Blog Tour – The World Outside My Window by Clare Swatman @clareswatman @rararesources @BoldwoodBooks #BookReview #BookBlogger #boldwoodbloggers #TheWorldOutsideMyWindow

Clare Swatman is another author that I discovered courtesy of book blogging. She creates heart-achingly beautiful books, with strong emotional content, guaranteed to raise a few tears. If you’d like to read a couple of my previous reviews, you can follow these links: Before You Go (originally published as How to Save a Life) and A Love to Last a Lifetime.

I am grateful to Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources for arranging this tour and to Boldwood Books for my advance reading copy, gifted via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. You can read my thoughts below.

Synopsis

Laura is watching the world go by without her.

Unable to leave her house since suffering a trauma, Laura is stuck gazing out of her window at Willow Crescent, relying on husband Jim and best friend Debbie for help.

Then one day, Jim doesn’t come home.

A day becomes two, days become a week, and still no sign of Jim. And with the police half-hearted in their efforts to look for him, Laura is forced into a decision. She’s going to have to face the world outside and find her husband herself.

But what Laura hasn’t realised is that Willow Crescent is a community, eager to help. From Arthur and Carol next door ready to rally the neighbours, to Marjorie and her daughter Faye at number nine looking for their own reasons to engage with the world. From Sonja at number seven who thinks she may have seen Jim in London, to widower Ben at number four who understands all about being lonely. Laura has a world ready to embrace her if she can just find the nerve.

And when it slowly dawns on them all, that the Jim they thought they knew, may have been hiding some unfathomable secrets, Laura has a choice – retreat back behind her window, or start living the life that was waiting for her all along.

This is Clare Swatman’s tour de force. At the same time emotional, uplifting, page-turning and breath-taking, Laura is a character you will never forget.

Purchase Link

Review

This really is quite the book. It took me through many emotions, and I immediately took Laura to my heart. I could completely understand her reasons for staying at home, but in all honesty, couldn’t imagine a life so cut off from those around me. However, trauma affects people differently, and just because I would seek out the comfort of company, that’s not necessarily true for everyone. In fact, who knows how I would react if I had actually endured her trauma?

Faced with the disappearance of her husband, Jim, the clever, careful way that Laura eventually found the strength to reach out to her neighbours was sympathetically handled. Not without some scary moments and definitely filled with many opportunities to throw the proverbial towel in and retreat to the safety of her own home.

I particularly enjoyed Laura’s relationship with best friend Debbie; not Jim’s number one fan, but the reasoning behind that is eventually revealed. Debbie is everything that a best friend should be, and her support provides the strength that Laura needs to venture out of the house.

I adored the neighbours and enjoyed their idiosyncrasies. In particular, I loved Arthur and Carole, they reminded me of the seventies couple, George and Mildred. Despite their busybody personas, they were the kind of people we all need in our lives.

Finding support from widower Ben, Laura’s investigations lead her to a most shocking discovery that leaves her reeling. As the truth behind Jim’s disappearance becomes apparent, I was genuinely surprised by the twists that led to the discovery.

This is a compelling look at the human mind’s reaction to trauma and how it’s possible to recover what has been lost. I loved Laura and felt her pain as if it was my own. This ultimately uplifting story has it all and I can happily recommend it.

Author Bio

Clare Swatman is the author of three women’s fiction novels, published by Macmillan, which have been translated into over 20 languages. She has been a journalist for over twenty years, writing for Bella and Woman & Home amongst many other magazines. She lives in Hertfordshire. Before We Grow Old, was published in January 2022.