Rarely in life, you find 2 moments, 2 pieces, 2 things that mimic the cruelty of life – from different perspectives. “Happens Everyday” & “I Miss You When I Blink” are the perfect example of similar stories that end in 2 ways. The story is of love & heartbreak, relationships & future in different forms. The leading ladies have similar life experiences – marrying young, having children, building a life together, only to turn around & discover that unsatisfying needs may be their undoing. As time progresses through their stories though, they are left with very different endings. Their tales are much too long to endure through a full book breakdown without full justice… but their stories are worth sharing to give the much-needed perspective to anyone struggling through life crises.
Happens Everyday
“Happens Everyday” is a gut-wrenching book with the spoiler being in the title. Despite knowing the result of what you’re about to read, it never fails to break your heart. You’ll be begging for a different ending with every page you turn. Her “love story” is not unlike other similar stories you’ve heard before. But the lesson she teaches throughout her story is one of courage and consistency. Despite having gone through a trauma – life goes on and this is a fact we’ve all endured. She faces her pain with a high head and a soft heart. This book is aggravating, to say the least, as it becomes apparent they were better off apart, if only because of the husband’s lack of maturity and ill-suited idea of marriage.
The author does an astounding job of looking at both perspectives and never letting even the worst details affect her negatively. A trait that is extremely difficult to hold onto when somebody does something so heinous to you and your found family. This book tells of complacency in a crumbling household, covert narcissism folded in the lives forged together, and how fighting for these relationships are only worth it if the other person continues to fight for it as well. It really is heartbreaking to read the events leading up to her eventual divorce and how blindsided she felt. This book is of course written well after her breakup, but even so, she confesses how things were never as they seemed.
I highly recommend this book if you want a story that infuriates you more than your last relationship. Isabel Gillies is an unforgettable writer who makes you appreciate that someone can tell their story to benefit those who need to hear such wise words.
I Miss You When I Blink
She has lived a balanced life of family, travel, relationships, and career, but she soon finds herself lost and slightly unfulfilled from idealizing a new life full of more adventure. In a fresh twist, her husband stands by her to help through the struggles and keep the family whole. The author’s husband displays emotional maturity and extreme empathy. This book is perfect for anyone feeling displeased with a life they’ve built in a “traditional” way, how regrets are something you can’t waste time on because as soon as you blink, it’ll all fade away. It also conveys how desiring more isn’t a path to constant guilt, there are always ways you can compromise and discover the joys life brings you.
Mary Laura Philpott has a powerful and comedic voice, she does a wonderful job relating to the reader and truly making them think of what it would take to leave them satisfied. “I Miss You When I Blink” is the perfect book to read when you think you’re all alone in this life experience. It absolutely encaptures human development, from childhood traumas to becoming a parent yourself. Mary Laura Philpott is a witty, entertaining, writer who mixes her comedic values with a deep sentimentality on what it is to be a human. Her perfectionist point of view makes it difficult for Philpott to navigate through the challenges of an ever-changing world, but as she learns her way through life, she chronicles her experience and does her best to provide information for the struggling mothers, daughters, wives, etc. that want to find a comfortable place in their relationships and professional place.