The one thing keeping her family together is the lie that could tear them apart…

Meet Annie Doyle, this is her story, her past as she first met her husband Vince and her present, caring for her husband who has had dementia for thirty years.

Married life didn’t turn out quite like how she imagined, it has been an unhappy marriage so when she gets the news her husband is about to pass away Annie finds herself not really caring!

But as we learn about her past, we come to understand why things are as they are in the present and understand why she acts and feels as she does.

As the family come together to say their goodbyes we meet her two sons two sons, Michael and Andrew.

Michael still lives at home and comes across in the beginning as rude and indifferent.
Her other son Andrew lives on the other side of the world, in Australia, with his wife and two young sons. He is the more likeable and caring of the two brothers, and there is certainly no love loss between them.

The only other people in Annie’s life is her beloved dog Finn and her tentative friendship with two dog walking friends, Sandra and Josie.
Annie’s dog Finn becomes one of the main characters throughout the book and surprisingly it works really well.

On his deathbed Vince utters one last word ‘Martha.’
It is from there that the story starts to pick up pace, Who is Martha?

No-one knows who Martha is, no-one except Annie, and that single name is going to change the lives of Annie and her sons, Michael and Andrew forever.

What did Annie Doyle do fifty years ago to keep her family together?
The truth starts to emerge the book sweeps as along and leaves us ending with a twist that you may not see coming!!

It is a very well written book, the characters are given real depth, even the dogs 🙂
Quite a slow starter so it takes some time to really connect with the book but i do recommend sticking with it and you will be rewarded in the end!