THE DIARY by Eileen Goudge was sent to me with a personal inscription that made me aware that this was a very special story for Eileen to write. Then I focused on the "Author's Note" which immediately touched my heart as I saw it was dedicated to Eileen's parents and I knew I was in for something very special. Reading Eileen Goudge's books are always a pleasure but I was not prepared for just how extraordinary THE DIARY is. I read it in one sitting which is unusual for me with my busy schedule but there was no way I was putting it down.
I was caught up immediately with Emily and Sarah's discovery of their mother's diary which tells the story of A. J. and Elizabeth. The two adult sisters are clearing out their mother's attic following her declining health as a result of a debilitating stroke that has left her mute and close to death. The diary is delicately described as "bound in maroon leather dulled with age, its gilt tooling worn away in spots" with a "satin bookmarker, once red, now faded to the ashy-pink of dried, pressed rose." It also said the diary "seemed to carry the scent of dried roses" and with that description I was transported with all my senses to the setting of the story within that diary!
The diary reveals a completely different mother than the one the daughters thought knew. With their father having predeceased their mother, and her unable to speak, they have nobody to turn to with their questions concerning the information that is divulged in the writing in this journal. Diary entries are written verbatim and the story simultaneously presents the narrative to accompany each entry.
Sarah and Emily are as entranced as they are shocked to discover that according to the diary their mother's true love was not their father-the father they adored, the couple they thought they knew so well all their lives. The more the girls read, the more they realize they had a mystery they must solve.
Was there really another man, this "A. J." in their mother's life before their father who they were always led to believe was her one and only true love? Who was the mysterious A. J. who the diary describes as someone who made their mother a young woman of passions unknown to her daughters? If this A. J. was Elizabeth's first true love, what made her leave him for their father?
This is a story that will make you ask yourself how well you know your own parents. Think of yourself now as an adult, and how well do you think your own children know about your romantic past with the man in your life, your spouse? That was a question that really made me think about my own son and what does he really know about his parents and the love they have shared for 36 years?
This is a gem of a book. One to share with everyone you care about. It would make a wonderful Mother's Day gift or Easter present for that special parent or person in your life. I know it is a book that I will long cherish and reread as it is written to enjoy over and over again. Eileen Goudge has shared some very personal background with her readers and by opening her heart has created a book to cherish now and for generations to come.
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