BLOG BLITZ REVIEW – The Pelican by M. Naidoo

Blurb:

“Because life is about living…”

Julia has never been one to surrender without a fight, but when she receives a devastating diagnosis, she has a decision to make.

Even after thirty years, she can still see her mother slowly fading away with every dose of chemo, every round of radiation, and every lost shred of hope. No, she won’t do it… not to her family… and not to herself!

Without warning, she packs up her belongings and disappears, leaving behind a life that, by all accounts, had been as perfect as they come, and a distraught family full of questions.

Finding peace in a beach house in Northern California turns out to have its complications though. While only a handful of other residents share the tiny beach community, each one has brought their own baggage and developed their own way of dealing with it. All Julia wants is to be left alone, but that simply does not seem to be an option, especially when there’s a persistent bird that declares her to be his new best friend.

Haunted by the shadows of the past, Julia is struggling to cope with the present. Will she have the strength to do this alone and eventually follow through with her plan? Will her family, divided by mixed reactions to being abandoned, come together to try and track her down? And what is the deal with that pelican of hers?

Only time will tell – and time is the one thing Julia does not have…

A gentle and moving story that looks at one woman’s decision to take control of how to deal with a devastating diagnosis after having witnessed her mother having to go through the same thing, years before.

Told from differing perspectives, Julia, who is ill, her husband and children, Rachel, her best friend and the new friends she makes at the beach-house she moves to, we see how illness is perceived by the various individuals in a person’s life. Do we owe something to those we love, or should we be permitted to deal with our anguish and pain on our own if we wish? How do our past hurts impact us later in life, and how do they affect our attitudes to future relationships?

This story investigates different family dynamics: 3 families, all suffering, all choosing to deal with their challenges in vastly different ways, and all offering each other something without even knowing they’re doing so!

Naidoo’s descriptions of Julia’s coastal retreat are soothing and calming and one can almost imagine being there, walking along the beach, inhaling the salty air and communing with the pelicans!

4 stars for this beautifully sensitive read.

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Germany, M.Naidoo lives in Northern California with her husband, two daughters, and three dogs. One of them, Dusty, a spunky terrier mix, found its way into her debut novel.
When she is not in front of her computer, pounding out story lines and characters, she enjoys reading, movies, spending time with her family, and long walks on the beach – her proverbial ‘happy place’. M’s love for the beach and ocean shine through in the vivid descriptions of the coast in The Pelican.

“Juggling my life as a writer and a full-time ‘real’ job has its challenges. I don’t get to spend half as much time as I’d like doing what I love, and there are never enough hours in the day. Still, I feel extremely lucky to be following my passion, and I am enjoying every minute of it. Getting here has been one heck of a ride!”

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.com/Pelican-M-Naidoo-ebook/dp/B074DTBMZQ/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pelican-M-Naidoo-ebook/dp/B074DTBMZQ/

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-pelican-4

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-pelican-m-naidoo/1129330070?ean=2940161877258

For duration of tour – The Pelican will be £1.99 on Amazon UK (and US)

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMNaidoo/

https://www.instagram.com/authormnaidoo/

https://twitter.com/authormnaidoo

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me along on this lovely blog blitz. Why not follow along and see what these bloggers have to say about The Pelican …