Let It Be

by Chad Gayle

published by Bracket Books

2013

Summary

After Michelle Jansen moves to Amarillo to get away from her abusive husband, she struggles to meet the emotional needs of her two children as she continues to rebuff the demands of her overbearing ex. She finds love and support in the arms of a coworker who is as much of a Beatles fan as she is, and she begins to gain the confidence and the strength that she needs to stand on her own, but her ex can’t bear to see her happy, and Michelle is blindsided by an unexpected betrayal as her ex turns her very own son against her. When this family that has already been split down the middle is thrown into chaos, it’s up to Michelle to find a path toward healing and forgiveness, a way to right the wrongs that have hurt them all. (from Goodreads)

My Review

This is the debut novel for Chad Gayle, a photographer and write originally from Texas. Let It Be is a complex story of a woman starting over after leaving her volatile husband. Michelle Jansen moves to Amarillo with her children Pam and Joseph. She is starting over, trying to find a job to support herself and the children, while having to continually push away her estranged husband, who is intent on getting her back. When she finally thinks things are going well- a new job, an interesting man- everything falls apart.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the author’s attempt to tie the story into the music of The Beatles, specifically their last album Let It Be. Each chapter is titled after on of the songs on the album, which I found interesting. The only problem was that I didn’t actually know ALL of the songs, so I just had to wing it for the ones I didn’t know. The author wrote the character of Michelle the strongest. I think she was the character I liked best, since I felt I knew who she was and why she did what she did. Joseph, the son, is also well written and defined, but I could not relate with him as well as I could Michelle. She struggled day after day to make a life for her and the kids, knowing it would be easier to give in and return to her husband-easier and wrong. At the end of the story, I was left with this ache of sadness for her, knowing and understanding too well how we make choices and decisions based on our love for our children.

Mr. Gayle’s debut work was a very enjoyable book that I would definitely recommend.

I received this book from Bracket Books in exchange for an honest review.

rating- 4 out of 5