The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty

In The Rest of Her Life, Kara is driving in the family SUV when she strikes Bethany and kills her. As we soon see, that one moment of distraction will not only affect her life but also the lives of her family, her friends, and many others for a long time to come. The story is as much about the accident and its aftermath as it is about the relationship between family members. Some of the relationships are strengthened; some seem almost unaffected, while others appear to be irreparable.

I really enjoyed this book. I must be self-centred because I could really relate to Leigh. It was almost scary. While I didn’t want to act like she did, I probably would. It wasn’t that I had sympathy for her; I just didn’t see her actions/words as that absurd. It felt a little weird because I couldn’t possibly know how she really felt. [I don’t have children and I don’t know anyone who was killed in a car accident or even involved in a serious car accident.] The story frightened me a little because it could happen to anyone. A momentary distraction while driving, walking down the street or performing any other daily task could have disastrous consequences.

I loved that the book was from the mother’s perspective. While reading the book, I often thought about how the book would be different if it was written from a different point of view. Kara’s? Diana Kletchka’s (the victim’s mother)? Bethany?

I think this would make an excellent book group choice. The author provides lots of fodder for some sure-to-be-interesting discussions. I’d definitely read another book by this author.

Recommended.

I picked this book on HarperCollins First Look program, but was rejected. Thankfully, I got a copy through Bookcrossing.