* I received an advance copy of Ten Days from the publisher, Kensington via NetGalley.

It’s confirmed. I like writing that is spare, concise but still full of meaning and warmth. Big, long, flowery sentences don’t necessarily equal meaning and warmth (the exception is Emily Perkins’ masterpiece, The Forrests). When I was in high school I had a fabulous English teacher who would rap us over the knuckles (not literally) when she saw us reaching for the thesaurus – “Just use your own words,” she’d say, “I don’t want a fruit salad.” Can you see where this review is heading?

Ten Days by Janet Gilsdorf is the story of Anna and Jake, married for six years with a three-year-old, Chris, and baby Eddie. Anna is a teacher and Jake an orthopedic surgeon – their life is full of the ordinary routine (and daily grind) that goes with raising kids, running a household and holding down a job. Then one night, Eddie gets sick.

When Anna phones Jake at work to seek advice, he reassures her that Eddie has just caught her cold. But with the morning light comes the terrible realisation that Eddie is seriously ill (meningitis). Guilt-ridden and shell-shocked, Anna doesn’t leave Eddie’s bedside in the ICU where he teeters between life and death. In the days that follow Eddie’s diagnosis, grief gives way to recrimination and accusations. Continue reading →