Continuing with my Carmel Harrington binge, I grabbed myself an audiobook copy of The Things I Should Have Told You from Libby, popped my AirPods in and set about tidying the garden. Another story of Carmel’s which blew me away, with lovely characters, gorgeous settings and lots and lots of sentimental moments.
The storyline was delightful, if a little sad at times, and I was blown away with the whole ‘road trip in a camper van’ idea, even if camping isn’t my idea of a fun holiday! Pops, even after death, manages to travel along with the Guinness family as they wend their way through Europe, on the trip of a lifetime, not knowing which country they’ll be visiting next, let alone what surprises Pops had arranged for them once they arrived.
As with the previous Carmel Harrington books I’ve listened to, this also has underlying themes. This time we see a destructive case of school bullying, marriage difficulties and family illness. Carmel writes about all the issues sensitively and with empathy and I really enjoy that her books aren’t just a simple story, but that they’re written with so much more in mind.
Thank you to Libby for providing the opportunity and the availability to bring books to life for so many people and thank you to Carmel Harrington for being such an incredible writer. Never stop writing!
About the Book
Every family has a story…
But for the Guinness family a happy ending looks out of reach. Olly and Mae's marriage is crumbling, their teenage daughter Evie is on a mission to self-destruct and their beloved Pops is dying of cancer. Their once strong family unit is slowly falling apart.
But Pops has one final gift to offer his beloved family – a ray of hope to cling to. As his life's journey draws to a close, he sends his family on an adventure across Europe in a camper van, guided by his letters, his wisdom and his love.
Because Pops knows that all his family need is time to be together, to find their love for each other and to find their way back home…
International bestseller Carmel Harrington lives in Wexford with her family & rescue dog. Carmel writes domestic dramas filled with emotional reveals and twists. Her trademark is to write authentic, relatable characters that readers can root for, and has been described as a ‘storyteller with heart, hope and humour.’ (RTE Culture)
A confessed wearer-of-heart-on-her-sleeve, Carmel smiles a lot because life is good. She knowingly overuses the word lovely. Speaking of which, she calls it chasing the lovely when she writes. A few of her favourite things include rainbows, good coffee and gin, notions – all of them, lemon drizzle cake and books. Always books.
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