Customer Reviews

Life as It Comes

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Anne-Laure Bondoux's LIFE AS IT COMES tells of sisters five years apart in age who have nothing in common - until their parents die and twenty-year-old party girl Patty becomes her sister's guardian. Between grief, changing relationships and a baby on the way, the two sisters must confront and grow in very different ways in this absorbing account.

Mado and Patty are sisters. Now that their parents are gone, killed in a car crash on their way to the family's vacation home, they're the only family they've got. Still, though, they're very different people. LIFE AS IT COMES is about their life together after the accident.

Patty is her younger sister's legal guardian, and they're doing the best they can together. However, life is further complicated when Patty reveals that she is several months pregnant. If the social workers find out, they might put Mado into foster care, not expecting a twenty-year-old to be able to care for a baby and a teenager. But what can they do?

LIFE AS IT COMES is a lovely, sad, hopeful novel about life, loss, love, family, and growing up. The translation from the French is, as far as I can tell, done quite excellently; the writing style flows wonderfully and is completely absorbing. The very well-done relationships of the fully fleshed-out and interesting characters give the story remarkable depth.

This is one that will stay with readers long after the final page.

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce