Close your eyes and stare in the dark. (Thanks for the Memories - Cecelia Ahern)

Member Name: jo@145

Product:	Thanks for the Memories - Cecelia Ahern
Date:	24/01/09 (143 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Novel that is amusing and sad, and has a great twist

Disadvantages: Some parts may upset people

Close your eyes and stare in the dark was the advice Joyce's Dad used to give her when she was a child and couldn't sleep. He said those same words many years later.

Bereavement, friendship, families, love are all covered in this delightful book, mostly set in Ireland.

The main characters include Professor Justin Hitchcock, from America but working in London who is afraid of needles and is now divorced and lonely.

Dr Sarah Fields, who works for the blood donors organisation, and if you didn't know anything about blood donations you'll learn a little in a light hearted way!

Bea - Justin's daughter who is at Ballet school. Al, his brother and Doris who is Al's wife. Bea's mother and her new partner make an appearace too.

Joyce - who is the main character starts off in hospital, the reason why will be revealed as you read the book. Her life is turned upside down and things happen she can't explain, she has an over whelming sense of déjá vu. Her husband Conor works away from home and her Dad who has never been out of Ireland suffers not only with one leg shorter than the other but forgets things as he is suffering with early dementia and has prostate problems!He misses his wife Grace who died some time before. The highlight of his week is meeting up with his old friends at the Monday club.

Kate is one of Joyce's friends who is a stay at home Mum, busy with her children and all their activities and Frankie who is an unmarried friend and working in investments.

The story is set in different places but very cleverly connected, I have read other books by Cecelia Ahern and enjoyed them so saw no reason why I wouldn't enjoy this, although at first it took me a little while to get into it, but I soon found I didn't want to put it down.

One of the bits I laughed at was during a guided tour on a bus around Dublin, it is so silly, but you can imagine it happening, people roaring at passers by whilst dressed as a Viking on a bus! The simple enjoyment made Joyce's father really laugh. Remind me never to do this, you never know if someone will recognise you!

Joyce decides to go to London and takes her father, who gets into some scrapes, the airport was a real experience for him and nowadays travellers take it all for granted, these scenes are described brilliantly,they are all really funny and so easy to picture. It is one of those books that you can't help but laugh out loud and so perhaps shouldn't be read on public transport or whilst everyone is quietly sunbathing!

I don't want to give the story away as that would spoil it but I would say the title suits the story very well and although my copy says it costs £12.99 I'm sure you'll find it on the shelves of your local library to borrow or on Amazon a lot cheaper from £1.20 used, 372 pages long, it will provide food for thought, amusement and perhaps a tear or too. Very cleverly written, and although things may seem puzzling or written for no reason they fall into place later.

Just in case you haven't heard abouy Cecelia Ahern, she was born on September 30, 1981 in Dublin, Ireland, and is the daughter of Bertie Ahern, a former Irish Prime Minister and is the sister-in-law of Nicky Byrne of Irish popgroup Westlife, who is married to her older sister, Georgina Ahern. Cecelia was part of the Irish pop-group Shimma, who finished third in the Irish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest and has completed a Degree in Journalism and Media Communications. She has written some best seller novels and won several prizes.

A lovely story that many will be able to empathise with.

Summary: Novel set in Ireland about a young woman