Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Katy's Ghost, by Trish Evans {ends 11/12}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

It was early October, and I’d not seen Gram since the baby shower at Peaches Madigan’s house. Almost three weeks had passed, but the fragile memories nudged back into existence by each of Gram’s visits drifted softly in and out of my consciousness like the autumn leaves that listlessly floated from the branches of their detached, emotionless tree trunks. And with each whispering breeze, I’d wonder if Gram would return or if, like the falling leaves, I’d been dismissed, left to float aimlessly and alone with the unbearable disquiet once tightly contained and hidden. How cruel of her to unearth and expose such pain without returning it to the place where it had been secreted and entombed so long ago.
The cover of this book left me not really knowing what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised with a conversational writing style, like I was just visiting with a friend the whole time I read.

Official synopsis:

Haunted by childhood traumas, happily married Katy Welborn is at a crossroads: in her late 30s, her biological clock ticking, she has survived cancer but her fears of family skeletons dangling in the genetic closet have paralyzed her from becoming pregnant. That’s when her long-departed Grandmother Nellie appears as sort of a guardian angel, leading Katy on a journey back through the tortured pages of her past. With unexpected humor and often profound insights, Katy revisits a series of traumatic encounters: a severely schizophrenic uncle whose presence threatens the entire family, an emotionally unstable sister who has spiraled into the lost zone of southern California’s 1960s drug-infused counterculture; and a well-meaning suburban family torn apart by its own bizarre eccentricities. Set in the 1990s, with flashbacks to the 1950s and 1960s, Katy’s Ghost takes readers into painful territory, captured with a soft soul.

I’m still thinking of this book a couple days after finishing it. I found the story to be unique and unpredictable. Katy Welborn’s ghost is her Gram, and she acts as almost an inner conscience while Katy works through health stress and the memories of her relatives when she was growing up. While some may turn away from a book about the ‘paranormal,’ Katy’s Gram is mostly an omniscient best friend – exactly what Katy needed to gain some clarity with her past, and peace in her present.

Not a lot of books honestly address someone dealing with another person’s mental illness as an observer. Growing up in this position, Katy worried about what people thought of her, in relation to her mentally ill uncle and sister. This was written with compassion and what felt like true empathy for Katy’s position, and eventually those of her family members.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It could be triggering in its discussions of her cancer treatment and struggles with deciding when or if to try to become pregnant. I thought some of the beginning may lead to abuse scenarios, but it did not (I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I was worried in the beginning, and knowing it didn’t lead there would have given me peace of mind). The ending was happy, which I love in a book. I’d give this one 4 out of 5 stars.

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Becki Bayley loves Better Made White Cheddar Popcorn, Cherry Coke, and Chewy Sprees for fuel when writing, and comfort food when reading. You can find her at SweetlyBSquared.com.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of Katy's Ghost!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Tuesday, November 12th, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be notified the next day via email and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Katy's Ghost, by Trish Evans