Wednesday 6 December 2017

Book review : The Thousand Tiny Miracles of Living Twice - Katarina West


Punky clothes including ripped jeans and a Mohican, a love of air guitar and constantly playing pranks on people, ... it's not exactly the traditional image that you have of an angel, but nevertheless, that's what Aaron is. Or it's what he was, before being banished from Little Heaven for not respecting the angel rules.

Next, meet Irene Nylander, a frumpy, comfort-eating Finnish housewife with an unhappy marriage and the mother-in-law from hell, and Mimi Kavanough, a beautiful, rich, successful but selfish A-list actress. The two women are diametrically opposed and yet they have one thing in common - they are both the unwitting participants in Aaron's misdemeanour, swapping over their bodies.

While Irene enjoys a taste of living the high life and romantic success in Mimi's body, Mimi will go to any lengths to get her own body back - with often hilarious results. In order to redeem himself, Aaron, in human form, must try to locate the two women and convince them to allow him to swap them back into their own bodies. All three of them end up learning as much about themselves as they do about the unfamiliar bodies they are inhabiting, and the voyage of self-discovery leads to an unlikely alliance : the creation of Angel Aid, a venture to help those in need, with a little help from Aaron's angelic buddies when required.

It's a lovely, heartwarming look at life, with all the usual chicklit/rom-com elements of romance, escapism and humour. Whether or not you have any religious inklings, the uplifting description of angels, constantly watching over everyone on earth, is touching, and the heavenly battles with unrest and bureaucracy raise a wry smile, especially in these times of Brexit uncertainty.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I read the blurb on the back of the book, so it was a pleasant surprise to find an engaging, humorous and soul-stirring romp of a feel-good read, with surprisingly believable, if caricatural, characters. This is the first book of the Angel Aid series, and I'm intrigued to follow the further adventures of the hapless trio, to see how successful they can be in orchestrating happy endings, including their own.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £12.99

  • Paperback: 456 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (24 May 2017)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1546737537
  • ISBN-13: 978-1546737537



Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.

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