The Bottle of Tears by Nick Alexander

☆☆☆☆
ebook, 365 pages
Published August 1st 2019 by Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union Publishing
About the Book:
They all lived through that terrible Christmas. The problem is, they remember it differently. Sisters Penny and Victoria seem to have nothing in common—except perhaps envy. Penny seems blessed with a perfect work-life balance, though only she knows how underpaid and underappreciated she is, while Victoria appears to have everything she could wish for— along with a growing list of neuroses that keep her teetering on the brink of breakdown. For years the sisters have been at odds for reasons they don’t quite understand. What they do know is that everything changed on Christmas Eve 1976, when a shocking chain of events fractured the family forever. But when a fresh tragedy strikes, it becomes clear that Victoria remembers a lot more about that horrific day than she’s letting on. As secrets from their childhood are forced to the surface, the sisters must confront the shadows of the past together. Because, as they come to learn, as long as the truth remains bottled up, their relationships with each other, and to the past, can never heal.

It has been awhile since a story has moved me to tears. Kudos to Nick Alexander for writing such a captivating tale. He captured, so eloquently and poignantly, how heart wrenching losing a loved one is in the context of a beautiful story spanning decades....devastating and hopeful at the same time because life constantly moves on, people come and go from your life and good can sometimes come from bad.

Not often do I read a book in which nearly everyone is depicted as both flawed and heroic. Not even the apparent villains in this complicated story turn out to be bad people. They are all people facing dilemmas and suffering from baggage. Nick Alexander supplies all the major characters with a striking depth of decency to offset their mistakes. The writing is good too. I enjoyed Nick Alexander's slow and careful build-up to the big plot climax.

The author takes you on a wonderful journey with rich characters and an intricately woven story that leave you emotionally invested in the outcome. I highly recommend this book, especially for the reader who is yearning for something that doesn't appear to have been written according to a formula. It will leave you delighted. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley, Nick Alexander, Amazon Publishing UK and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

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