The Last List of Mabel Beaumont

By Laura Pearson

Published by Boldwood Books

What it’s about?

Mabel Beaumont’s husband Arthur loved lists. He’d leave them for her everywhere. ‘ eggs, butter, sugar’. ‘I love today, tomorrow, always’.

But now Arthur is gone. He softly, gently, not making a fuss. But he’s still left her a list. This one has just one item on it ‘Find D’.

Mabel feels sure she knows what it means. She must track down her best friend Dot, who she hasn’t seen since the fateful day she left more than sixty years ago.

It seems impossible. She doesn’t even know if Dot’s still alive. Also, every person Mabel talks to seems to need help first, with missing husbands, daughters, parents.

Mabel finds her list is just getting longer, and she’s still no closer to finding Dot. What she doesn’t know is that her list isn’t just about finding her old friend.

And that if she can admit the secrets of the past, maybe she could even find happiness again…

What I think:

Typical August weather in Devon – so as the rain hammered on the caravan roof, I settled down to read The Last List of Mabel Beaumont and finished it in one sitting! This book is an absolute delight.

Mabel has lived a nice life with a good man. Sixty years of marriage to Arthur, and while she does not regret her marriage, there is a part of her that looks back at her youth and wonders if she made the right decision.

When Arthur dies, Mabel faces a future alone, but ever thoughtful, he has made arrangements for a carer to visit her for a few months while she adjusts to life without him. And before she knows it, Mabel has made friends with an eclectic group of women who, despite the different stages of their lives, are all looking for friendship.

From page 1, I found Mabel’s story utterly compelling. Beneath the mundane routines of her and Arthur’s life, she has a lifetime of memories and what ifs. Her biggest regret is losing touch with her best friend Dot. With the help of Julie and her new friends, Mabel decides to search for Dot and inspired by Arthur’s love of lists, she writes one of her own.

As Mabel works through her list and tries to help her friends, she makes mistakes along the way. Some of the assumptions she makes about people’s lives add to confusion and complications. The relationships grow organically, and all of the women learn to accept themselves, forgive and grieve, and look forward to the future.

I loved Mabel. She shows that even in your 80s, you can learn and grow as a person. You can experience new things and develop new relationships. Her relationship with teenager Erin is just beautiful. They have such empathy for each other and, despite the difference in age and experience, share so much in common.

This book is just beautiful. It’s heart-warming and tear-jerking and the characters will stay with long after the last page. I cannot recommend it enough – you will not be disappointed!

About the Author:
Laura Pearson has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester. She lives in
Leicestershire with her husband, their two children and a much cuddled cat.

Social Media Links:
Twitter
https://twitter.com/laurapauthor
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/laurapauthor/?hl=en
Bookbub profile:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/laura-pearson

Thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be a part of this wonderful blog tour and to Boldwood Books for my gifted digital copy of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont. Check out the other stops on the tour:

Purchase Link:
https://mybook.to/mabelbeaumontsocial