Omogen Clark entices the reader into "Postcards From A Stranger" by the second chapter. It is the story of Cara and Michael, siblings , whose father's memory is riddened by Alzheimer's disease causing family secrets to be locked away. Until Cara begins going through her father's neatly stored papers in the attic; which was always off limits to her and Michael while growing up. She comes across a box of postcards. And, here the journey of of a lifetime of secrets begin to unfold. The reader is taken from London to San Francisco; a sojourn of discovery. I recommend "Postcards From A Stranger" because just when the reader believes that all the secrets have been told, there is one more.

Cara has been caring for her father who suffers from Alzheimer's. Her father was a strict and controlling influence in her life, but is now a sad shell of the man he had been. Cara finally hires help in caring for him, and Mrs. P becomes an important addition to the household.

On discovering a box of postcards in the attic, Cara realizes that her mother did not die when she was two years old as she has always been told. Stunned, Cara can no longer get any information from her father, but is determined to find out the truth. Her brother is reluctant to get involved, and Cara realizes that he knows more about the situation than he is willing to reveal.

Determined to discover what led to her mother's absence, Cara pursues the few clues she has. In the process, she learns some things about herself as well as family secrets.

Well-written and interesting, Postcards from a Stranger covers several absorbing dynamics: family relationships, caring for a dementia patient, friendships new and old, loneliness and longing.

Read in June. Review scheduled for July 24.

NetGalley/Lake Union Publishing

Contemporary Fiction. August 7, 2018. Print length: 398 pages.

I enjoyed Postcards from A Stranger. It tells the story of a daughter who is taking care of her father with Altimerzes disease and mysterious postcards that appeared throughout her life. This book was interesting and filled with mystery. It was sad and made you want to know what happened. I would recommend it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union for the eARC.
What a lovely book this is...heartbreaking and sweet, with a great ending I didn't see coming.
The story is told from different perspectives and in different timelines by members of the same family. Cara, believing her mother died when she was 2 years old, is now in her 30's and looking after her father who is suffering from Alzheimer's. The way her feelings are described is very realistic: the irritation, the guilt, the claustrophobia and the love all mixed up together. Michael, her brother, lives away in London and never got along with the father, so isn't any help. At her wit's end, she hires a carer, Mrs. P, who is an absolute treasure.
When she finds postcards that seem to have been sent after her mum's death, she slowly realizes her father lied about her mother being dead all these years. This sends her on a quest,
driven to find the truth.
The men in the story are all quite authoritarian and the women react by tamping down their emotions, ending up more and more insecure. To me it was a sign of the times...I remember my grandparents and parents having similar relationships and I myself sympathized with Cara, even when I wanted her to suck it up, because I totally understood where she was coming from. Our family upbringing can affect us for the rest of our lives - for good or bad.
A must-read, I highly recommend this book.

Heart wrenching and heart warming story of a family where a domineering father caused the mother to leave. But the children are left to mourn their mother when the father tells them that their mother is dead...

Okay read. Somewhat predictable. Author has potential, though, and i would probably try one more by this author.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really absorbed reading Postcards From A Stranger. Cara is a very talented maker of wedding dresses. She has a lovely best friend called Beth. She is also a bit of a wallflower.
Cara lives at home with her father, Joe, who has dementia. Joe was not a loving or kind father. Her mother died when Cara was two, and she and her brother lived in fear of Joe all their lives. Michael has long since moved away to London, vowing to stay away until his father dies.
One day, Cara goes into the attic (where she was always forbidden to go) and finds a box of postcards, each one addressed to her and her brother. So begins a journey that Cara needs to see to its' end.
Postcards From A Stranger has many examples of toxic masculinity, and the choices it forces women to make for the sake of their family. There are at least three men in this book that you cannot believe their wife chooses to stay with, but it's easy for me to say.
Along the way, Cara meets a lot of strong characters, all of them women, that enrich her life. And one man, later on. I was very disappointed with her brother Michael. He keeps a lot of secrets from Cara, mostly out of fear, and could have made her life a lot easier.
All in all, this is a very good read, and would be great for a book club evening.

Cara has uncovered evidence in a family attic that makes her question everything she believed about her family. To make matters worse, she can’t ask her father for clarification, because he’s suffering from Alzheimer’s’ disease. Unable to let it go, Cara begins investigating her parent’s marriage and looking for relatives who might be able to tell her the truth. But the closer she comes to exposing the truth, the more she wonders if she would have been better off not knowing.

I absolutely loved this book. Beautifully written. A sad yet uplifting story about how your childhood shapes the rest of your life and the decisions you make. Secrets, lies, abuse, family drama. This book has it all but it is written with such caring and sensitivity. Was way better than I thought it might be. Pleasantly surprised !