Marian Keyes, Rachel's Holiday

A really good book. The people are real. I know them! Life is like that. I have Irish ancestry, but know nothing about America. She brings it to life!

I re read Rachel's holiday last week, having first read it a few years ago. Couldn't put it down, even though I knew what happened. It's warm, funny and poignant as well. Really enjoyed it.

Marion Keyes takes you through a journey of enlightenment. I am a big fan of Marion but this is by far her best. You are with the heroine throughout this journey but at the end, I was surprised (which doesn't happen very often). A must have book for girls. Enjoy.

Marian Keyes, Rachel's Holiday - This story centres around Rachel Walsh, an Irish woman in New York, who wants to be seen in the right places with the right people. She discovered cocaine, which made the world all ok again, until one fateful day she wakes up in hospital, which sparks a chain of events that collapse her world.

She isn't an addict, or so she thinks. She can't understand why she's being frogmarched back to Ireland & her family, & why her boyfriend & her best friend aren't putting up any fight to help her stay in New York. Back in Ireland, she finds herself sent to the Cloisters, a treatment centre, where she looks forward to all the pampering that she's getting on her 'holiday' in Ireland. However, it's not what she expects and, overall, Rachel finds herself growing up & learning a lot of lessons about herself and others.

This book is well-written by someone who knows all about addictions, being a recovered alcoholic herself. It alternates between Rachel's life in New York, and her life in the Cloisters, & bit by bit we learn the events that lead to her hospitalisation and how she learns more about herself than she ever thought she would.

I loved this book, as it was well written & kept me reading. I would recommend this to anyone, although sometimes it is tough going, but the more you learn about Rachel & her circumstances, the more you want to read on.

This is definitely a classic Marian Keyes novel