Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I was a bit scared to read this book, there some books by de Vigan that I love beyond description and some that did not work for me at all and I just did not want to be disappointed. I shouldn't have fretted for 9 months, I should have read it instantly because it was exactly what I wanted to read. I loved it. The sense of friendship and made family, the contemplation on what "thankful" actual means, the way we "seem to lose" ourselves as we get older and no one seems to be able to see anymore the person we once were. All of that in this short little book, utterly packing a punch. Loved it.

Such a gem of a book, more of a novella than a novel. It is beautifully written, heartbreaking and full of sensitivity. The translation of aphasic speech is particularly impressive - another excellent piece of work from the amazing Delphine de Vigan.

Delphine de Vigan is a surprising writer in that she never writes the same book twice.
Unlike her previous thrillers, this is a brief, heartfelt novel about an elderly woman confronting aphasia (difficulty with language/inability to remember or use words correctly, usually the result of a head injury or stroke), the younger woman who visits her, and the speech therapist who works with her. The emotion here never feels laboured and the translation is faultless. Highly recommended.

A sensitive, reflective book about a lady called Mishka who, as she gets older, finds she’s losing her ability to communicate effectively.
The characters are sensitively drawn and it describes well the different relationships as well as the fear felt by Mishka as she experiences the frustrations of becoming old; the fear of memory loss, falling. It’s a well told, poignant read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting tale with some good writing. However, it was formatted with random numbers throughout which made it near impossible to read.
An OK read.

I’ve read one other novel by Delphine de Vigan, which was auto-fiction and delved into lives affected by a bi-polar parent. A later novel also sat on the edge of fiction and real life, a novel of suspense where a friendship becomes obsessive and perhaps dangerous.

Gratitude feels like a departure from that style of writing, there’s nothing haunting or tense here, no tactics to turn the page faster.

More reflective, it considers the dilemma of ageing on three people: childless, unmarried Michka who was orphaned at the age of seven, near the end of her life; Marie, a young woman who lived upstairs, who has become like family to her; and Jérôme, the resident speech therapist who visits and is touched by Michka’s way of being, as he attempts to retrain her mind to find the lost words.

It’s a relatively simple tale told from the perspective of two people, one whose connections go back many years, the other who meets her for the first time in the care home. Both are equally important, reminding me of the beginning of that saying…

"People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you will know exactly what to do."

How To Express Gratitude

It is Marie who in the opening pages questions what it means to have gratitude and how to show it to someone who has been important in one’s life. She reflects on Michka’s life and their final interactions, in search of evidence of her gratitude. Jérôme wishes there was a forewarning system, to let us know when someone’s time is imminent, even though he works with the elderly, he suffers from the shock of their departure.

The narrative switches between the two as first Marie recalls the day everything changed, when Michka lost her independence and then moments are shared while she is in care, Michka’s conversation affected by her aphasia, the impairment of her use of language, other words jump ahead pushing out the one she wishes to say.

The admission interview for the nursing home demonstrates the terror and horror of entry, as if going for a job interview for a job you never wanted in the first place, made to feel like you might be rejected. The director reminds her that it’s the same with everything in life – whatever you do, there are tests, interviews, competitions, exams, assessments, evaluations, grading. It is necessary to show your dedication, commitment, motivation and determination.

In the second half as more and more words disappear or malfunction, a sense of urgency arises.

Attaining Completion, Resolution

It is a slice of life and a look into that part of it that is imperfect, that part when some have to be at the mercy of others, in a facility that diminishes the end, possibly brings it on more quickly.

Michka has an unresolved matter to deal with and in her sessions with Jérome, which she often sabotages to question him about his father, she tells him of her regret, the thing she is unable to do for herself. Time is running out.

Gratitude is a life-affirming read, even if there are sad undertones, showing there exist all manner of souls around, those that want to hurry us along, and those that without expectation of reward, are willing to go out of their way to help another. And the importance of fulfilling those wishes for another.

Gratitude is a short, sad - yet hopeful tale, which looks at the idea of thanks, being thankful and how we go about showing such gratitudes.

The story is rather brief but it packs a punch.

This novel follows three separate characters. Michka, an elderly woman who is now confronting aphasia (difficulty with language/inability to remember or use words correctly. Marie, a younger lady, who I infer to be someone who wasn't just a neighbour, but perhaps Michka thought of as her responsibility over the years and now the tables have turned in that relationship. And then there is Michka's speech therapist, who works with her in the care home in which she now resides.

They say don't judge a book by its cover and this is definitely the case here. I assumed what was within the pages would be a dark, thrilling tale. However what I discovered was something that was much more poignant.

What I read was extremely authentic. Throughout I experienced feelings of hopefulness, fondness (of Michka and her speech therapist's friendship) and tenderness.

What makes this book even more impressive is the fact that it has been translated from French. The book flows perfectly.

There was a real depth to the words that Delphine used, the characters emotions lifting out of the book as I read. It was heartwarming to see such devotions to others. That glimpse of kindness that more of us should show to one another.

In the end I was smiling through slow tears because yes Gratitude does contain grief but it also presents us with truth, love and a real sense of calm.

Gratitude is a quietly beautiful read.

A tender story of an old woman loosing the ability to speak and to remember. Poignant and heartbreaking.

This is an incredibly quiet, sad book about Michka, a woman who at the start of the novel has to go to a nursing home - the book charts her struggle with memory loss and recalling words. You follow two main perspectives: Marie, a young woman with whom Michka has a very close relationship because of how Michka helped her in the past, and her speech therapist Jérôme, as they visit and try to help Michka settle a debt she has been carrying for a long time.

I loved Loyalties by Delphine de Vigan and this is written in a similar way, with simple but beautiful prose. It reminded me of The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa; both are about memory loss (of very different kinds) and the way they are written somehow evoke the gradual fading that the characters are experiencing. The writing almost feels thin, like it’s slipping away from you. It’s very short with a narrow scope - you barely leave Michka’s room at the home for the duration, with only three main characters talking, revealing little things and hiding others. There is no drama or plot really, which I loved - it’s just a little look into a life, with reflection on ageing, how we dehumanise elderly people, telling stories and (obviously) gratitude. I loved it all.

Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy.

‘Ageing is growing used to loss.’ This is a sensitive and poignant exploration of ageing, devotion, relationships, love and gratitude. How do you really thank someone for being such an important feature of your life?

Michka is an elderly lady who is suffering from aphasia (an inability to recall words or use them correctly). Marie is her younger neighbour who takes care of her until a series of falls mean that Michka has to move into a care home. Jerome is a speech therapist at the home who works with her. Michka is trying to find a couple who sheltered her, as a child, during the Second World War, but she only knows them as Nicole and Henri. Marie was cared for by Michka when she was a child and knows that, without her, her life would have been very different. Jerome has unresolved issues with his father.

The narrative in this novel is so well executed and I have to say that the translation from French is impeccable. The way that Michka muddles her words (‘fossibly’ for ‘possibly’ for example) is seamlessly translated into English which must have been quite a challenge. The characters are beautifully drawn and I really felt for their individual situations. This is a tender read with a slow reveal and some gentle humour. ‘Gratitude’ will stay with me for a long while.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A little gem of book that is beautifully written.
Michka, an elderly woman, struggling to live on her own is taken into care. She suffers from aphasia which means she has difficulty finding the right words and often uses the wrong words which leads to some humorous conversations. Jerome, a speech therapist, tries to help her and gives her language exercises. Marie, a young pregnant mother, who was a neighbour also visits Michka.
Michka longs to get in touch with a family that brought her up when her mother had to go away. The novel slowly reveals the circumstances that led to her mother leaving her and her connection with Marie. I couldn’t fail to be moved by Michka’s situation, ending up in a care home and frustrated at losing the ability to find the right words to converse which was countered by the warmth afforded to her by Marie and Jerome. Delphine de Vigan has crafted a beautiful, moving story that I enjoyed and would recommend even though I finished the novel with a tear in my eye (which doesn’t happen very often).

A brief, poignant novel about an elderly woman confronting aphasia (difficulty with language/inability to remember or use words correctly, usually the result of a head injury or stroke), the younger woman who visits her, and the speech therapist who works with her. I can be somewhat resistant to stories which feel like they're explicitly trying to elicit an emotional response from the reader; here, however, I had to admit that by the end, even my withered heartstrings had been tugged a little. With that said, I wish I'd been able to spend more time getting to know the characters in greater depth. I love de Vigan's writing, and having read Nothing Holds Back the Night it's easy to see the echoes of her own experiences here, as in all her work; but her recent novels have been too short to truly have a lasting impact, and I'd like her to go back to the kind of meaty, layered storytelling seen in Based on a True Story.

I love Delphine de Vigan so I requested this before I even knew what it was about - especially as the goodreads description is in French!

This is a short, Sharp, sad and beautiful book. It’s a book about love and loss and gratitude and forgiveness and memory and getting older.

It’s the story of Michka who is living in a nursing home at the end of her life. It’s told by Michka herself, her friend Marie and her speech therapist, Jerome.

This is a beautiful, short story which I read in an hour or so. I just wish it had been longer!

A sad haunting story that will not be to everyone’s taste.. The endings of a life, the book starts and finishes very quickly with very little happening as trapped in care with no independence. And yet memories crowd the empty days and disturbing dreams fill the nights. A child left with good Samaritans to evade capture by German soldiers. Many years later, caring for an abandoned child herself as if reliving her own circumstances and repaying two strangers protection by wrapping herself around someone else’s child. The days in a nursing home now become a frightening reality of inching towards the end and too little time to give thanks to nameless strangers for her survival many years in the past. And as speech disappears memories become more vivid and real. This clever articulate writer has used less words to tell a story through thoughts and emotions that somehow warms the heart, touches the soul, and allows a life well lived to end in comfort and love. Too sad for words but ultimately uplifting in the strength and survival of the human spirit against insurmountable tragedy and loss.

•thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review•

Michka is losing her words. One day, she wakes up and she’s not able to express herself as she would like to anymore. She’s diagnosed with an early-stage aphasia and she is moved to a care home because she can’t be left alone anymore. In this last stage of her life, Michka tries desperately to keep her words and to find the two people that took care of her when she was a child, because now she wants to say all the “thank you” she never said. At the same time, Marie takes care of her as much as she can, even though she’s not her relative. Nevertheless, Michka has done a lot for Marie in the past, and she can’t forget it. And then there is Jerôme, the speech therapist, that enters Michka’s life to help her to protect her own words.
This novel has a very simple structure, with only three main characters and not so many events, but it is a little gem. De Vigan’s prose is delicate and poetic as always, which is the main reason why I really like her. She makes you think a lot but, at the same time, she entertains you without patronising your thoughts. I enjoyed Gratitude and I would definitely recommend.

A story of an old lady nearing the end of her life, losing the ease with language that she had enjoyed using throughout a long career reading and proofreading. She realises time is short if she is going to put right the nagging feeling that she hasn’t properly thanked the people who made her survival into a happy, fulfilled life possible. With the help of her friends, will she manage this before time runs out for her?

That’s the message - tell people thank you before it’s too late. I found this all a little one-dimensional and unengaging. I would say that Michka’s back story was thin and not unexpected, *spoiler* and that playing the Holocaust card was a cheap ploy without giving that element of the story way more depth and meaning.

Full credit to the translator, though, in showing how Michka attempts to recall words but slides off just short of the right one. I’ve no idea how they read in French, but in the English translation they were entertaining.

A disappointment given my enjoyment of the other book I’ve read by this author and not one I’d particularly recommend.