P.S. I’d love you to read this empowering tale
Postscript by cecelia Ahern
In my eyes, Cecelia Ahern can do no wrong. I’m obsessed with chick lit. I can’t get enough of it and Ahern is one of my go-to authors when I’m in need of some beautifully written romance.
If her name doesn’t automatically spring to mind, her huge debut novel PS, I Love You certainly will. Holly is dealing with the death of her husband, Gerry, to a brain tumour.
She struggles to deal with the loss. But to help her move on with her life, Gerry wrote her 10 letters, one for each month after he died, all ending with “P.S. I Love You”.
With his help, Holly embarks on a personal journey of discovery. You might also have seen the film with Gerard Butler taking on the role of Gerry and Holly played by Hilary Swank.
Postscript is the highly anticipated sequel to P.S. I Love You. It’s been seven years since Gerry’s death, and six since Holly read his final letter.
She’s been courageous and has built a life for herself. She reluctantly agrees to be part of her sister Ciara’s podcast discussing her grief and the letters Gerry wrote her. However, when a group inspired by the letters, calling themselves the P.S. I Love You Club, approaches Holly asking for help to create their own goodbyes, she is dragged back to the world of upset and grief she worked so hard to grow from.
Reluctantly, Holly agrees to help the club members but getting involved puts a strain on her relationship with boyfriend Gabriel and her family.
I didn’t realise I’d been waiting for a sequel to P.S. I Love You but I’m so glad Ahern took the time to put pen to paper and invite us all back for another glimpse into Holly’s life.
If you’ve been reading the book club column since I hopped on board, you’ll know that my biggest fear is death – and in Postscript, it’s all death. You’d think I’d turn my back on such a read. But I’m beginning to learn that by facing up to the inevitable and reading about other people’s experiences, fictional or not, is a huge comfort.
Holly meets with a host of characters of all ages who are dealing with terminal illness so it’s death from page one to 300-odd – but I wasn’t scared as I read on. If anything, it made me feel inspired and hopeful.
Holly helps the club members realise what they want to leave for their family and how they want to be remembered.
It’s not about wallowing in your shortcomings – it’s about being there for the ones you love in life and in death.
Holly is real and it’s not often you find this in a lead character. She doesn’t live with her head in the clouds or wait to be swept off her feet. She tackles life and death head-on and doesn’t shy away from troubling or uncomfortable situations.
Every character in this book grows. Whether it be Holly, her friends, family, or members of the club, everyone has their moment of growth and I found Cecelia’s grasp of this to be refreshing. They may be supporting characters but they develop in their own ways.
Amazingly, I didn’t cry when reading Postscript, but there were a few moments when my throat felt a bit tight from emotional tension and I had to blink away a slight fogginess in my eyes. However, if anything, it’s an uplifting and inspiring read.
Whether you’ve read P.S. I Love You or not, you’ll get something empowering out of reading Postscript.