This Too Shall Pass

by Milena Busquets

published by Hogarth

I received an advanced review copy of this book from Library Thing as part of the Early Reviewers group in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was an enjoyable, quick read.  Blanca is a forty year old woman from Barcelona who has just lost her mother to a prolonged illness.  She takes her family- children, best friends, ex husbands- to the family beach house on Cadaques- to recover from her grief.  She is reeling from the loss of her mother.  I read this book in about 4 hours and while I enjoyed it and very much want to go to this beach town myself, it was not an extremely deep book.  It definitely left me wanting to know more about everyone in the book.  I wanted to know why Blanca’s mother was such an amazing force in her life, why she divorced both of these amazing men if she still loves them.  All in all, a very enjoyable read.

Summary

Blanca is forty years old and motherless. Shaken by the unexpected death of the most important person in her life, she suddenly realizes that she has no idea what her future will look like.

To ease her dizzying grief and confusion, Blanca turns to her dearest friends, her closest family, and a change of scenery. Leaving Barcelona behind, she returns to Cadaqués on the coast, accompanied by her two sons, two ex-husbands, and two best friends, and makes a plan to meet her married lover for a few stolen moments as well. Surrounded by those she loves most, she spends the summer in an impossibly beautiful place, finding ways to reconnect and understand what it means to truly, happily live on her own terms, just as her mother would have wanted.