Lindsey Reviews; Second Hand Jane - Michelle Vernal
Review: Second Hand Jane - Michelle Vernal - February 2014
Second Hand Jane is the story of Jessica
Jane Bare’; an antipodean freelance journalist who lives in Dublin,
Ireland. Jessica has escaped from the
clutches of her overbearing mother and in between her disastrous love life and
her column writing has a passion for all things preloved which has earned her
the affectionate nickname “Second Hand Jane.”
Jess collects the 606D ladybird fairy tale books and after completing
her collection with a copy of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, she espies a
name in the cover of the book, Amy Ahearne.
Inspired for an idea for her column, Jess decides to track down
Amy. What follows sets off a chain of
events for Jess as she meets the enigmatic Owen Ahearne; Amy’s pig farming
brother. Owen relays Amy’s story to Jess
and intrigued, she travels down to Glenarrif to meet with him. Little does she know that in hearing Amy’s story,
Jess’s life is to be changed irrevocably but not before encountering a runt
piglet, a suave property developer and evading her mother’s interfering
attempts to marry her off.
This book was simply stunning. The writing was by turns comical and sad; I
was so moved by the story that I literally cried when I finished the book. The characters are wonderfully structured and
Jess in particular was such an appealing and endearing heroine. The book was so multi-layered and author
dealt with so many themes which I think many women can resonate with: failed relationships, the tenuous mother and
daughter relationship, how appearances can be deceptive and the importance of
second chances. “One man’s junk is
another man’s treasure”: indeed, this is a message which the author conveys in
her book albeit both literally and metaphorically. It was a book about healing and only when we
let go of the burdens of the past can we truly move forward. I enjoyed the story immensely: it was fresh,
well plotted and such a beautiful book to read.
I was genuinely sad to have finished the book but so glad I have found
this wonderful author. Definitely
recommend this . Just breathtaking.
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