UpLit – Stories to Save Us!
By Faith Hogan
For as long as I can remember, we’ve been told – you are what you eat. Really? Because, as a voracious reader, like most of us here, probably, I have a feeling it’s far more likely that we are what we read! Who hasn’t devoured books like The Secret and read about the law of attraction and we’re probably all experts at trying to keep our focus on the positive.
It seems to me, that never before in my lifetime at least, has it been more important that while we keep up with what’s happening around us, we need to escape occasionally from the gloom and doom. When we switch off, what we read should take us to places and characters who give us hope, rather than bombard us with more of what we’re getting in the newspapers.
Have we ever needed uplifting books more than we do right now?
There’s no getting away from the fact that we are in the midst of times none of us could have imagined a year ago. Our world has turned once more and if we were in a sharp hurry to turn our backs on lockdowns and facemasks, which of us could have imagined that political, climatic and economic events would change the world we are living in so drastically in such a short time for so many?
I think, this year above any, we are looking to escape much of what is on our nightly news bulletins. The idea of falling into a world of kindness, empathy and compassion at the end of a long day is obviously much more attractive. We want characters who absorb us and remind us that people are genuinely good, sympathetic and compassionate – and yes, to confirm that we still care what becomes of our fellow man. A meaningful connection between people is our natural default – it is what makes us human.
Obviously, we might think, the only thing to pick up and read in these unusual times (forgive the intended understatement!) is something that will lift our spirits. But what exactly is UpLit?
Well, the ‘experts’ are not sure that UpLit even exists as a genre. What they do agree on, however, is that over the last number of years there has been a growing trend among readers to pick up books with a number of similar traits. So – if we’re defining UpLit, it’s probably better to say that we’re talking about books which are first of all Uplifting, but also realistic. Uplit doesn’t shy away from real issues, often tackling themes like childlessness, cancer, mental health, homelessness and yes, even death. While there is a redemptive feel to the stories, there may not be a cliched happy ever after, but the reader is left with certain hope.
And isn’t that exactly what we need at this point?
Hope.
For me, that’s the magic ingredient of the best books – they offer some hope by the end. They offer escape from where we are not to a place completely different, to a place where even if bad things happen, you know that it will come right in the end. There is no guarantee the character will get her heart’s desire, but I for one, firmly believe that sometimes what makes us happy is not what we wish for but rather the outcome we create for ourselves.
I think this is another key ingredient in some of the best reading over the last few years – characters who begin on the page as ordinary, sometimes mundane people and end up shaping their lives for the better by some small act that manages to move their personal mountain. I’m thinking of the fantastic Harold Fry and his unlikely Pilgrimage, Ove – that old curmudgeon we fell slightly in love with and Eleanor who was, by the end of her story, on the path to being thoroughly and completely fine!
And so, this year I will be reading books that make me smile. And for readers looking for the same, let me introduce you to three brave women. Georgie, Iris and Nola. It’s an understatement to say their lives have not exactly gone according to plan so far, but by the time we meet them, they’ve each found the courage to live with what they’ve settled for until, even the booby prizes they considered their lot are pulled from beneath them.
These are three sisters, who once promised they would always stick together, but somehow they have drifted apart, to the point where these days they can’t stand being in the same room together for five minutes. So, when their father dies, leaving a generous estate to be divided among the three of them, it’s obvious that the funeral will be an ordeal. But surely, they can just rub along together for a few days?
They might just manage that, but their father had grander plans, a six months reunion, bringing the three sisters back to the old house that had once been their home – and if they choose not to honour his wishes? They relinquish their inheritance.
These are women who will make you smile. I hope you will like them, even at their worst. To begin with, each sister is stuck in a groove of their own making. From career obsessed Georgie, to Iris who has put up with so much from the man she loves, she has allowed herself to become little more than a doormat and Nola – who will do anything to hide the desperate situation her life has descended into.
This is a story of having the courage to forgive and forgiveness, like kindness has to start with yourself. It’s a story set in the sweeping landscape of the west of Ireland, of generosity and ultimately courage to find a new path. It’s about three sisters letting go of the past and realising that perhaps the future of their dreams had been right there all the time. It’s the book to read if you want to lose yourself in somewhere more uplifting for a while!
THE GIN SISTERS’ PROMISE
Three estranged sisters. Six months to come back together.
When Georgie, Iris and Nola’s mother died, the sisters made a pact: they would always be there for one another, no matter what.
Now, decades later, they can barely stand to be in the same room. As his health declined, their father came up with a plan to bring them back to one another. He stated in his will that before they can claim their inheritance, they must spend six months living together in the Irish village of Ballycove, and try to repair their broken relationships.
But reunited in their childhood home, old resentments boil over, new secrets threaten to come out and each sister must decide what matters more: their pride, or their family. Can they overcome their past and find a way to love each other once more?
An emotional, uplifting story about forgiveness, second chances and the importance of family, for fans of Sheila O’Flanagan and Heidi Swain.
Praise for Faith Hogan’s books:
‘Uplifting, emotional and brimming with warmth and humour’ Cathy Bramley on The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club
‘Joyful, life-affirming and inspirational’ Heidi Swain on The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club
The Gin Sister’s Promise is on offer now at:
You Can Follow Faith on:
https://www.instagram.com/faithhoganauthor/?hl=en
Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips
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