The Art of Hiding has been on my Netgalley list for far too long, so my apologies to the author and publisher for that. It was absolutely worth the wait though!

This is a thought provoking story. One which certainly made me think about what I would do if I found myself in Nina’s position, but I guess none of us know unless we have had to face such devastation.

Nina is a very relatable and likeable character. She’s a housewife/stay-at-home mother with two sons and a husband who earns enough for her to take care of their large home. We don’t have a large home, but I have been lucky enough to be able to stay at home to bring our two children up and I will always be grateful for that. We had to make sacrifices for me to do so, in the early years, but we always managed, and things have become more comfortable as time has gone on. My children are now grown up and I have been back in work, part-time, since October and I totally related to Nina’s frustrating job search. Having a large gap in employment makes it so difficult for mothers to get back in to work. It’s quite ridiculous really. Everyone wants experience but no-one wants to give you any! Even cleaning vacancies wanted NVQ level two and at least two years experience. Twenty years as a housewife apparently isn’t sufficient!! I did have to smile to myself when being a cleaner is mentioned in Nina’s desperation to find a job, because who would seriously be a cleaner if they had any other choice?? Me! I’m part of a lovely housekeeping team in an elderly residential home, very near to where I live, and I couldn’t be happier. It always frustrates me when it’s portrayed as a last resort, if all else fails job, but that’s just a personal thing.

Anyway, I did really feel for Nina. I can’t even begin to imagine how I would move on from losing my husband so suddenly and finding out my whole life as I know it will be no more. I guess, like Nina, my children would give me the strength to face independence with courage and determination. I can only hope I would be so strong. She is quite an inspiration.

The boys are lovely characters also. They made me smile a lot throughout this story and my heart truly went out to them.

I liked Tiggy too, she’s a bit feisty.

This book is a character driven tale of devastating loss and finding a light at the end of a seemingly long, dark tunnel. The emotion, at times, is almost palpable and I think this family’s story will make most readers think about their own lives and what is really important to them.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via Netgalley.