The Last Voyage Of Mrs Henry Parker by Joanna Nell @Jo_nell_writer @HodderBooks #LastVoyageOfMrsHenryParker #5Stars

Book Synopsis:

A poignant ode to love and the memories that make a well-lived life, from the author of THE SINGLE LADIES OF JACARANDA RETIREMENT VILLAGE

As the wife of retired ship’s doctor Dr Henry Parker, Evelyn is living out her twilight years aboard the Golden Sunset. Every night she dresses for dinner – gown, tiara, runners – and regales her fellow passengers with stories of a glamorous life travelling the world in luxury, as well as showing off her superior knowledge of everything from ships’ customs to biographical details of her heroine, Florence Nightingale. The crew treat her with deference. And forbearance.

But when Henry goes missing, Evelyn sets off to search every part of the grand ocean liner to find him, casino, nightclub and off-limits areas included.

Misadventures are had, new friends are made, scandalous behaviour noted – all news to Evelyn. If only she could remember the events of the night before as clearly as she can recall the first time she met Henry on a passage from England to Australia in 1953 and fell in love, abandoning her dreams to become a midwife to be a wife instead – and the long-ago painful events that left Evelyn all at sea.

Why is it so hard to forget some things and so hard to remember others? And where is Henry?

The Last Voyage Of Mrs Henry Parker is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

The Last Voyage Of Mrs Henry Parker is a heartwarming though poignant glimpse of sea travel in years gone by and a beautiful love story.

The wonderful descriptions of life on board a ship were really interesting and I enjoyed seeing how they changed over the years. There is a lot more to do then I thought there was, with something suitable for everyone which was nice to see. The visits to the different countries in such a short time must be fascinating. It was great fun to live precariously through the characters and visit the sights through them. I’d definitely like to go on a cruise now at some point as it seem like great fun!

The main character Evelyn was brilliant. I warmed to her instantly and so enjoyed following her on her last voyage. She is the type of person that I wish I knew in real life as she has lots of fascinating stories to tell, whether you want her to or not. Some of her observations and mishaps in her search for Henry had me laughing out loud as they were very funny. There is a slightly poignant side to her story as it’s obvious that her memory isn’t what it used to be and it’s heartbreaking to see how confused she gets at time. I wished I could climb into the book and give her a big hug.

At the heart of this story ist wonderful, heartwarming love story between Henry and Evelyn which was truly beautiful to read about. They have certainly had their ups and down on their journeys across the ocean, seeing many different things that I found very interesting to read about. I enjoyed being a spectator to their relationship and watching it change and develop throughout the years. It was very sad to see how lost Eveyln seems without Henry as they had come to rely on each other so much.

Overall I thought this was a beautiful, absorbing story that I loved curling up with after a hard day. I could happily get lost in Eveyln’s world and all her adventures on the seas. I did guess some parts of the story but I think I was meant to as the story is less about the mystery of Henry but more about Evelyn’s life and their love together. It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book as I was so enjoying the story and learning more about Eveyln. I thought this book was similar to The unexpected Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry so if you liked that book I think you will enjoy this one too.

Huge thanks to Hodder Books for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

About The Author:

Joanna Nell was born in the Midlands and graduated from Oxford University with a medical degree in 1991.
In 2003 she moved to Australia where she now works as a GP with a passion for women’s health and care of the elderly.
Joanna writes character-driven stories of self-discovery for women of a certain age, creating young-at-heart characters who break the rules and defy society’s expectations.
She lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her husband and two children. THE SINGLE LADIES OF JACARANDA VILLAGE is her first novel.