Book Review: Best, First and Last

Best, First and Last
By Amy Matthews
Review by Kazia

Amy Matthews delivers a warm hug and a light smack on the hand with this witty roller-coaster of a book about grandmother-mother-daughter bonds and the surprising amount of emotional baggage that can be unpacked on a (reluctant) hiking trip to Peru. Each character was portrayed with such tender care and loving grace, inviting me to linger with them a while. The fullness of the characters made for such an engaging read and the merging of the past and present story-lines was seamlessly accomplished. At no point in the book did the switching between character perspectives feel awkward. Indeed, it was rather refreshing to spend time with both Bonnie’s enduring liveliness and Heather’s quiet determination. Heather and Owen’s romance was absolutely charming to read, just the right balance of swoon-worthy exchanges and grounded conversations. Given just as much space as the romance is the complexity of three generations of women trying to understand each other- or at least to co-exist. Matthews perfectly encapsulates the struggle of establishing and maintaining boundaries with family members while still holding empathy and space for them – and does so with heart-warming hilarity. An absolute delight to read!