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Monday, December 5, 2022

The Other Daughter by Caroline Bishop

A timely novel about an ambitious London journalist who reports on the fight for women’s rights in 1970s Switzerland, and the daughter who uncovers the long-buried truth about the assignment years later—for fans of Genevieve Graham and Heather Marshall.

2016

Jess is at a crossroads in life. In her late thirties, all she has to show for it is a broken marriage and a job teaching a bunch of uninterested kids. But when she discovers a shocking secret about her late mother, Sylvia, Jess begins to question all she’s ever known. Her search for answers leads to a 1970s article about women’s rights in Switzerland that Sylvia wrote when she was a young journalist. But to uncover the real story of what happened all those years ago, Jess will have to go to Switzerland and find someone who knew her mother...

1976

Sylvia’s life is on track. She has a loving fiancĂ© and her dream job as a features writer in a busy London newsroom—if only her editor would give her the chance to write about something important instead of relegating her to fashion, flowers, and celebrities. When Sylvia learns about the growing women’s liberation movement in Switzerland, where women only recently got the right to vote, she knows the story could be her big break. There’s just one wrinkle: she’s pregnant.

Determined to put her career first, Sylvia travels to Switzerland, and as she meets the courageous band of women fighting for their rights, she stumbles across an even bigger scoop, one that would make her male colleagues take her seriously. But telling the story will change her—and her baby’s—life forever.

Inspired by an important chapter of women’s history, The Other Daughter is an unforgettable novel about the bond between mothers and daughters—and the fight of women, generations over, for the freedom to choose their own path.

Kindle Edition, 432 pages
Expected publication: January 10th 2023
by Simon & Schuster CA
4/5 stars

This is my first time reading a Caroline Bishop book and with it came rave reviews.

I enjoy dual time period stories.  I like it for the glimpses into history as well as seeing two different points of view connect to one plot. The historical aspect of 1976 Switzerland with the women’s liberation movement was intriguing to read and learn about. Actually not just Switzerland but London as well and the treatment of women, their rights and expectations once married and even to marry. I was a teen during that time and can somewhat relate.

In 2016, Jess is struggling after discovering secrets which have created havoc in her life. Heading off to Switzerland she hopes to discover answers and possibly healing.

I enjoyed the authors writing style, the story and the mystery kept me intrigued. The story weaved nicely through time at a good pace and ended with a conclusion that was authentic and worked.

Ultimately, The Other Daughter is a story of family, of secrets, and having the courage & strength to face your past, to face the unknown.  As both women struggled with issues and prejudices ultimately there is healing and new beginnings found in unlikely places.

The Other Daughter hits books shelves on January 10th. My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.  

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