I was kindly sent an advanced copy of Flight by Isabel Ashdown. I’ve been really looking forward to her new book and was absolutely delighted to receive this early edition. A few years ago I downloaded her first two novels to my Kindle and really, just forgot all about them. They were called: Glasshopper and Hurry Up and Wait. Then she released her third book; Summer of 76 and I pre-ordered and bought the book, I much prefer reading an actual book. I enjoyed it so much that I hunted down my underused kindle and read the other two. I ended up reading the three novels in the course of about three months and I’m telling you that is lightning fast for me.

Flight is the story of Wren, Rob and Laura. On the first ever national lottery, Wrens numbers come up and after a little planning, she just up’s and leaves her husband Rob and their baby girl Phoebe and her best friend Laura.

Twenty years later, on the anniversary of the first lottery draw and without hearing a single word from her, Laura is telephoned by a reporter asking questions. Questions about Wren, about why she abandoned family and giving her information on where she now lives. At the same time, Rob gets an unexpected letter.

So begins a story I found hard to put down. It’s a story of friendship and love. Of loss and reunion. It is hard to say why Wren left her husband and newborn baby, I found it hard to condemn her. Was it postnatal depression? You have to make your own mind up. The book is written with wonderful descriptions’ of the Cornwall coast and a knowing insight into student life in London. The writing is so beautifully done, that when it moves from character to character, each one in a different chapter but, all of them, brought together within the chapters. It will keep the overall picture so vividly in your head. The love they have for each other is so brilliantly described and all her characters have been very well drawn.

I think these are special books; written by Isabel Ashdown, I think Flight may be best so far and that is saying something.

George Allan  5^th of May 2015