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“Bobby Seed is used to going the extra mile for the ones he loves, and he does it willingly. It’s up to Bobby to get Mum her pills, to help her up the stairs, to laugh her out of her pain. It’s up to Bobby to comfort his little brother Danny, to explain why Mum’s not like the Mum they remember.
“One day, he’s asked to go further. Mum asks him the big question. The one many would find unthinkable. If he agrees, he won’t just be soothing her pain. He’ll be helping to end it. Would he? Could he?”
The Weight of a Thousand Feathers took me on an emotional, tear-inducing journey with Bobby, who cares for his mum who suffers with MS.
I liked how this book takes the reader into the mind of a young carer. I’d heard a lot about young carers but I’d never read a novel with one as a main character, so kudos to the author for doing this. Also, without giving anything away, it also touches on a subject that is often seen as taboo. In my opinion, Conaghan deals with it perfectly.
The family bonds within the book are just incredible and beautifully described. The way Bobby cares so much for his mum and younger brother Danny was just gorgeously heart-warming and the family scenes made me tear up the most. The family unit just felt so realistic and I think that’s why it got to me so much.
Having not had any experience of family or friends suffering with MS, it was a big learning curve for me when reading the story and I did do some outside research so I would understand the plot better.
The Weight of a Thousand Feathers is a heart-breaking, beautiful story that touches on some very important issues regarding illness and family ties. It is honest, sensitive and raw and certainly worth reading.