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The Day I Lost You: A heartfelt, emotion-packed, twist-filled read Kindle Edition

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,000 ratings

‘Incredibly moving, it’s beautifully written and page-turning’ Susan Lewis

The day I lost you was the day I discovered I never really knew you

When Jess’s daughter, Anna, is reported lost in an avalanche, everything changes.

Jess’s first instinct is to protect Rose, Anna’s five-year-old daughter. But then she starts to uncover Anna’s other life – unearthing a secret that alters their whole world irrevocably . . .

The day I lost you was the day that you tore our family apart

The perfect emotional and absorbing story for fans of Jojo Moyes and David Nicholls.

Product description

Review

‘A heart-stopping read. Compelling, beautiful and life-affirming, one of the best novels I've read in years', Anna McPartlin, author of Richard and Judy book club pick, The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes

‘An intriguing premise, dysfunctional family dynamics, and plenty of secrets, all woven together with wit and style’, Vanessa Lafaye

‘A rich, rewarding and heart-rending story of life, love and loss, so absorbing and well-told I actually found myself crying in coffee shops while I was engrossed in it…An author who just keeps on getting better and better', Claudia Carroll

‘An avalanche of intrigue and heartbreak’, Sunday Independent (Ireland)

‘Full of heart and humour and emotion’, Hazel Gaynor, bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home

‘A cracking story beautifully told . . . I couldn’t put it down’, Liz Fenwick

‘A beautiful, beautiful novel. Wickedly intriguing, emotionally gripping and stunningly written. I defy every mother not to identify and weep with Jess,’ Amanda Prowse

‘A heartfelt, emotion-packed, twist-filled fabulous read from an amazing writer’, Claire Allan

About the Author

Fionnuala Kearney lives in Ascot with her husband. They have two grown-up daughters (both with deliberately simple monosyllabic names). One of seven children, Fionnuala likes to write about the nuances and subtle layers of human relationships, peeling them away to see what’s really going on beneath.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00YGCVRYG
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (11 Feb. 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1642 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 434 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0007593996
  • Customer reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,000 ratings

About the author

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Fionnuala Kearney
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I'm Fionnuala, pronounced FINOOLA, and am as Irish as the name hints at, though I live just outside London in Ascot. I write character driven novels where I love to poke about under the layers of relationships and see what's really going on underneath... My debut novel, 'You, Me and Other People' was released in 2015 with my second 'The Day I Lost You' following in 2016.

October 2018 sees the release of 'The Book of Love' my latest novel - a story 'for everyone who has loved and lost.'

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
1,000 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book and find it an absorbing read. They feel a connection to the characters' lives and empathy for the main character. The story is described as gripping, with unexpected twists and turns. Readers praise the writing quality as excellent, skillful, and beautifully written.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

42 customers mention ‘Readability’40 positive2 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it an engaging and well-written story that keeps their emotions flowing until the end. The characters are described as likeable and funny.

"...and you really can’t help but hurt with her and for her: Theo’s infinitely likeable too, awkward and funny, gentle and caring...." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book. It gripped me from the beginning and I loved the twists and turns, the gasps of 'no' when something was happening...." Read more

"This was a really great read...." Read more

"3.5 Stars The Day I Lost You is a well written story, and is the story of Jess, Theo, Anna and Rose, and how one avalanche can change the..." Read more

29 customers mention ‘Emotional content’29 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and emotional. They feel empathy for the main character, Jess, as she uncovers her daughter's secrets. The characters are realistic yet surprising, showing both strengths and weaknesses. Readers appreciate the author's generosity in sharing the minutiae of Jess and Rose's daily life. The story is thought-provoking and uplifting, dealing with relationships as a whole tapestry.

"...sometimes painful to read, sometimes beautifully hopeful and uplifting – and it’s an excellent story, difficult to set aside as the secrets slowly..." Read more

"...I connected with jess and felt all her pain...." Read more

"...The secondary characters also have depth and make the story believable and allow Jess to reveal herself: I particularly loved Leah and really..." Read more

"...I believe the book is supposed to be highly emotionally charged, and a real weepy, but apart from on perhaps two occasions, I just wasn't feeling it...." Read more

28 customers mention ‘Story quality’24 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the gripping story with many twists and turns. They find the plot believable and appreciate how it evolves to show both strengths and weaknesses. The family is uplifting and a bit mysterious until the end.

"...read, sometimes beautifully hopeful and uplifting – and it’s an excellent story, difficult to set aside as the secrets slowly emerge, and impossible..." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book. It gripped me from the beginning and I loved the twists and turns, the gasps of 'no' when something was happening...." Read more

"...As well as being an absolutely cracking story this novel really made me think about the kind of mother and daughter I am myself and made me reflect..." Read more

"...her, forms the heart and soul of the novel and such is the emotional pull of the story that there were times when sentiment got the better of me and..." Read more

17 customers mention ‘Writing quality’17 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's writing quality. They find the story engaging and skillfully written. The author's storytelling is praised for its believable plot and wonderful details.

"...The writing is superb, and I loved the way the book was structured – primarily, what we hear are the points of view of Jess and friend Theo, but..." Read more

"...The story is beautifully written and shares so generously the minutiae of Jess and Rose's daily life that we come to love them and rejoice in their..." Read more

"...The writer has a style which leaves you feeling that you actually know the characters she is writing about...." Read more

"...The best that can be said about this book is that it was competently written...." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Family life’4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's family life. They mention it's an easy read about a perfect family, then tragedy hits. The tale is about the blessings and challenges of an extended family. Readers appreciate the author's gift for examining families and dissecting their complexes.

"...from reading the author’s first book that she has an exceptional gift for examining families and dissecting their complex relationships, and that..." Read more

"...sad; a really human tale about the blessings and challenges of an extended family. It's a lovely book." Read more

"...Also how the child was loved by so many people and how she kept them grounded." Read more

"Great easy read x Perfect family then tragedy hits unravelling family secrets one small girl oblivious what mirror she could have lost" Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 September 2016
    I’m not a mother, but the author made me feel Jess’s pain and anguish over her missing daughter from the very first pages, and that emotional grip never lessened at any point in the book. The book is full of all those agonising moments when loss suffered moves from the more comfortable depths of the mind to the excruciatingly painful forefront – the favourite jar of honey on the supermarket shelf, the everyday items like the tatty sofa that hold such intense memories, the replayed conversations. I’m not really a fan of children in books either, but young Rose is quite perfectly drawn and won her place in my heart – and some of the exchanges between her and her grandmother gently broke it. Grief finds its voice through some of the simple things – the unseasonal Christmas tree, the t-shirt provided as a comfort blanket, and the unbearable anguish caused by changing the bed sheets.

    As a portrait of grief and loss, this book is quite exceptional – but it’s very much more than that. I remember from reading the author’s first book that she has an exceptional gift for examining families and dissecting their complex relationships, and that strength shows in this book too. The mother-daughter bond is obviously minutely examined, but we also have the bond and relationship between sisters, partners, ex-husbands and ex-wives, their new partners and the whole maze of the extended family. And then there’s friendship – particularly that difficult man-woman friendship and whether it’s actually sustainable. Every single character in this book – even the ones at its edges – is real, complex and utterly believable. And every relationship is put under immense stress as the secrets that underly all families and relationships – complicated even more here by professional relationships – threaten to tear everything apart.

    The writing is superb, and I loved the way the book was structured – primarily, what we hear are the points of view of Jess and friend Theo, but punctuated by Anna’s voice on her personal blog. It always helps when you immerse yourself in a book if you like the characters you’re engaged with. Jess’s voice is one you hear with your heart,and you really can’t help but hurt with her and for her: Theo’s infinitely likeable too, awkward and funny, gentle and caring. There’s one scene in the book where Jess disintegrates and he comforts her that had me weeping uncontrollably – but smiling as he tries to remove the sauce from a Chinese meal from the knees of his suit. There’s light and dark in this book – at times, it’s actually very funny, those moments of the absurd that reassure you that life goes on, and I’d hate anyone to get the impression that it’s all anguish and misery because it most certainly isn’t. It’s poignant, heart-breaking, sometimes painful to read, sometimes beautifully hopeful and uplifting – and it’s an excellent story, difficult to set aside as the secrets slowly emerge, and impossible to get out of your head long after you’ve finished. I’m going to add my voice in support of all the magnificent reviews and cries of “one of my Books of the Year” that have already appeared from other reviewers – this book was just wonderful.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2017
    I really enjoyed this book. It gripped me from the beginning and I loved the twists and turns, the gasps of 'no' when something was happening. I connected with jess and felt all her pain.
    The reason for four stars is that sometimes I think the point was pushed too much, but this is a personal view and I would still recommend to others to read!
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 October 2016
    This was a really great read. This story centres around Jess who is caring for her granddaughter whilst trying to cope with the devastating news that her daughter is missing. The novel oozes raw emotion; both love and anguish. We cannot help but empathise with Jess and her turmoil, even when she makes decisions we might not choose ourselves. The secondary characters also have depth and make the story believable and allow Jess to reveal herself: I particularly loved Leah and really identified with her. Some of the story is revealed through a blog which enables us to see inside the world of Jess' daughter and this works really well as a contrast to the perceptions of her loved ones.
    As well as being an absolutely cracking story this novel really made me think about the kind of mother and daughter I am myself and made me reflect on just how much we really know those dearest to us. You cannot tread this in a detached way - fab!
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 August 2016
    3.5 Stars

    The Day I Lost You is a well written story, and is the story of Jess, Theo, Anna and Rose, and how one avalanche can change the outcomes of so many lives. I believe the book is supposed to be highly emotionally charged, and a real weepy, but apart from on perhaps two occasions, I just wasn't feeling it. Whether that is because I am wired abnormally, or whether its because the book just didn't quite work in that respect is probably not for me to decide.

    The narrative is split into a couple of different view points, there is Anna, who we only get to know through her blog posts, and what is revealed by others slowly over the months after the avalanche. There is Jess who is Anna's mother and Rose's grandma, who now has full responsibility for a 5 year old, and who is struggling with grief and just believing that the worst has happened. We also see things from Theo's perspective, he is Jess' best friend, and going through a tough time of his own. Theo's significance becomes more apparent as the story progresses, and at times I really was wondering if he was as nice as he seems.

    Anna is the focal point of the book, and as the truth about her young life emerges, I found myself wondering how much I really liked her, and as a result how much sympathy I really had with the family.

    With the exception of Rose, and Finn (Theo's son), I'm not sure there were that many characters I particularly connected with. Yes the story is tragic, and there is some degree of hope, but overall I just don't feel the book worked all that well for me, despite being able to clearly see that author was easily capable of writing a story that would draw you in and keep you engaged for the duration.

    Unfortunately although I did enjoy elements of the story, I suspect I may have picked the wrong book for my mood, as it just didn't quite hit me the way I would expect it would others.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Patricia Ann Quadra
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
    Reviewed in India on 1 March 2020
    Good and thought provoking!
  • Tom Fitz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant read!
    Reviewed in the United States on 5 May 2016
    Absolutely loved Fionnuala Kearney's second book. Once again the author has been very adept at skilfully drawing us into the world of her characters... I have often been described as a fairly stoic individual and yet (embarassingly) I found myself reading this on a plane ride with tears flowing down my cheeks!!! Maybe the subject matter was close to my heart but I think the magic pen of the author allowed me to become friends with her characters and their feelings as they went through the emotional journey that unfolds through the book... Well done to Ms Kearney!! Looking forward to many more books..
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, captivating novel!
    Reviewed in Australia on 15 May 2016
    Fionnuala Kearneys second book 'The Day I Lost You' was just as riveting as her first 'You, Me and Other People'. This talented author creates such well drawn characters that you feel instantly one of them. The many emotional twists and turns in this intelligently written book keeps you intrigued until the very last page. I could not put this book down, did not want it to end and cannot recommend it highly enough.

    Well done Fionnuala! Please write us more captivating novels. Kathryn Gibbs
  • Janet C.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Liked how the story evolved
    Reviewed in the United States on 12 May 2017
    Kept me guessing through the whole book. Liked how the story evolved.
  • Miss Shezza
    4.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt, beautiful and easy to read....
    Reviewed in Australia on 25 February 2017
    This beautiful book tugged at the heart strings but also had me eagerly reading, as I wanted to know what was going to happen next - a great read!

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