Book Review: Our Life in a Day – Jamie Fewery

Publisher: Orion
Publication date: Out now

Synopsis

The rules are simple: choose the most significant moments from your relationship – one for each hour in the day.

You’d probably pick when you first met, right?
And the instant you knew for sure it was love?
Maybe even the time you watched the sunrise after your first night together?

But what about the car journey on the holiday where everything started to go wrong? Or your first proper fight?

Or that time you lied about where you’d been?

It’s a once in a lifetime chance to learn the truth.

But if you had to be completely honest with the one you love, would you still play?

For Esme and Tom, the game is about to begin. But once they start, there’s no going back . . .
Taken from the Our Life in a Day

Review

I don’t know what’s going on with me at the moment. I usually run and hide from books featuring love, or romance. But Our Life in a Day is something different. It’s about love, friendship, and family. But it’s also about mental health, specifically mental health in men.

Meet Tom. He meets Esme, and within 36 hours, she is a permanent fixture in his life. They have arguments, disagree over whether or not a bathroom needs a bath mat, and who takes up the most space in their flat. Normal couple stuff. But Tom is hiding something, something that he cannot just leave behind: depression.

The book is split into 24 hours, each significant to Tom and Esme’s relationship, but the hours take place in different years. Some before they met and some during their relationship. They come together to form Tom and Esme’s story.

Fewery has gotten this book right in so many ways. As society continues to breakdown the stigma of talking about mental health issues, particularly in men between the ages of 20 and 40, Fewery addresses some of the myths that keep the stigma alive.

There are moments that will be familiar to so many. From being able to hide issues (which, sadly, many people with mental health problems are experts in) to the reluctance of some to talk about mental health and using euphemisms rather than using words such as ‘depression’.

The character development is astounding. Tom becomes someone you feel like you could reach out and touch, mentally and physically. He’s lovable yet frustrating. And Esme is someone who is just out of touch, you care about her but always feel that she’s not opening up to you entirely.

As always, there are no spoilers here, but the ending is perfect. It’s honest, frank, and very real. I have nothing but praise for Fewery and applaud the unapologetic way he approaches the topics in this stunning book.

Many thanks to Orion for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.