Swimming to Lundy by Amanda Prowse

Swimming to Lundy

 by Amanda Prowse

Swimming to Lundy by Amanda Prowse was published on 6th August 2024 by Lake Union Publishing. My thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review and to Random Things Tours for inviting me onto the tour.

Synopsis

Tawrie Gunn has spent her whole life in the same breathtakingly beautiful but predictable seaside town, with her beloved Nan and grief-stricken mum. All three women are still struggling with the tragic loss of Tawrie’s dad, who died at sea many years earlier.

Now in her late 20s and determined to make a change, Tawrie challenges herself to confront the ocean and go wild swimming every morning from March until September, joining a group called the ‘Peacock Swimmers’.  Suddenly, it seems as if Tawrie might be able to step outside of her comfort zone after all, and her life takes a new direction when a handsome stranger in a pink linen shirt arrives in Ilfracombe. However, even love at first sight rarely runs smooth.   

Harriet Stratton has uprooted her family and moved them from the familiar to a totally new setting in desperate pursuit of a fresh start. After discovering her husband Hugo’s infidelity, Harriet hopes that the separation from what came before will allow them to rebuild their marriage and a happy home for their two young children, Dilly and Bear. 

My Review

Oh my goodness what a beautifully moving and evocative story that pulled me into its depths with the very first paragraph. The poignantly written lives of Tawrie and Harriet, both grieving in different ways, are heart-wrenchingly consuming and you will find yourself with an urgent need to keep turning over page after page in order to find out how they cope and if they heal. 

The descriptive writing sets the scene within your head perfectly and you are there living what they are all going through , feeling what they are feeling, crying when they cry and laughing and loving when they do.

All the characters are created in such a way that you feel that you have known the Gunn women and the men around them for a long time. There is nothing extraordinary about them they are just three generations living with their loss in different ways whilst moving forwards through their lives.

Amanda’s books are all consuming time wise and she has certainly achieved her ambition with me 

“ Amanda’s ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them, and tales that fill your head so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades”, except you don’t want the memory to fade. You want to carry on living in the world of Tawrie Gunn on the beautiful Devon coast looking over to Lundy . Hoping beyond hope that she finds peace, love and closure.

This is a beautifully told story of grief, love and loss that will stay with me for a long time.

About the Author

Amanda Prowse is a multi-million bestselling author who has published more than 30 novels and one of the most prolific writers of contemporary fiction in the UK today.

Crowned ‘the queen of family drama’ by the Daily Mail, she writes about life’s challenges – from heartbreak and loss to dysfunctional family dynamics – but also about the pockets of delight that can be found in our relationships with others, often when we need them most.

Amanda is known for her relatable characters, emotionally compelling plots, and the sense of connection that readers feel with her stories.

She is an ambassador for The Reading Agency and feels passionately about supporting other women, spending as much time as possible outdoors (preferably by the sea!) and her family.