Sunday, January 26, 2025

Every Precious and Fragile Thing

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis
2/18/25; 431 pages
Lake Union Publishing

Every Precious and Fragile Thing by Barbara Davis is a highly recommended domestic drama.

Mallory Ward is a social worker who works with at risk youth in Boston. Due to a tragic and stressful situation there, Mallory is encouraged to take time off from work. She decides to returns home to Little Harbor, Rhode Island, and stay with her mother, Helen, a death doula who cares for terminally ill clients. The two have had a tense relationship but hopefully they can mend it. 

Making Mallory's visit more complicated is that Aiden is back in town visiting his mother, Estelle, in the house next door. He was the love of her life who who broke off their wedding plans ten years ago. The two have unresolved issues.

This is an extremely well-written novel which examines the complex relationship between mothers and their children, dying with dignity, repairing broken relationships, and confronting long held secrets. The narrative is told through Mallory's point-of-view as well as Helen's which include long descriptive letters she wrote to the love of her life who is gone.

The characters are fully realized, complex, and depicted as unique individuals with strengths and flaws. The past and present experiences of these characters all contain mistakes and secrets, but they all also long for a resolution and connection. What they seek may vary depending upon the relationship, but they all must admit to or confront their past to obtain the trust and reconciliation they currently need.

There are several big reveals and twists in this family drama. One huge twist was surprising but it also required setting a large amount of disbelief aside. Helen's long letters were also a bit too lengthy at times.  Every Precious and Fragile Thing started out strong for me but lost some momentum along the way.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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