Not what I was expecting at all, but Anne Malcom still blew my mind!

A mom that has suffered the worst of what we could experience in life, without losing our babies, but still having to keep moving forward.

Bridget is probably one of my favourite female characters of Anne's since Rosie, so real and dark, she could cut you without your noticing... at least for a few minutes. I can't imagine going through a grief like hers and managing to force myself to get up a year later, and move on with life. I think that is what gives the first real idea of her strength though, everything before that is sheer survival, just going through the motions but she knows at some point she has to get back into it. 

All these fake vultures swooping around her, never really giving her a chance to rest, including her mother in law. It shows how many people don't know how to deal with grief, and so they hide their real cards with platitudes and lip service, not knowing you can see behind every false ray of hope they offer.

As dark, and scarred as Bridget is, she's a role model for how to raise good, well balanced children who know what is really important. Even if you don't particularly care for the way she handles certain things, there is every indication, her heart is always in the right place.

Zeke is astonishing, her midnight savior. He so badly wants to be everything to her, but realizes she doesn't have the bandwidth for that yet. On top of being an over the top Alpha dad, his gentleness in the face of a wounded family is brilliant. His words are often poignant, quiet with that echo of finality. I absolutely loved his honesty about everything, he didn't deviate or try to hide once.

As ever I love Malcom's word usage, the way she spreads out a book before you, and scatters the details for you to delve into. One of my favourites this year.