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Letters to Iris Reader Reviews

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Letters to Iris

Letters To Iris speaks to all stages of life: from youth to old age. I’m sure that this book will ring as true to you as it did to me. It brought tears to my eyes, so don’t forget the issues!

I love books with letters at their heart, and Elizabeth Nobel’s Letters To Iris is no exception. Letters are a way of letting us know a character’s thoughts and feelings, sharing them with us and the person they are writing them to. 

 

Elizabeth explores the innermost thoughts of her characters in heartbreaking clarity. Their dilemmas feel all too real. Within a couple of chapters, I was reminded of when I began to lose my grandmother, when her mind began to wander towards the end of her life.

 

This story speaks to all stages of life: from youth to old age. I enjoyed the journey of Iris, Tess and Gigi. At the beginning, the characters all feel so isolated, but later they find consolation in each other and through those letters. You will love how Tess learns more about her grandmother, even though she thought Iris would never be able share her thoughts with her granddaughter again.

 

I’m sure that this book will ring as true to you as it did to me, whatever the stage of your life. It brought tears to my eyes, so don’t forget a box of tissues!

Sandra Makower

Wonderful: warm and wise, Elizabeth Noble explores the complexities of family relationships with a sure hand. Quick to draw the reader in, this is a book that is hard to put down.

Tess’s beloved grandmother has been her mainstay all her life, so it is very hard for Tess to watch Iris fading before her eyes, especially as Tess’s life becomes more complicated and she longs to confide in Iris. Gigi: wife, mother and grandmother, has reached a crossroads in her life, and she finds her decisions send shock waves around the family. Tess and Gigi’s blossoming friendship provides comfort for them both as they try to navigate the choppy waters of life and families. This book is a pleasure to read from the first page, as Elizabeth Noble paints each character with great sympathy, displaying as much understanding of the mind of a grandmother as of a sixteen year old girl who is coping with the pressures of modern life. Long standing and new family relationships are examined, as well as secrets from the past. A great read, one for the fans of Jojo Moyes or Rachel Hore.

Lucy Chaplin

A beautifully crafted novel exploring love, life and relationships. Light-hearted in places, whilst also encompassing tough issues and sadness. Well-rounded characters you quickly become invested in.

This gently paced, but absorbing story is a pleasure to explore. The plot revolves around two families who are brought together by the saddest of circumstances. Whilst Tess visits her beloved Grandmother Iris in a nursing home, the last thing she is expecting to find is support, friendship and later even more.

 Gigi, a local midwife, meets Tess whilst visiting her ailing father-in-law. She appears to have it all; a career, a lovely family and a nice home. However, things are rarely as straightforward as they seem. As Tess and Gigi become friends,  major cracks are revealed in the lives of both women.

 How will Tess tackle a first pregnancy alone now her boyfriend prefers a job in New York to fatherhood?  What will Gigi do to escape her humdrum existence? Both are facing major changes in their lives and neither know what the outcome will be.

As a reader, you will quickly become invested in these two main female characters. You will also care for the support cast led by Gigi's family. Tess has a supportive team in the form of Holly her best friend and perhaps in her mainly absent, dysfunctional mother.

All in all, this plot, explores love, life and relationships in a way that will remain with you well after the final page. A beautiful story.

Vanessa Breaks

One of the most intriguing stories I have had the pleasure of reading.

I felt it was well- written, humorous, touching and interesting. I particularly enjoyed the notes to her unborn baby which were really touching at times. The relationships Iris has with her brother, Gina, and her father were also well-written. The author has done a brilliant piece of work highlighting dementia as well as the relationships between mother and child, the relationships between brother and sister, and of illustration of an age of were you try to do the right thing, I will recommend this to my friends.

Sharon Lowe