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 !