Two people on opposite sides of the world experience frightening events and decide to change their lives. Stella, in London, sees someone who frightens her. Jake, in Hong Kong, is almost crushed in a New Year crowd and both flee from their surroundings. As the novel unfolds, we come to learn of Stella’s very close relationship with her sister and Jake decides to go in search of his father who he has never met. By chance, they meet in Scotland at the place where Stella had a traumatic experience in her childhood and where Jake believed that his father lived. O’Farrell’s prose envelops you in the contrasting family backgrounds of Stella and Jake and as their secrets are gradually revealed, she tenderly explores their growing feelings for each other.

Well I am copy pasting the greater part of my review from the last book of MO'F I read: Highly narrative and quite a page turner. Contains many narratives of the different characters involved or at least related to the main story. I found this disorienting and I am not at all fond of flashback so I skipped chapters/quite a few of their stories. But towards the end this skillful author has timed the main story and character development in such a way that I had to read the final chapters without a break.
On the minuis side, the accurate & detailed description of the immediate environment, that at times I found too long. Also the overly detailed background stories of everyon's grandmother and mother. Was she trying to build up the psych profile of Nina and Stella. Not successful there, I felt they were just separate stories.
In any case as one of the reviewers said, she makes you care passionately about her characters and I did as she focused on them in the latter parts of the book, staying up to read if and how Jake and Stella get together. ( )

Enjoyed this story but not the structure. Two stories told as non-linear narratives - flitting here and there, back and forward in time. Normally I would abandon these books but Maggie O’Farrell writes so well that you can so easily picture the scenes in your mind. Basically a romance story - will these two make it? I’m not spoiling it. ( )

Exceptional writer, am in awe of O'Farrell's sentence construction. This perhaps more than the story - sweet Jake, brought up in Hong Kong, does the kind thing to his cost. In parallel, a young woman confronts her past. The story jumps from character to character, and from the parents / grandparents past to present , so kept me guessing as to how they would meet, and to discover the story behind the female siblings' social awkwardness. ( )

My previous venture into Maggie O'Farrell's writing left me less than satisfied with the story, but more than satisfied with the writing (barring some confusion at the end.) This story, however, was much easier to follow. Two stories entwined, about two rather lost souls (three if you count Nina). I think O'Farrell has a good grasp on how to write about wounded souls. ( )