Growing up with a mother who is a death doula, has given Mallory a complicated relationship with death and relationships. When one of her at-risk youths is found murdered, Mallory is forced home to have some ‘downtime’ and come to terms with what she wants her future to look like. But being back home comes with its own challenges, including coming to terms with events from a decade ago and learning to understand her mother more. As she slowly begins to repair her relationship with her mother, secrets long held will start to emerge and may push Mallory over the edge.
What a lovely & sad story all wrapped into one. Told from Mallory’s, Helen’s, & Estelle’s perspectives – Every Precious & Fragile Thing is a complex story about grief and dying. Covering topics from social work, terminal illness, & death both in the past and present, Davis’s writing is beautiful and makes you feel all the things.
I did struggle a bit with Mallory’s fragile personality. She seems unusually naive for a woman of her age, tends to jump to conclusions, and is defensive. She didn’t strike me as a social worker, but she did end up growing on me.
Other than a few slow spots – this story perfectly balances a deep dive into mother-child relationships while simultaneously giving us a beautiful love story.
AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKSHOP |★★★★
Every Precious and Fragile Thing is out now! Huge thank you to Lake Union Publishing for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
