ABOUT THE BOOK
Who is to be blamed for a woman’s unhappiness?
Margot’s unhappiness is contrary to what you might expect, considering that she lives in Paris and is married to a handsome, successful man she loves. However, as time passes, she feels more certain about her emptiness and realizes how little time her husband Arthur has for her. Finally, she decides to leave him, but then something changes. Not only does Margot not know her husband as well as she thought she did, but she also comes to see that she didn’t even know herself that deeply.
Margot’s life starts changing when she discovers countless new things about her marriage, which also reawakens old traumas. But have these signs always been there? Has Margot’s journey been waiting for her long before she became aware of it, and can her marriage be saved?
Margot is surprised to discover Arthur knew her much better than she ever thought possible.
MY REVIEW
This book will linger with you long after reading it. Written as letters to her husband, the story is a woman’s quest for happiness in herself, in her marriage, and in life as a whole.
Though it looks like Margot has it all living in beautiful Paris and married to a handsome and successful man, her unhappiness and loneliness are a volatile force to be reckoned with. Expressing her dejection and sadness in letters to her aloof husband, she seems confined to her depression, but she heeds good advice that awakens her sense of purpose and she takes a journey of renewal and self-discovery.
The first half of the book is emotionally draining and frustrating because I just wanted Margot to get on with it whether it be leaving her husband or turning herself around. I wasn’t a particular fan of Margot as a person, but I admired her fortitude and strength to grow on her own. It was an added bonus at the end to finally see Arthur’s perspective and get out from under Margot’s musings. The writing is unique as an epistolary novel from a very personal perspective. Depression is a mind-numbing and lonely medical illness that can be devastating and I was delighted to see a happy ending to what could have been less so.
Overall, this is a thoughtful novel that explores relationships, mental health, and womanhood in a believable and relatable manner.
Thank you to Ms. Nikolova for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectations of a positive review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ksenija Nikolova is a Macedonian fiction author. She is the author of six books, and this is her second novel translated into English. Her work is also translated into Bulgarian and Russian.
She says people inspire her, and she thinks of art as an ice breaker that pushes boundaries and changes the way they see things.
The world has become very judgmental and ignorant, and Ksenija believes that writing stories that smash discrimination and stereotypes can make us better and happier.
Ksenija is currently working on a new novel she is very excited about. She is writing it in English, and she is enjoying every step of the process.
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