Review: The Birthday House

The Birthday House by Jill Treseder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in Dartmouth, this novella tells the story of Susan. Her best friend Jo, was killed when they were 12 years old and this tells how Susan has tried to come to terms with this over many years.

Told from various perspectives, including Susan, Jo and her parents, and in 1954-55 to 2018.

Jo was killed by her father, he’d also killed her mother and then himself. He had been a moody man but had loved his family. What drove him to such an awful event?

Susan had been told they died in a car crash, to protect her from the truth. But this caused her problems throughout her life as she didn’t really trust anyone to tell the truth.

A beautifully written tale of friendship, betrayal, loss and grief that lasts a lifetime. It is full of emotion, and tells of letting go and hope. This will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.

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