”Three wishes” by Liane Moriarty wasn’t the first book I have read by this author and I’ve started noticing the writer’s particular strengths. The book kick-starts with some lively dialogues. We are placed right in the middle of a drama and then are retrospectively shown how it has all started and gradually escalated. This is the second book that I read by L. Moriarty and it is the same kind of structure that she has implemented, but it worked, so I didn’t mind. The author is a good observant of other peoples’ behaviour in their social environment. She describes quite accurately how tensions build up inside individuals to burst out when they cannot be held any longer.
We are introduced to the main characters when they are celebrating their common birthday, with not one but three cakes as each of the triplets enjoys her own. We meet the sensible and extremely organised Lyn, her identical twin Cat, a business woman and the most daring of the three, and carefree and forgetful Gemma. The relationship between the three woman is peculiar or maybe textbook sisterly. They spend a lot of time together but when they are in a close vicinity the atmosphere gets often very tense, items like fondue forks go flying and end up in sister’s abdomen…
Looking at each of the sisters separately we see how they are different and what has made them that way. Lynette uses spreadsheets to plan her business and personal life alike. She runs a successful catering company and has a loving husband Michael, who has left his first wife for her. They are rising their little daughter Maddie together. Lyn is also helping to rise her step daughter, a teenage girl Karen. All seems perfect in their lives until the demand of her career and family life starting to get too much for her but Lyn is not used to asking for help.
Cat is an accomplished Marketing Manager. All she needs to achieve full happiness is a little baby that her husband and herself are trying to conceive. She is happy with her husband Dan, or so she thought until he has admitted that he has cheated on her.
Gemma refuses to find a place for herself literally and figuratively speaking, she insists that she is happy being a house minder, moving from one place to another, never settling down. Her sisters suspect that it may be related to her one failed attempt on settling down with Marcus, who has died in an accident just before their wedding. What her sisters don’t know was the relief that Gemma felt not having to marry Marucs.
Just like in real live there are things that we gladly share with others and there are such, that we would rather keep to ourselves. We go to see how the three sisters stormed through life, how their lives influenced each other and also sometimes even strangers’ without them even realising it. How their differences infuriated them but haven’t torn them apart. A dynamic book with witty humour. Ending a bit rushed, but made me smile rather than annoy. Wasn’t the best book by the author I read but overall a good read. Three car wheels, wipers or birthday cakes.
Car wheels, wipers or birthday cakes rating
– one of the best books I read
– charmed
– good read
– disappointed, I thought it was going to be better
– don’t waste your time