Pity Party by Daisy Buchanan

I regularly listen to Daisy's podcast - 'You're booked' and I've also read one of her previous novels so I was intrigued when I saw this latest book and the title grabbed my attention.

In Pity Party, we meet Katherine. She is a young widow whose husband dies in an accident. Katherine's adorable mother-in-law and  best friend decide the best course of action is to send her on a retreat to help her deal with what on the surface looks like the grief she's experiencing following the recent changes in her life. But is Katherine ready to let out all the emotions she's holding onto and share them with the other retreat participants? What unravels is a book about loss, grief, guilt, love, motherhood, family and the importance of belonging and being brave enough to let go and discover who you are and what you truly desire.

On the surface, the story is not a complex one, but like a swan swimming, there's lots going on underneath.

Daisy is a contemporary writer who creates engaging flawed characters that the reader can connect with and where we recognise pieces of ourselves in their psychological make-up. Big issues and themes are handled with a light touch and humour. There were real laugh out loud moments in this book especially when Katherine embarks on some primal screaming during the retreat. As well as connecting with her, I loved the other characters in particular her mother-in-law, the retreat room mate from hell that we've all met in real life as well as the retreat leader.

This book certainly made me laugh, but it also has some poignant moments.

4.5 stars