A Parcel for Anna Browne by Miranda Dickinson

Synopsis

The gift of a lifetime?

Anna Browne is an ordinary woman living an ordinary life. Her day job as a receptionist in bustling London isn't exactly her dream, yet she has everything she wants. But someone thinks Anna Browne deserves more . . .

When a parcel addressed to Anna Browne arrives, she has no idea who has sent it. Inside she finds a beautiful gift - one that is designed to be seen. And so begins a series of incredible deliveries, each one bringing Anna further out of the shadows and encouraging her to become the woman she was destined to be. As Anna grows in confidence, others begin to notice her - and her life starts to change.

But who is sending the mysterious gifts, and why?

Review

The only book I've read of Miranda's is 'It Started with a Kiss' and that was a few years ago. I enjoyed that one and was eager to read this one as it sounded interesting and the synopsis had a slight magical feeling like the books from Melissa Hill.

The writing is incredibly descriptive, every action and feeling is narrated. It is predominantly set in what seems like a small number of settings, but you don't notice that, as Mirada's writing means it never gets old, and you're just absorbed into the story.

I have mixed feelings on Anna. For the most part she is lovely, but at times she was almost too nice, kind and, like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way. Though she did have a flaw that, at times she got angry at people for reasons that is beyond me. Obviously there were times when she was fully justified, but there was a couple of times where I think she over reacted, especially the first time with Ben in the coffee shop. It seemed a complete contrast with her sweet personality. Obviously everyone has flaws, but it seemed to come from nowhere.

However this didn’t put me off of the book and I loved her upbeat and positive thinking, despite her colleagues and friends being suspicious of the senders’ intentions. Pretty much everyone loves receiving gifts, and the unknown adds a little magic to it.

I liked all the other characters, they all had distinct personalities and in their contrast, they suited Anna. I especially liked the parts of the book that were told through the eyes of someone else, getting their perspective. I would say my favourite characters was the handsome Ben, Anna's boss Juliet and her colleague Sheniece. 

However there was one character I didn't like was Anna's mum, and while they were some of the emotional and best scenes, showing Anna to be a strong and the better woman, I don't think I would have treated her as nice as Anna did.

This book has the magical quality I was hoping for, with easy to read descriptive writing that captivates you from the get go, making it hard to put down. It leaves you with a warm feeling inside, and what more can you ask for?

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Published by: Pan Macmillan
Gratefully received from the Publisher for review.