ inner worlds’ Daily Mail
What happens when difficult mothering makes you a difficult woman?
Since their youngest son, Teddy, was diagnosed with a life-defining illness, Anna has been fighting: against the friends who don’t know how to help; against the team assigned to Teddy’s care who constantly watch over Anna’s parenting; and against the impulse to put Teddy above all else – including his older brother, the watchful, sensitive Isaac.
And now Anna can’t seem to stop fighting against her husband, the one person who should be able to understand, but who somehow manages to carry on when Anna feels like she is suffocating under the weight of all the things that Teddy will never be able to do.
As Anna helplessly pushes Tom away, he can’t help but feel the absence of the simple familiarity that should come so easily, and must face the question: is it worse to stay in an unhappy marriage, or leave?
Perfect for fans of Adele Parks and Maggie O’Farrell.
‘I read the book in one sitting . . . This could well be my book of 2017: so much of the moment, but completely timeless’ The Book Bag
. . . And in your words:
‘Nothing I can say can go anywhere near conveying how good it is’ Vicki D
‘This is such a special book and I can’t praise it highly enough. It’s a must read’ Jo
‘[Langdale] is educated and clever in her writing . . . This is a valuable book which pulls you right in from the start’ Katharine Kirby
‘I can’t stop thinking about these characters – they feel like real people to me’ RatherTooFondofBooks
Reviews
Anna and Tom are parents of two young children, Teddy and Isaac. When Teddy is diagnosed with a life-affecting genetic illness the family begins to fall apart as each member tries to cope in their own way with both the prognosis and the ever-increasing difficulties of care for him. Tell-tale signs soon escalate as routines become disrupted, priorities change and family life suffers. Anna bears the brunt of the responsibility, giving up work to care full-time for Teddy. She becomes obsessive in her vigilance to the exclusion of all else and her emotions are stretched taut to breaking point. Tom is in a difficult position as he tries to juggle work and home life but it becomes apparent that he is not going to be able to do anything right in Anna’s eyes and the tension between them is palpable. Isaac is a lovely, placid child who copes admirably when “Mummy’s” attention shifts almost exclusively onto Teddy. He adores his younger brother and will do everything possible to make his life easier and more enjoyable. He alone really understands what Teddy wants out of life and he works effortlessly towards achieving this without humiliating Teddy because of his limited mobility.
The story is written from the point of view of multiple voices, primarily Anna, Tom and Isaac, with infrequent input from Teddy. We are made privy to all their angst, fears, and frustrations.
There are two issues that I had with this book. The first is that it was just so depressing as Anna and Tom are just so unhappy. The only saving grace is that Isaac does introduce glimmers of joy when it his turn to “speak”. In addition, the whole family scenario creates awkward interpersonal relationships which are portrayed brilliantly but which do not make it a comfortable read. Whilst I think the author has done a fantastic job of envisaging what I am sure are very real emotions felt by people in this situation, and also managing to convey those feelings to the reader, that doesn’t necessarily make it an easy or enjoyable book to read.
I’m not sure whether to recommend this book or not. A holiday read it certainly is not, but the author expertly captures the less tangible problems which can arise from looking after a family member who has a life-changing. It is interesting, perceptive and, ultimately, uplifting. You will need to make your own mind up on this one.
