I must admit that the title of this book and the attractive cover ( of the lead actors from the movie ) caught my attention at the bookstore. Of course I had heard of the movie of the same name which came out sometime back. I flipped over the book and read the back cover and the story immediately appealed to me. It was most certainly not the boy-meets-girl and they live happily ever after love story. This debut novel by Cecilia Ahern ( written when she was 22 ) is sure to creep into your heart, fill it with warmth, sadness, hope, despair and happiness.
Its the story of a 30 year old woman coping with life after her husband's death. Holly and Gerry have been childhood sweethearts and have been together for more than ten years. Fate had other plans and Gerry is diagnosed with brain tumor and finally succumbs to it. Holly is left shattered and lonely. She has a good support system of family and friends but no one can fill the gap that her beloved husband left behind. She almost becomes a recluse and stays in bed most of the time with her house and garden neglected.Holly then receives the surprise of her life - a package from her now dead husband. In it there are 10 envelopes for each month of the rest of the year and a note to open them in order and to follow the instructions in them. This is a list sent by her husband to help her cope with the grief and to move on in life. They contain instructions like buying a bed lamp, a new dress, entering in a karaoke competition, going on a holiday with her friends, finding a job etc. Each note is signed with the words "P.S I Love you".
Holly follows these notes and they become her life. Gerry had even arranged for a surprise holiday for her along with her friends. She looks forward to the end of the month to open the next note. This gives her a feeling that her husband is still alive and is guiding her in life. She starts dreading the day when there would be no more notes. Meanwhile exciting things happen in her friends lives like marriage, baby etc which leaves her drained out. She is happy for them but her own loneliness and grief takes over. She is running out of funds and needs to get a job but doesn't have the courage to do so. She has hated all her jobs in the past. Finally when one of Gerry's notes instructs her to get a job, she tries and succeeds. Slowly she starts enjoying her work and feels more positive.
The whole book is about her ups and downs, she is happy for a while and then the depressing feelings take over. She also starts enjoying the company of a new friend, Daniel. The notes from the guardian angel end with the one asking her not to be afraid to fall in love again. There are also lots of light and funny moments in the book like a regular chick-lit book. The funny episodes like Holly and her friends get drunk on her birthday, getting stranded in the middle of the sea on a holiday, Holly's sister displaying the tattoo on her rear during a family dinner etc will leave you rolling with laughter. There are a variety of colourful characters too like Ciara - Holly's boisterous, loud and adventurous younger sister, the gay hairdresser, Richard - the cold and distant elder brother etc. Each character has a small story revolving around him/her that keeps you engrossed. But the entire theme makes it different from a chick-lit and how Holly overcomes her grief and starts living beyond the letters forms the crux of the story. Last but not the least, the ending is a pleasant surprise and a perfect one.
