Her

Harriet Lane’s Her (2014) popped up on one of those ‘Recommended For You’ lists and I’d heard good things about Harriet Lane’s debut novel, Alys, Always, so I thought I’d give this a go.

I’m usually a huge fan of psychological thrillers, but sadly this book didn’t quite cut it for me. Her tells the story of two women in their early 40s, Nina and Emma, who live only a few streets apart in London but who lead very different lives. Nina is an established painter with a teenage daughter, contrasted by Emma, mother to a toddler and newborn baby who is struggling to make ends meet since she gave up her job. After a chance encounter, it is clear that there is a history between the women that only Nina remembers.

Throughout the book there was a high level of intrigue. I wanted to know what could possibly have happened between the two women and I felt that the story was building to a dramatic finish, but I personally don’t think that the ending achieved this. The intricate details in the book are lovely and I think Lane captures these characters brilliantly – they are described so vividly. It’s a well written book and I love the relationships created in the story, but for me, Her didn’t live up to its full potential.

Helen x