‘Balancing family, fertility treatments, and a surprising friendship,
Susan finds solace in Mae.
Will digging into Mae’s past bring closure?’
– Meeting Mae (Publisher Quote)
[ About Meeting Mae ]
Susan Quinn is distracted as she’s driving through a rat run one dark January night and nearly runs elderly Mae over. Sharp-tongued and feisty, Mae sends Susan off with a flea in her ear. However, seeing Mae struggling with her shopping weeks later, Susan offers her a lift home and finds that Mae’s wicked sense of humour and no-nonsense attitude make a difficult day better.
Susan adores her two girls, but she and her husband Declan have always wanted a large bustling family. Life, however, threw a spanner in the works and now fertility treatment is needed for number three. When their first round of IUI fails, Susan’s best friend Gayle is supportive. But, busy with her own young family, anything more than a hassled ten-minute conversation with her is a miracle.
Mae, however, has the time to listen. The women confide in each other as Susan continues the fight for that elusive third child. Then, under stress and emotional, she impulsively begins to meddle in Mae’s past with devastating consequences.
Should the past be left alone? Or does the truth really set you free?
[ My Review ]
Meeting Mae by Karen O’Connor published July 2024 with Poolbeg Press and is described as ‘a story of unexpected bonds’. Somewhat inspired by the author’s own personal experiences, Meeting Mae is a novel that pulls at all the heartstrings and more as we get acquainted with Susan, Declan and Mae.
On paper Susan Quinn has it all. She has two beautiful young daughters, her husband is the manager of a local DIY store, she has her best friend Gayle by her side and a job that she doesn’t find too stressful. Declan was her teenage sweetheart and through the years their love has never faded. But Susan isn’t happy. As only children, herself and Declan always wanted plenty of kids running under their feet. They love their daughters but they have room in their hearts for a third child. But nature has other plans with another pregnancy proving too much of a challenge. The couple start on fertility treatment but with little success, Susan is sad and frustrated. She feels a failure. She feels she is disappointing Declan and she blames herself.
Mae is an elderly lady living close by who Susan accidentally crosses paths with one blustery winter’s evening, when in her car. Their initial interaction isn’t the most pleasant but a few weeks later Susan sees Mae again and decides to make amends. She helps Mae home with her shopping but, when Susan approaches Mae’s home, she is overtaken by an emotional reaction that unexpectedly proves to be the beginning of the most beautiful friendship.
Susan finds peace and wisdom while in the company of Mae. Mae is a gentle presence in Susan’s life and a budding relationship develops between the two women. Secrets are shared, both opening up to each other over time about their past. Mae is a wonderful elderly lady with an inspirational view on life, a non-judgemental individual who listens with a caring ear and provides a shoulder when needed. Susan is a woman craving for another baby but silently telling herself she is not worthy. Susan has her own deep secrets but unburdening to Mae has helped lift some of the pain. Likewise Mae reveals her own shocking story to Susan but Susan starts to interfere without Mae’s permission with a very unpredicted outcome. Can Susan hold everything together? Can her relationship with Declan survive? Will Mae forgive her for her lapse in judgement?
My heart broke on numerous occasions while reading Meeting Mae. As the relationship strengthened between Susan and Mae, it was like watching a flower slowly blossom as they circumnavigated obstacles and shared heart wrenching experiences. Karen O’Connor highlights multiple themes throughout that will resonate with many women but she writes with a very compassionate pen. Meeting Mae is a very impressive debut with characters that jump off the pages. We all need a friend like Mae. We all need that open-minded and loyal individual in our lives who just accepts us with all our faults. I loved reading about the gorgeous relationship that developed between Susan and Mae, but I especially loved meeting Mae. Discover the joy of this captivating tale by picking up a copy of Meeting Mae and immersing yourself in this tender and delightful novel. (and as a bonus it has a extremely pretty cover!!)
** Thank you to Paula in Poolbeg for sending me a copy of Meeting Mae in return for my honest review.
[ Bio ]
Karen O’Connor grew up in Palmerstown, a suburb of Dublin, but now lives in Co. Kildare with her two younger daughters. When Karen isn’t bust writing, she loves walking in nature with her dog Reggie, catching up with friends, or drinking an inordinate amount of tea and reading a good book.
Meeting Mae is her debut novel.
X ~ @KarenOCC75
