Sarah Reviews… The Coordinates of Loss

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: 25^th September 2018

Format: Paperback ARC

This book was received from the publisher in return for an honest review

About the book:

From bestselling author Amanda Prowse comes a tale of a blissful life, a happy marriage, a beloved son…and a tragedy that destroys it all.

When Rachel Croft wakes up on her family’s boat in Bermuda, it’s to sunshine and yet another perfect day…until she goes to wake her seven-year-old son, Oscar. Because the worst thing imaginable has happened. He isn’t there.

In the dark and desperate days that follow, Rachel struggles to navigate her grief. And while her husband, James, wants them to face the tragedy together, Rachel feels that the life they once shared is over. Convinced that their happy marriage is now a sham, and unable to remain in the place where she lost her son, she goes home to Bristol alone.

Only when she starts receiving letters from Cee-Cee, her housekeeper in Bermuda, does light begin to return to Rachel’s soul. She and James both want to learn to live again—but is it too late for them to find a way through together?

What I Thought:

The Coordinates of Loss tells the story of Rachel, James and the loss of their son Oscar. The story begins on the beautiful island of Bermuda where the small family appear to have it all. James has a great job and they’re living in a beautiful house with the help of their housekeeper Cee-Cee, who dotes on Oscar, and they have a yacht for weekend jaunts. However their life in paradise comes crumbling down when on one trip Rachel and James wake up on the boat and Oscar is nowhere to be found.

What follows is a heart breaking tale, that follows Rachel and James as they attempt to come to terms with the loss of their son and what this means for them as a couple as well as a them as individuals. Both struggle to deal with their grief and it becomes clear that as much as they would like to, coming to terms with their loss is not something that they can do together.

It would be hard not to empaphise with Rachel and James as they struggle with their journey, their loss is not something I’ve had to deal with but the story describes their grief so well you feel every emotion along with them, from the desperate hope, to the deep sadness, and the anger when well meaning friends and family say and do the wrong things.

A special mention also has to go to Cee-Cee their wonderful housekeeper who adored Oscar and who through a series of flashbacks and letters we learn has a tragic backstory of her own. Through her letters Cee-Cee is able to reach Rachel in a way that none of the others are able to and begins to help her from the dark hole her grief has created.

Would I Recommend?

The Coordinates of Loss is a tragic tale, beautifully written that deals with life after death for those left behind, and ultimately ends with a message of hope. I wouldn’t be surprised if it caused a few readers to shed a tear or two.

The Coordinates of Loss by Amanda Prowse is out now, published by Lake Union and available to purchase here: http://amzn.eu/d/9RDjJIT

About The Author

Amanda Prowse was a management consultant for ten years before realising that she was born to write. Amanda lives in the West Country with her husband and their two teenage sons.