Thursday 21 February 2019

The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood by Susan Elliot Wright



What has happened to Cornelia Blackwood?
She has a loving marriage. But she has no friends.
Everyone knows her name. But no one will speak to her now.
Cornelia Blackwood has unravelled once before. Can she stop it from happening again?

From a supremely talented storyteller, The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood is a powerful novel of motherhood, loss and loneliness and how we can make damaging choices when pushed to our emotional edge. A paperback bestseller with her debut novel, The Things We Never Said, and nominated for an RNA Award in 2014, Susan Elliot Wright has written a truly important novel that explores the dark depths of psychosis with honesty and sensitivity.


Title: The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood
Author: Susan Elliot Wright
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 21st February 2019
Links:  UK:   Amazon        Waterstones
             US:   Amazon


Our Review

Shocking and heartbreakingly poignant. 

I wish I could say that this book has a happy ending but sadly it doesn't. What it does provide is a sensitive and raw description of a woman in the grip of psychosis. I also wish I could say that things like this don't happen in real life but unfortunately they do.

This is a story of the struggles of motherhood when everything goes wrong. An honest and unflinching account of a new mum who suffers from a severe mental illness. 

The circumstances of Leah’s life are written in detail as the story switches from now to then and helps us to develop a deep empathy for her and an understanding of why she does what she does. Why don't people talk to her? What could she have done that would break her so irreparably? It's very easy to judge Cornelia Blackwood but this story shows that we all need to try to be a bit more understanding and hope that women suffering from this diabolic and destructive illness can find help.

Although we hear a lot about mental illnesses in the news lately, I haven't heard so much about this particular illness, probably because no one wants to talk about it. So whilst this is such a tragic story it's a really important subject to raise awareness about this cruel illness. 

Totally gripping throughout. 

Sincerely
Book Angel x


About the Author

Susan Elliot Wright grew up in Lewisham in south-east London. Before becoming a full-time writer, she did a number of different jobs, including civil servant, cleaner, dishwasher, journalist, and chef.  She has an MA in writing from Sheffield Hallam University, where she is now an associate lecturer, and she lives in Sheffield with her husband. She is the author of The Things We Never Said and the Secrets We Left Behind. To find out more, visit her website: http:/www.susanelliotwright.co or follow her on Twitter @sewelliot.


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