My Husband the Stranger by Rebecca Done was a book that had been sat on my shelf for an awful long time before I finally picked it up. Despite not being a particularly upbeat read, this was a novel that touched me in a way that I honestly did not expect in the slightest. From beginning to end I found it to be such a beautiful and sensitively written novel that captured the true meaning behind how extremely possible it is to find love in the face of adversity.
Within this novel we are introduced to Alex and Molly who first meet whilst on a night out in London. With it being love at first sight, it’s not long before they marry eachother with a life of hope and a long and happy future ahead of them. That is until one fateful night when Alex has a terrible accident, which leaves Alex with brain damage. Having promised to love Alex in sickness and in health, as he becomes unrecognisable before her eyes Molly’s resolve is soon tested. Can she learn to love the man who Alex has become?
With each chapter being told from the perspective of a different character and alternating between the past and the present, I felt that I really got to know Alex and Molly as individuals and became really engrossed in their story extremely quickly. I felt a huge amount of admiration for Molly’s character and as the book progressed there were many times when I felt like I was walking in her shoes, thanks to the fantastic way in which Rebecca really captured her emotions. Throughout the entirety of the book, I couldn’t help but wonder what I would do if I was in Molly’s position.
My Husband the Stranger is not your standard love story but is instead one that has a real substance and depth to it. Despite not being a particularly fast-paced read, I thought that it was an incredibly well written book that really reflected how life can feel when faced with a challenging situation, how there’s no easy way out or quick solution. To write a book such as My Husband the Stranger you really need to have researched your subject matter and it’s evident that Rebecca has done this, creating something that seems to incredibly real and also so sensitively written.
An emotive, powerful and hugely thought-provoking read, My Husband the Stranger is a book that I’m so thoroughly glad to have read. It was one of those stories that I know will stay with me, one that I know I won’t be able to forget for a long time to come. My Husband the Stranger was the first book of Rebecca’s that I’ve ever read but I’m really looking forward to reading more by her in the future.
