Lee and Victoria weren’t the only ones to love Because of You by Dawn French… Here is what the QBD crew thought:
Celebrated UK comedienne and actress Dawn French long ago transferred her considerable language skills to the written form, having followed her smash-hit 2008 memoir Dear Fatty with three acclaimed novels – the number one hit A Tiny Bit Marvellous (2010), Oh Dear Silvia (2012) and According To Yes (2015) – after which she returned to the autobiographical realms with 2017’s Me. You. A Diary.
Now French has dived back into the world of fiction with her brand new tear-jerker Because Of You, a highly-emotive narrative exploring the complex nature and constant tribulations inherent in the mother-daughter relationship.
Initially set at the turn of last millennium, it follows the disparate experiences of two young mothers-to-be as their lives first intertwine, then diverge and then years later inevitably collide once more in a maelstrom of loss, love, bad decisions and dormant regrets. In this instance, the truth will set some free but condemn others to a lifetime of confusion and condemnation.
French’s rendering of the characters throughout Because Of You is a delight and the thought-provoking story-line flits perfectly between melancholy and rib-tickling humour before culminating in a heartfelt, life-affirming conclusion that extols the virtues of kindness and empathy as well as showcasing how things are often far more nuanced in reality than they superficially appear on the surface (and be warned: this tale has a sting in its tail that will leave you contemplating the complexities of existence long after the book has been finished and placed back on the shelf).
A master mirth-maker now showing a complete willingness to touch upon and explore the whole gamut of human experience, with equally compelling and beguiling results.
