"Driven by dialogue, and underpinned by a belief that embracing change can bring happiness, this breezy read has ambitious scope."
Exploring a woman’s quest to flee her overbearing family and stifling boyfriend, Finding Jo (as its title suggests) is a story about struggling to find yourself in challenging circumstances, among them a tricky love triangle, revelatory family secrets, and (quite possibly) problems of your own making.
Set on enjoying an “amazing adventure” away from the UK, and away from oppressive romantic and family relationships, Jo arrives in Delhi overwhelmed by culture shock (and shocking Western bias - “people are setting up stalls selling strange looking juices and cooking food. Who buys it?”, she thinks to herself).
En route to a retreat in the Himalayas, Jo befriends a bunch of fellow travellers, with some of them also heading to the retreat. Here Jo begins to thrive in the company of new people, with a fresh sense of freedom, a new lease of life, and a new sense of awareness - might she be partly to blame for her own unhappiness?
Amidst this tingle of change, Jo is forced to confront trouble from home in the form of newly-discovered family secrets, alongside tricky romantic entanglements. Driven by dialogue, and underpinned by a belief that embracing change can bring happiness, this breezy read has ambitious scope.
Joanne Owen, A LoveReading Ambassador
Jo flees to Delhi in a quest for freedom, without telling her demanding family or possessive boyfriend, Rob. En route to a retreat in the Himalayas she makes friends with other travellers, some of whom are also venturing to the Jasanghari retreat.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
Finding Jo by Frances Ive was a thought provoking read and would relate to many people who have dysfunctional families. Jo leaves her family behind to visit a retreat in the Himalayas where she examines her life so far and the problems her family have. The novel shows how one person changing their life can have a big impact on those around her.
Jo has a disfunctional family and she is exasperated with them all. A sudden decision to take off and leave them all to it surprises Jo as she has always been the dependable one. She books into a retreat deep in the Himalayas. On her journey there she meets other travellers and likes one of them, but he heads off on his travels, and Jo continues to the retreat. She forms new friendships there and immerses herself in the tranquility.
As Jo relaxes her brother unexpectedly arrives with news of her family. much to Jo's surprise he also embraces this new world, but eventually returns to his wife to sort out their marriage. Jo becomes involved with her fellow traveller from earlier when he arrives at the retreat. When Jo returns to her family things have changed.... Read Full Review
An enjoyable story, set mainly in India, about one woman’s self discovery and it’s effect on her wider family,.
This is a quite short book and an easy read, but I found it quite absorbing.
It features Jo, who is part of a very dysfunctional family. Her parents are at loggerheads, teetering on the edge of separating. her brother is constantly sparring with this wife over her extravagant spending and aspirations, her younger sister flits from one disastrous relationship to another, destroying lives on the way, and Jo herself has a long term boyfriend who is controlling and unfeeling. After a particularly dreadful family Christmas sho makes the decision to get away from it all and books herself into a retreat in Northern India, where she not only finds inner peace but a new love.
This is a story of one woman’s self discovery and in the process acting as a catalyst for people around her to do the same.... Read Full Review
An interesting read about Jo’s journey of self-discovery in India
This book appealed to me from the outset, as I was intrigued to know where Jo had gone and what she was getting away from. We join Jo in India where she has escaped her family and friends without telling them and gone off on an adventure by herself. Her dysfunctional family and relationship prompted this trip, so I was intrigued to find out more about them too.
Her adventure in India involves her staying in a retreat in the Himalayas. Whilst there she meets several people who become her close friends and experiences some ups and downs in these relationships. The description of India, the treat and the scenery are fantastic and really make you feel like you are there with Jo.... Read Full Review
Jo flees to Delhi in a quest for freedom, without telling her demanding family or possessive boyfriend, Rob. En route to a retreat in the Himalayas she makes friends with other travellers, some of whom are also venturing to the Jasanghari retreat.
Finding Jo features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Indie Author Books, General Fiction, Fiction, Recommendations, Family Drama
Paperback. Not Available.
Finding Jo was written by Frances Ive and published by Independently published
