‘Between love and death there is obsession’
I defy anyone who says that Dorothy Koomson writes chick lit novels. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with the genre, I’m quite a fan myself. However, you can not compare Bridget Jones’ Diary to The Woman He Loved Before. There has only been one another book that I have been so glued to and so attached to that I’ve even read it while walking in the street in between my commute to work and home. I finished Dorothy Koomson’s latest masterpiece this evening and as with all her books the disappointment of finishing it too quickly has yet to leave me. The Woman He Loved Before is an outstanding piece and although I am not planning on writing a review, I have to say it was completely hypnotising from the first page. The story of the three main characters really touched me and I truly learnt something about myself and my relationship with those closest to me.
Mostly though (as I believe was Dorothy’s intention) I learnt to love myself and that although I may not be the perfect size 10, I am perfect for me. At the end of the book, Dorothy asks us to see the good in ourselves and to not shy away from what is in front of us when we look in the mirror. I had tears in my eyes as I read those words. It was only last night that I was looking at pictures of myself wishing I was thinner; my hair straighter; my height shorter. Now when I look at those same pictures, I see a wife, a daughter, a sister and an auntie and a good one too; a loving one. That is what I’m most proud of and what makes me beautiful. What makes me perfect.
I strongly urge you to not only read this book but to also examine yourself and discover the good, the beautiful and the perfect in you.
It’s the best tonic in the world.
Alphabet Games 