If you like a book that breaks your heart and before putting it back together again, then Geraldine Verne’s Red Suitcase by Jane Riley is the summer read for you.
Geraldine Verne, a retired librarian, is recently widowed and struggling to cope without her beloved Jack, a butterfly enthusiast and specialist who she was married to for fifty years. She has lost all motivation in life and is a dishevelled wreck of her former self. Now Jack is gone and Geraldine is left with his ashes and a wish that they be scattered somewhere ‘exotic’ but as Geraldine is stricken with anxiety and can’t make it beyond her front door, Jack’s wish seems unlikely to happen.
Despite the book beautifully detailing the different stages of grief it is ultimately an uplifting celebration of life, love, unlikely friendships and the people who stick by you during hard times. Jack’s indomitable spirit, sense of adventure and adoration for his beloved ‘Geri’ shines through on every page.
