Amanda Prowse really knows how to get the reader gripped and a warning you will need the tissues for this one. Beautifully written you really get a sense of the emotions the family feels over the loss of Oscar. The grief felt and the jumble of emotions and also how people cope differently. Thought it was brilliant. I need a new box of tissues now though 💜

I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! It was definitely a book that kept you thinking! I would definitely recommend this book to fellow readers. Thank you!

I have read a number of Amanda's books now and each one is very emotional and well written.

This story is no different covering the death of a child and how it affects the parents and everyone around them.
At times this book was very hard to read and I had to stop and come back to it as it such a sad story in places.
Overall a brilliant read which I loved,

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel, James, and their son Oscar go out on their boat in Bermuda. When Rachel and James wake up one morning, Oscar is gone, and their family falls apart. Rachel travels back to her home in Bristol because her marriage is in disrepair and she is lost.

She starts receiving letters from their housekeeper, CeeCee, who has had a loss of her own. It is through these letters that Rachel begins to heal and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

This was a good book - sad - but has a happy ending.

The loss of a child and the journey that follows that loss is beautifully created in this novel. Amanda prows has grasped the all consuming nature of grief that fractures the past and the present and leaves you floating away from the future on an island of your own making. She has populated this novel with characters that so truly depict those you meet in that Journey. There is rawness to the emotion that she has created (my eyes did a lot of watering - I deny they were tears) and yet there is real love underpinning it all. My favourite character was Rachel's dad - his role to just be there, to walk with her literally and also metaphorically. The author has kept this real and I loved the ending (more watering eyes).

This is my second book by Prowse and I feel she could become a favourite author, her books are very easy to read and transport you into their world very quickly .

What superb characters. I was thoroughly pulled in to their lives. Have a box of tissues ready! Loved it.

A beautifully written book about a mother coming to terms with the loss of her son. This is an absorbing book and we travel through the 7 stages of grief with the mother, from disbelief and anger, to acceptance.

Rachel and James have a tragic life changing event. This book follows how they each react to the tragedy differently. How can you continue to survive in the same world without your child?It is a excellent emotional read that leaves you heartbroken.

Touching story of how a couple deals with the loss of a child. The emotional trip was tremendous, affecting not only the couple but the people who love them. The letters from the housekeeper were especially touching.

This is my first book by Amanda Prowse. I was browsing Netgalley and the cover caught my eye and the description as well. The story was heartbreaking and Prowse is a gifted writer, describing grief so well. The interwoven story of Cee Cee, the housekeeper (but more than a housekeeper) really added depth to the story. I definitely recommend and will be reading more of Prowse’s books. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

An emotionally charged novel. I love Amanaks books as each one pulls at the heart in some way or another. This one in particular describes what life is like for the parents when their son Oscar disappears from their boat. I felt emotionally linked to Rachel, the mother, but also considered that she was not acting rationally. I would like to think that given the same situation I would play a different role. I felt very sorry for James as an abandoned father who was also suffering the loss of Oscar and then left to handle this alone as Rachel left him as she wanted to cope alone and come to turns with her grief. This whole story describes how the family also cope with the tragedy and how everyone handles grief in a different way. I loved CeeCee, her story and her wisdom and felt for all the injustices that she had had to live through. The book has a beautiful nicely rounded ending.

Rachel, husband James and Oscar are on their boat in Bermuda when the unthinkable happens. Rachel wakes up one morning to find their son Oscar is gone, vanished and no sign of what might have happened. Rachel’s grief is too much and she sits daily in front of the water waiting for a glimpse of what might be her son. She struggles to accept that Oscar is dead and will not return to her while her husband James tries to grieve with her. She separated from her husband for a while whom she blames for buying the boat. Through letters from their caretaker Rachel slowly begins to grieve properly and she and her husband reconcile. What a horrid thought that the body of Oscar is never find so that some sense of closure might take place. An excellent book I highly recommend.

The Coordinates of Loss
by Amanda Prowse

it was amazing

Rachel and James have a charmed life in Bermuda with their son Oscar and their beloved housekeeper/nanny CeeCee. But the fairy tale comes to an abrupt end, when Oscar disappears from their boat during a weekend getaway.

Rachel blames James, and refuses to believe the obvious, that Oscar has drowned and never coming home. Her depression becomes hysteria as she watches the sea, day after day, watching and waiting for Oscar's return. After all, a mother would know if her child had died. A mother would feel it at her core.

James is consumed by grief. He has lost his son, and it seems his wife. He knows she blames him, and he blames himself too. After all, he bought the boat for his family....maybe if he hadn't, Oscar would still be here. He is patient and worried that his fragile wife might break into a million pieces, so he is tentative as he reaches for her, only to be refused time and time again.

CeeCee knows the heartache of the loss of a child, as her only child died at seven weeks of age. Oscar brought her back to life after years and years of a darkness that no amount of sunshine could bring light too. Her heart grieves for her baby and for Oscar, and for Rachel and James. CeeCee knows that James is a good man, and Rachel is blinded by her grief, but is she able to heal enough to not lose her marriage in the tragedy also?

When Rachel decides to return to the UK to visit her parents for an indeterminate amount of time, James is supportive and understanding. CeeCee uses this time to write letters of her story to Rachel with the hopes of helping her heal. But, the UK doesn't start out as the refuge that Rachel needs at all. Her parents, her brother, and everyone seem determined to not talk about Oscar, or to talk about the tragic events as something that just happened that she needs to move on. But Rachel finds a comfort in her sadness, as she's determined to not forget Oscar.

Months elapse from the time of Oscar's accident and the time Rachel leaves the island, her love belongs to James, but will she ever find a way to forgive him, to forgive herself, to accept that Oscar is gone...how can they move forward, while clutching to those final moments?

Right from the opening paragraph this book totally captivated me. There we are in this beautiful setting, a paradise, but something so awful has happened.

As we follow Rachel and James on their heart-breaking journey through grief, we become enmeshed in their lives, and also Cee-Cee’s, whose letters I found particularly touching and poignant.

Such an engrossing and compassionate read, it held me right up until the last page. A tear-jerker, but also a story of hope and human strength. Highly recommended.

Amazing book. Loved it from beginning to end.
Well written which kept me captivated throughout.
I will definitely be reading other books by this author

I'm never in doubt that I will be embroiled, moved and totally in love with a Amanda Proswe book and this was no different. She has a way of writing a story which makes it feel like the characters could be your mum, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, neighbour, best friend or you and this is what makes these stories so powerful. As always I fell in love with the characters, felt moved by their grief, was cheering for them all the way a long. Thankyou Amanda for yet another treat of a book

3.5 stars. This was a beautifully written book but it was just way too sad. It seemed stuck. Thankfully the CeCe story provided plot interest. I understand of course it was a book about grief, but as I said it just felt like the story didn’t move forward much. I read another book about losing a child, The Salt House, that was much more engaging.

Rachel and James Croft have a life most of us could only dream of, living in paradise on the sun-soaked island of Bermuda with their son Oscar. They have it all, financial security, a nice house and most importantly love. Until one fateful morning the couple wake on their private yacht to discover Oscar isn’t in bed and upon further investigation is no longer on the boat.

Their world comes crashing down in that very moment and when it becomes clear Oscar is gone without a trace the couple are left to deal with life after loss. Dealing with their grief in very different ways a wedge is created between the pair and they can’t see a way to be together as they were previously, a piece of their puzzle is missing.

Emotions are high and eventually Rachel fills the need to escape and finds herself travelling back to Bristol to stay with her parents and try to find a way to heal in the wake of Oscar’s death. Whilst in England she begins to receive letters from her housekeeper back in Bermuda, Cee-Cee, which become an unexpected source of support. By sharing her story from afar Cee-Cee tries to help Rachel heal and move forward despite her grief, but can that future include James?

As a Mother the storyline of this book is literally my worst nightmare played out within its pages. It’s brimming with raw emotion and I felt every step of Rachel and James’ journey in my own heart, walking side-by-side with them. The story explores grief in a way I’ve never read before, so openly and honestly. It covers the pain and the guilt the couple feel and highlights just how differently people who have experienced the same loss grieve, not just the couple but the wider family too.

Cee-Cee is an intriguing character and I loved reading her heartfelt letters which are filled not only with her own story, but also a wonderful message of hope about living life after tragedy. Despite her own sadness at Oscar’s passing Cee-Cee finds the strength to pass on her wisdom to help Rachel heal and have the second chance that the Croft family provided for her.

One thing for sure is that The Coordinates Of Loss is not a light, fluffy read, it’s a raw, heavy story that I just couldn’t put down. It’s beautifully written and is a story that will stay with me for a long time to come. Despite being so emotionally hard-hitting the underlying message of hope is what this book is all about and despite spending most of the book either crying or with a lump in my throat it’s that message I’ve taken away.

I really enjoyed reading The Coordinates Of Loss, it’s one of my favourite books this year. I haven’t read any of Amanda’s other novels, but I will certainly be adding some to my TBR list as I loved her writing style and I have heard so many wonderful things about her stories.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really liked this book but it was so sad and touching in places but beautifully written Recommend

This book was a very emotionally moving book and very well written. That dealt with the heartache that goes with loss but I felt it and can tell that it's written from the heart. While reading this book, I felt that I was with them on their journey. This is an awesome read and definitely recommend having a box of tissues on hand.