Coming from the acclaimed author of The Family Upstairs, The Truth About Melody Browne certainly has all the hallmarks for which Lisa Jewell’s penmanship is famous for. This book has elements of mystery, drama, family dynamics and love to captivate and hold the readers’ attention for almost 300 pages.
The story begins in contemporary London where Melody Browne is working in a school canteen and living with her son in a council flat. She hardly has any memories of her childhood prior to age 9 and then rest of these memories consist of her growing up in Canterbury amidst aloof but caring parents.
Presently, it’s been 18 years since Melody has left that strange but comfortable childhood behind and eloped from home with her boyfriend. That boyfriend left her pretty quickly to fend for herself, all alone with a child at age of 15. From that moment onwards, her world has been more or less limited to her job, her son and her home.
That is till one day she ventures on a date on the insistence of her best friend- Stacey. So she meets Ben and reluctantly agrees to go out for drinks with him. The occasion could not be less momentous as Melody’s life turns upside down after a chance encounter with a hypnotist. Suddenly Melody is overwhelmed with vivid memories of her early childhood and her traumatic experiences on account of her mother’s illness.
This glimpse into the storyline should give you an idea about the premise of this book. It deals with traumatic childhood memories, mental illness, encompassing grief arising out of sudden deaths and destruction of family bonding, everlasting friendships and discovering love. Although the story see-saws between the past and the present, as a reader it doesn’t present a challenge to focus and understand due to the writing style of the author.
Having said that, it becomes a bit difficult to believe how much clearly she remembers and her understanding levels for such a young age. Perhaps, some readers might take these recollections of Melody with a pinch of salt.
Still, it is a good entertaining read for the fans of Lisa Jewell. Even for first time readers who are unfamiliar with her writing so far, this is a good book to start their explanations. It certainly has a captivating storyline and keep the readers engrossed in it till the very end.