Like me, are you looking for some good ‘lockdown reads’ to help pass the time? Well look no further – Mine by Clare Empson is the ideal lockdown read. And it was published only last week on 19th March, so its available NOW for you all to read! I urge you to do so!
Mine is the unique, heart wrenching story of Luke and Alice; but it comes with distinct psychological thriller undertones. Full of emotional depth, this a read sure to grip you right to the very end.
Following the birth of his son Samuel, Luke goes in search of his own birth mother who gave him up as a baby. Empson immediately immerses you right into the heart of the story from the first page with Luke meeting Alice, his biological mother for the very first time. Luke is immediately enthralled by Alice; throughout his life he has always felt a painful sense of lacking so when he finally starts to build a relationship with her, it feels similar to falling in love. Yet the happy feeling of falling in love gradually turns to jealousy as Alice expresses much more emotional feelings towards Samuel than she has ever expressed towards Luke.
This is an emotional story that really captured me and gripped at my heart; especially as it is also written from Alice’s point of view as well as Luke’s. The narrative is written using a dual timeline; when Alice finally escapes her unhappy childhood to study art in London throughout 1972/73; and in 2000 when Alice and Luke reconnect 27 years later. We soon realise that the ‘story’ Alice is telling Luke of his birth is not quite the reality of what actually happened.
As you know I’m a big fan of character driven reads, and Mine is definitely character driven. Yes, it is tense and gripping but as both Luke’s and Alice’s emotive stories are portrayed, their vulnerabilities are explored with authentic compassion. I really empathised with them – especially Alice.
As the plot ramps up to a dramatic, sweeping end, I was left shocked and heartbroken. But in a way, I was also left with my heart warmed as this is a book that also celebrates the power of love, friendship and forgiveness.
As I mention above, Mine is an ideal ‘lockdown read’ in my view. Yes, I know that the shops aren’t open at the moment for you to buy. But many bookshops including independent bookshops are doing deliveries – so please support them and buy your physical copy online NOW while you’ve got all this extra time to read. And for all you Kindle readers out there, you can have your e-copy in just a minute after buying.
Thank you to Tracy Fenton from Compulsive Readers for inviting me to be part of the blog tour to help promote this tense, visceral read. However a massive thank you to Clare Empson for keeping me gripped throughout.
To also read the reviews of Mine from my fellow book bloggers, please see below.
My rating:
