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A though-provoking, engrossing novel\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Phillips spins a briskly paced, keenly observed story in which a broken, abusive marriage impacts a child\u2019s life in devastating ways. Set in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe and Australia, Jenny Phillips\u2019s narrative of young Jessie\u2019s life over the course of nine years in Family Heartbreaks is both tender and heartbreaking. Tired of her husband Bert\u2019s infidelity, alcoholic rants, and physical abuse, Marie decides to leave him and start her life afresh with their seven-year-old daughter Jessie. The mother-daughter duo survives misfortune only to find their quiet life turned upside down by an unfortunate incident. Another man enters Marie\u2019s life and after marrying her, he relocates them to Australia. But that\u2019s just the beginning of more troubles for the pair. Jessie, now in her teens, takes abode in unscrupulous company to keep her demons away as her relationship with her mother continues its downward spiral. But there\u2019s still a ray of hope as a new boy enters Jessie\u2019s life. Will Jessie be able to become her old self again? Phillips expertly explores the bonds and stresses of family and the importance of friendship. Although the ache of loneliness that Jessie feels after losing her father and friends breaks the reader\u2019s heart, it\u2019s heartening to see a shimmer of hope toward the end in Jessie\u2019s life. Phillips beautifully depicts the heartbreak, trauma, grief, and self-doubt of a child who is forced to witness the ups and downs of her parents\u2019 abusive relationship and their painful separation over the course of many years. The book starts with a brisk pace, and Phillips\u2019 characters are multidimensional. Jessie is both vulnerable and courageous, and readers will find themselves rooting for her throughout the book. Patience, despite her less privileged background, is memorably individualistic, more so than Marie, who despite her bad experiences falls repeatedly for unscrupulous men\u2019s charms. Although there is not much space for Patience in the story, she will win the reader\u2019s heart with her gentle, affectionate ways. Although Jessie is the main protagonist, Marie\u2019s struggles with loneliness and heartbreak and her desire to feel loved and needed are also depicted beautifully. The third-person narrative is mostly matter-of-fact, but Phillips keeps the pages turning and offers several twists and turns throughout the book that will keep the reader deeply engrossed in the story. Phillips expertly draws the heartbreaking portrayal of a broken relationship and its impact on a child and successfully creates an interesting, satisfying novel.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n