Trigger warning: Cancer, Death
Mike has lost his partner of seventeen years Pia, and alongside their own grief and supporting Mike, Pia’s best friends Vicky and Zaza have issues of their own- Vicky has lost sight of herself as she has caught in the day-to-day of being a wife and a mum and Zaza, who is newly engaged, fears commitment.
Before her death Pia prepared a list for the trio to help them deal with their grief, and ever the adventurer and optimist this list sends Mike, Vicky and Zaza on a trek to Peru. Whilst they find it bizarre they allow their faith in Pia to guide them but will they learn for themselves that anything is possible when you’re walking on sunshine?
Walking on Sunshine, whilst sad, is above all a story of hope. The story follows the three main characters as they deal with their grief following Pia’s death, as well as how they support each other in their life after loss.
I haven’t read any of Giovanna Fletcher’s work before, but I really did enjoy this. I thought the book was well structured with chapters being told from the different characters so that we could really delve into each of their perspectives. I also thought the characters were extremely believable and their feelings relatable to everyday life.
Themes in the book include friendship, grief, life after loss, identity, and family life. You could tell that these themes were well researched- Giovanna has done a lot of work for the charity CoppaFeel and talks a lot about the highs and lows of family life and this came across authentically. I thought the subject of grief was dealt with in an honest way- touching upon some of the feelings which people don’t talk about as much. An example of this is when one of the characters who talks about guilt – ‘‘any time I’m not consumed by dark and tragic grief I feel guilty’’. As someone who has experienced a difficult bereavement just over a year ago, I really emphasised with a lot of what was said and felt by the characters in the book.
Overall, Walking on Sunshine is fully worthy of five stars. Please do not be put off by this book because of some of the sadder themes in the book, be encouraged for above all it is a story of hope- and with that I will leave you with the following quote which left me with chills down my spine…
‘‘Years ago I found myself wondering, ‘Is this it?, but now I realise that no one moment is ever it. The world keeps turning, life keeps going, deaths occur, babies are born, hearts are broken and mended again. Life happens and there’s nothing you can do to stop it rolling once it starts. In your whole lifetime it only stops once, when you reach the end. Until then you have to be prepared for the lows and highs, the struggle and joy, the hurt and love- whatever you land on, you will keep moving. You will keep going. Because that is the difference between life and death.’’
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Reads Must 