If You Were Here

An uplifting, feel-good story – full of life, love and hope!

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Pub Date 6 Jun 2020 | Archive Date 1 May 2019

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Description

If You Were Here is a moving and emotional story about facing a life-altering dilemma head-on and summoning the courage to cope with it' JILL MANSELL

'A beautiful story about living life to the fullest and having the courage to overcome adversity' PAIGE TOON

When her daughter Beth dies suddenly, Peggy Andrews is left to pick up the pieces and take care of her granddaughter Flo. But sorting through Beth’s things reveals a secret never told: Beth was sick, with the same genetic condition that claimed her father’s life, and now Peggy must decide whether to keep the secret or risk destroying her granddaughter’s world.
 
Five years later, Flo is engaged and moving to New York with her fiancé. Peggy never told her what she discovered, but with Flo looking towards her future, Peggy realises it’s time to come clean and reveal that her granddaughter’s life might also be at risk.
 
As Flo struggles to decide her own path, she is faced with the same life-altering questions her mother asked herself years before: if a test could decide your future, would you take it?
 
An emotional, inspiring and uplifting novel, IF YOU WERE HERE will break your heart and put it back together again. The brand new novel from the acclaimed author of A Song for Tomorrow, perfect for fans of Hannah Beckerman, Dani Atkins and Jill Mansell

EVERYONE is talking about If You Were Here:

'A moving, beautifully written emotional roller coaster of a book that is utterly absorbing' Heat

'If You Were Here is a powerful, moving and well researched multi-generational tale filled with characters you really care about and who will stay with you long after you read the final page. A must read!' MIKE GAYLE, bestselling author of The Man I Think I Know

'The decision to live in blissful ignorance or face reality head-on is at the emotional core of this beautifully written tale' WOMAN

‘A compelling story about family love at its most complicated. Alice has created characters with real warmth and heart, who take on a life of their own and will go on existing in readers' heads long after the last page has been turned’ DAISY BUCHANAN

‘A courageous story, beautifully told, full of hope and heart. I was invested from the very first page’ HEIDI SWAIN

'An emotional, thought-provoking romance told with compassion and hope’ My Weekly
 
'A gorgeous book. Life-affirming, clever and packed full of emotion’ ANSTEY HARRIS, bestselling author of The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton

‘A thought-provoking, beautiful book’ Fabulous

'Alice demonstrates yet again a remarkable ability to open up her readers' hearts and draw us into her story as if it were our own. I loved it' KATE FURNIVALL

Full of heart-warming characters, it’ll make you think about how much you want to know about your future’ Prima

'A beautiful story about making difficult choices, but ultimately - about choosing to live' RACHEL CULLEN, author of Running for my Life

'An unforgettable rollercoaster of a book' AMANDA BROOKE

’Stunning and captivating’ KATIE MARSH
, bestselling author of This Beautiful Life

'A beautifully structured, big-hearted novel which ultimately explores how true love - be that romantic, familial and everything in between - conquers all. I looked forward to going to bed every night to read it. Utterly life-affirming and just gorgeous' KATY REGAN
If You Were Here is a moving and emotional story about facing a life-altering dilemma head-on and summoning the courage to cope with it' JILL MANSELL

'A beautiful story about living life to...

Available Editions

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ISBN 9781471153525
PRICE CA$35.00 (CAD)

Average rating from 45 members


Featured Reviews

Read and reviewed thanks to a free copy from NetGalley. When it came to reading this, I wasn't sure what to expect, as I came to it not remembering at all what the description had been, however, I loved it. Peterson wrote authentic, complex, generally likeable characters and told the story well using two narrators, but also in the form of diary entries from the deceased character Beth. This was a moving story which posed a really interesting question and the effect of difficult situations on relationships with family and friends, highlighting the importance of that, which I appreciate as so often it seems like the emphasis is on romantic relationships; it didn't end how I expected, but I think that worked in its favour. I'd like to read more by this author.

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This is such a heat rending novel dealing with a serous subject and ultimately a moral dilemma. Well researched and written sensitively. I was really moved at times reading this.

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Peggy Andrews lives with her husband and daughter. Hers is a very happy marriage and their daughter Beth is the icing on the cake. She is wonderful in every way: all they could have dreamed for. They live life to the full, making loads of happy memories. When her husband first becomes ill the symptoms are only mild. But inevitably it becomes more of a concern when his condition deteriorates. He has Huntington's disease, also known as Huntington's chorea, which is an inherited disorder that results in death of brain cells and ultimately the sufferer dies as well. Peggy is a dedicated and enthusiastic carer and their daughter Beth a great comfort. When he dies his wife and daughter are at his bedside.
When Beth grows up she has a daughter of her own who she names Florence. Flo means the world to her and Beth always means to tell Flo about her inherited Huntington's. Beth had undergone counselling herself when she was told about the cause of her father’s death because the chance of inheriting the disease is 50 /50. Peggy begged Beth not to take the test, fearing it would blight her life. She wanted Beth to have the very best life she could without fear.
Peggy doesn’t know how much more she can take when years later her beloved daughter Beth dies suddenly as she rushes into the road without looking. Peggy and Flo are totally devastated, their worlds rocked. But when Peg goes through her daughters belongings and discovers a hospital letter with the news that Beth had proved positive she can’t believe her eyes, because Beth had solemnly promised that she wouldn’t. Now the secret holder of Beth’s devastating news, Peg is in a dilemma as to whether she should she tell Flo or whether she should she keep the time bomb of a secret. She deliberates and deliberates until her decision is made. Yet to come in this heart breaking yet uplifting story is what happens next in Flo’s story. This is my favourite part of this rich and absorbing novel.
I adored this assured and compassionate novel told in three voices: Peggy’s, Flo’s and Beth’s voice, heard through Flo’s reading of her treasure trove of journals. The story is harrowing but also beautiful and rich in emotions. Alice Peterson’s story telling is vivid and magnificent; she oozes talent in examining the moral dilemmas. It is her special gift, her trademark. She always manages to delve inside a magic box and expose emotions hiding deeply within the heart and soul, richly adorning each of the three family member’s most private and intimate thoughts hidden beneath the surface. She reveals their secrets with integrity and empathy, taking into account their own points of view. Her characters are believable, relatable and brilliantly introduced and skilfully developed so that you really care about what happens and are desperate to find out the conclusion of their journeys. It enthralled me and kept me reading late into the night and then again early in the morning. I really loved every aspect of this novel and am happy to reveal my 5* review, so richly deserved.
I received a copy of this novel through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Simon & Schuster UK, all in return for an honest review. Thank you most sincerely for my copy. I recommend it as an excellent story for readers to enjoy.

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OMG Alice Peterson has done it again!! What an amazing story about a chronic and life debilitating illness.
The characters are so believable. The story line is amazing. As the story line unfolds you feel you are being pulled into their lives. Every character feels so real.

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At the start of 'If You Were Here', we are introduced to Peggy Andrews, who is struggling with a moral dilemma. Her husband died of Huntington's disease, a rare genetic disorder that has a 50/50 chance of being passed on to a child. Peggy was terrified at the thought that her daughter Beth may also have the condition, and so, when the opportunity for genetic testing was offered, she begged her not to have the rest, preferring to live in hope instead of fear.

Years later, Beth dies in a sudden accident, and after her death, Peggy finds a letter confirming her worst fear - Beth had secretly had the test, and been diagnosed with Huntington's. But she had told no one, least of all her own daughter Flo, who grew up blissfully unaware of her family's connection to Huntington's. In her mind, her grandpa died of 'some kind of Parkinson's', and her mother's death was a tragic accident, as Beth had hidden her own diagnosis and symptoms from her daughter.

Peggy is now faced with the awful reality of having to tell her granddaughter the truth about their family history, and even worse, the fact that she too may have inherited this disease, leaving Flo to face a heart-wrenching decision - should she follow in her mother's path, and also get tested for Huntington's?


I have to admit, 'If You Were Here' is exactly my kind of book. You know how everyone has that type of novel, where you can tell just from the tagline and a quick skim of the description that you'll love it? Yep, for me the description literally reads like an amalgamation of all of my favourite elements of a novel smushed into one. Family drama, moral conundrums, life altering decisions - what more could you want?

At the start of the novel, Peggy is debating whether to tell Flo about the potential for her to have the Huntington's gene, and while this section was interesting, I found the book really picked up once Peggy had told Flo, as the complexities of the choice facing Flo made for really heart-wrenching reading. If you'd have asked me before I'd read this book, I would have straight away said that of course I would take the test - surely being able to prepare is better? But in that sense this book was completely unbiased as to what the best option was, and Peterson put forward a really good case for both taking and not taking the test.

One of the real strengths of this book to me was the inclusion of multiples perspectives - chapters were written from the POV of Peggy, Flo, and later, diary entries written by Beth throughout her life. Beth's diary entries in particular were a great example of strong characterisation - her voice was so distinctive, and gave a real insight into the particular struggles of being raised by someone with a genetic condition which you fear you might also have. I also found it really interesting to read from the POV of a relative who did not have the condition and the heartbreak they experienced as a spectator (Peggy), and while some of her decisions/actions were difficult to understand, it did make my heart break for her to think how awful it must be, to have a condition tear such destruction throughout your entire family.

However, obviously the main character of the book in terms of plot is Flo, and the choice she has to face with regards to getting the test. I won't spoil whether she does or not, but I will say that her decision, and the path she takes to reach it, sparked a lot of conversation with family and friends, especially when a relative pointed out that a similar dilemma had also been faced by a family on Neighbours!

All in all, I was really impressed by 'If You Were Here' - it was a poignant, moving, and ultimately really life-affirming novel about the importance of living each day to the fullest and appreciating what you have while you have it. I'll end on one of my favourite quotes, that I feel really sums up the heart of this book:

'These days, people strive for perfection, not realising all they really need is health and happiness. A spotless kitchen isn't going to cut the mustard. A meal in a Michelin-starred restaurant won't either. It's the people sitting around your kitchen table who count.'

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Flo, newly engaged and looking to move to New York, is faced with a life changing dilemma. Unsure of which way to turn, Flo’s grandmother Peggy gives her diaries written by her late mother. After reading the diaries, and with the help of family and friends, Flo knows she has to make a decision which will change the course of her life forever.

A beautifully written story, at times heartbreaking, I would definitely recommend this book.

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Finding out in your 20's that you could be genetically predisposed to Huntington's is a devastating situation to be in, finding out that the people you love have kept this from you is unthinkable - this happened to Flo and led her on a journey of discovery; about her grandparents, her mother, her fiance and friends but most of all about herself.

Told from three perspectives, Flo herself, her grandmother Peggy and through reading the diaries of her dead mother Beth, If You Were Here is a moving account of a young woman faced with the possibility that her body is a ticking time bomb. Google searches tell Flo that she can take a test to find out whether she will develop Huntington's the dilemma is should she? - is it worse to fear becoming ill or to know for a fact that you will?

The writing is beautiful, the story is told with compassion, sensitivity and a sprinkling of humour. I have nothing but thanks and deep respect for this author who transported me slap bang into the lives of these wonderfully drawn characters. The sensitive handling of this story and the obvious research which went into this book utterly blew me away.

A book which I read in two sittings, which took me on the whole gauntlet of emotions and one I will be recommending far and wide - unreserved 5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and publisher Simon & Schuster UK for the ARC of this book and allowing me to submit my honest unbiased review.

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