Book description

Lizzie is fast approaching 50. Her once angst ridden teenage daughters, now grown and in their twenties, have flown the nest, Cassie to London and Maisy to Australia. And, although Connor, Lizzie’s sulky, surly teenage son, is now on his own tormented passage to adulthood, his quest to get there, for the most part, is a far quieter journey than that of his sisters. The hard years, Lizzie believes, are behind her.

Only, things are never quite as black and white as they seem…

A visit to her daughter in London leaves Lizzie troubled. And that is just the start. Add to that an unexpected visitor, a disturbing phone call, a son acting suspiciously, a run in with her ex husband plus a new man in her life who quite simply takes her breath away; Lizzie quickly realises life is something that happens while plans are being made. Lizzie is fast approaching 50

Gritty but tender, thought provoking but light-hearted, dark but brilliantly funny, this is a story of contemporary family life in all its 21st century glory.

My review

Every family is unique with it’s mishmash of characters, it’s own family dynamics, there will be good times and unfortunately there will be bad times, but these are the very things that define us as a family. All The Colours In Between explores the theme of families in a highly captivating read, full of laughter, tears, and bittersweet moments. Lizzie is fast approaching 50, life should be a breeze after all her children are grown up, she has the career she’s always wanted, but then life throws an epic curveball and Lizzie finds herself facing numerous challenges that will result in heartbreak, happiness and turmoil.

This is the first book I have read by Eva Jordan and I’m very impressed with her writing style. Reading about Lizzie you feel like you’re there alongside her through the good and the bad, she breathes life into her characters as the story is told in alternating chapters from Lizzie, Cassie (the daughter) and Connor (the Son) POV, you feel like this could be a book about many families up and down the country. The author has managed to balance the more serious side of this book with humour, at times I found myself laughing out loud at some of the dialogue and events. The author doesn’t make the mistake of providing the reader with the perfect family, but she does provide a snap shot of family life in the 21st century which includes the good, bad and damn right ugly.

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up All The Colours In Between but one thing I wasn’t expecting was to find myself breaking my heart over a passage in this book that bought back memories of my own beloved grandparents. There are so many themes in this story that I could relate to some of them reflect my own anxieties as I grow older and numerous times as I read a passage from this book I couldn’t help but finding myself nodding in agreement, the worries of being a parent, watching our parents grow frail, trying to protect those we love, all these themes struck a chord.

All The Colours In Between took me by surprise I don’t know why but I was expecting it to be a “rom com”, but it’s anything but, its emotive, multi layered and a story that even the most hard hearted reader will find an highly emotional read. The story is a reminder that family life is never black and white there are so many “colours in between” the problems we face, the heartbreak we suffer, not only define us but make us stronger. Considering this was such a different book to my normal read I was surprised how much I loved All The Colours In Between, and if an author can evoke such strong emotions in me (sobbing uncontrollably at more than one point) she has done her job well. A fabulous and surprising read that I would highly recommend.

Print Length: 320 pages

Publisher: Urbane Publications (19 Oct. 2017)

Buying links:  Amazon UK 🇬🇧      Amazon US 🇺🇸