Hattie's summer isn't going as planned. Her two best friends have abandoned her: Reuben has run off to Europe to "find himself" and Kat's in Edinburgh with her new girlfriend. Meanwhile Hattie is stuck babysitting her twin siblings and dealing with endless drama around her mum's wedding.
Oh, and she's also just discovered that she's pregnant with Reuben's baby...
Then Gloria, Hattie's great-aunt who no one previously knew even existed comes crashing into her life. Gloria's fiercely independent, rather too fond of a gin sling and is in the early stages of dementia.
Together the two of them set out on a road trip of self-discovery – Gloria to finally confront the secrets of her past before they are wiped from her memory forever and Hattie to face the hard choices that will determine her future.
My thoughts
I enjoyed Clare's previous book and as a consequence I had high hopes for this book. I am glad to report it did not disappoint at all.
I loved How not to disappear. I loved the main character Hattie and really enjoyed getting inside her head and seeing the world from her point of view. I equally loved meeting Gloria, Hattie's long lost great aunt. I particularly enjoyed seeing the relationship between the two develop. I also loved getting into Gloria's backstory over the course of the book.
A really heartfelt book which has a lot to say about family and its importance. I thoroughly recommend it.
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