Title: THROUGH THE WALL
Expected publication: out now
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
Book Description:
Lexie loves her home. She feels safe and secure in it – and
loved, thanks to her boyfriend Tom.
But recently, something’s not been quite right. A book out
of place. A wardrobe door left open. A set of keys going missing…
Tom thinks Lexie’s going mad – but then, he’s away more
often than he’s at home nowadays, so he wouldn’t understand.
Because Lexie isn’t losing it. She knows there’s someone out
there watching her. And, deep down, she knows there’s nothing she can do to make
them stop…
My musings:
I always find it fascinating to hear what inspired an author
to write a particular story, and Caroline Corcoran’s acknowledgements are
particularly moving, as she recounts her struggles with infertility treatments
and complications after giving birth. Whilst I was reading the story, I was
deeply moved by the emotional depth the author had lent her character of Lexie,
whose grief and despair over her inability to conceive really touched me. It
came of little surprise to me that the author had obviously channelled some of
her own emotions into her characters, which really added substance to them.
THROUGH THE WALL is the story of two women who live next
door to one another in an apartment complex, but have never officially met. The
walls are thin, and tenants can hear their neighbours going about their daily
lives. As each woman is dealing with personal issues and emotional pain, they
soon form a picture of their elusive neighbour, endowing them with the very
things they are missing in their own lives. From the snippets of music and
partying coming from next door, Lexie is convinced that Harriet is more
beautiful and confident than herself, and must surely have her life together.
Whilst Harriet, who is drowning her own sorrows in alcohol and meaningless
parties, is convinced that Lexie has everything she has ever wanted but cannot
have: a loyal husband, a harmonious family life, friends and a fulfilling
career. With those pictures in mind, each woman is envious of the other. Only
one of them will act on it.
I found the premise of neighbours who have never met but
have formed a vivid picture of the other fascinating and could easily imagine
how this would cause discord and envy. Especially with social media, which only
shows the best snapshots of daily life, carefully editing out all the ugly bits
– how easy it is to imagine that someone else has the perfect life, whilst we
struggle on a daily basis! Each woman is dealing with issues relevant today.
Harriet, who has recently come out of an abusive relationship is still
struggling with self esteem and the loss of the life she had pictured for
herself and her fiancé. Lexie has become so focused on wanting a baby that
everything else has become unimportant, including her husband and her career.
In their own way, each woman has become obsessive over what they want but cannot
have, projecting these fears and insecurities on their neighbour. A fascinating
if scary concept!
THROUGH THE WALL was not a feel-good read, and readers who
are sensitive to issues of domestic abuse and infertility should tread
carefully here. I admit that at times the sheer despair and hopelessness each
woman experienced made for tough reading, even though the slow unravelling of
the mystery kept me reading on eagerly to find out the answers. Living in a
small town where everyone knows each other’s business I found it difficult to
imagine not knowing your immediate neighbour, and it made me grateful not to
live in a city.
Summary:
All in all, THROUGH THE WALL was an intriguing character-driven
mystery revolving around two women who believe that “the grass is always
greener”, in this case projecting all their lost hopes and dreams onto the picture
they have formed of their elusive neighbour. Dealing with issues such as
infertility, grief, domestic abuse and mental illness, it sometimes made for
tough reading but was offset by complex characters and a contemporary big city
setting.
Thank
you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the free electronic copy of this novel and
for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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