The Two Lives of Lydia Bird

I started with 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘺𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥  out of my ginormous library stack and ended up staying awake waaaay past my bedtime reading, because I just could not put this book down till I finished it! Josie Silver is definitely a writer who writes from the heart. Just wow!

Freddie and Lydia. They’d been together for more than a decade and Lydia thought their love was indestructible. But she was wrong. On Lydia’s twenty-eighth birthday, Freddie died in a car accident.

All Lydia wants is to hide indoors and sob until her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to try to live happily even without him. With the help of his best friend, Jonah, and her sister, Elle, she takes her first steps into the world.

Then something inexplicable happens that gives her another chance at her old life with Freddie.

Lydia’s tale is a story of loss and heart wrenching grief, not just for her but for those around her too. The plot is about having to go on with a life after a huge life altering/gut-wrenching loss, not sure what path to even look at in your life, and then ultimately find a way through to a new beginning. I loved this book!

And here’s what I loved about it: from the narrative structure which allows you to be whisked away and to feel a part of the two lives that Lydia is living; the unconditional love she shares with her family and friends and the stability that they provide in her sorrow and that one friend who painfully reminds her of their past and lost love, but pivotal in her moving on and hoping for a future that she didn’t think could or would exist.

Even more, I loved the magical element that was the foundation for the story, and also how it helped Lydia’s character develop, grow and discover her own growth and strength.

This is a book that you will want to read in one sitting. It will have you holding your breath, laughing and crying. My favorite was how the ending leaves you content in the knowledge that things will be brighter and hopeful, but also leaves you yearning for more.

This is my first time reading a book by Silver and I’m already looking forward to reading another one of her wonderful books!