The Consequences of Love

A beautifully written, poignant, fearless account of grief, memory, trauma and the love between two sisters. At the age of seven Gavanndra Hodge realised that if her home caught fire it would be up to her to rescue her family. Neither her mother lost in a world of grief, nor her drug-addled father were capable of even realising the house was burning down, let alone saving Gavanndra and her little sister Candy. When Candy dies suddenly and tragically on holiday aged nine, their family already damaged and fragile, implodes, and a teenage Gavanndra is left to rebuild her life, piece by piece. And she does. The life she cultivates for herself is such a long way away from the chaos of her past. She becomes a mother - carefully crafting the idyllic childhood that she never had, for her children. But there is one thing missing in the happy ending she creates for herself. Candy. Gavanndra has no memories of her sister at all, only of Candy's awful final moments. So, she embarks on a journey to write her way back to her sister. The Consequences of Love is a story of loss and recovery, trauma and memory. Ultimately it is a joyous and compelling account of the strength of the love between two sisters and how nothing is ever truly lost if we are brave enough to return to where we began.

About the Author :
Gavanndra Hodge has worked in newspapers and magazines for over twenty years, at the Daily Mail, Independent, ES Magazine and Tatler, where she was deputy editor and acting editor. In 2018 she left Tatler and became a freelance writer, contributing to publications including the Sunday Times, The Times, Telegraph and ES Magazine. She writes a column for The Times LUXX Magazine about how to talk to children about difficult subjects, such as privilege, grief and fairness, and has interviewed many high profile people, most recently Michael Caine, Margot Robbie and Carey Mulligan.

Review :
Unflinchingly honestly. A beautiful book . . . everyone should read it There are scenes that will reduce you to tears, but there's also humour, forgiveness and uplifting optimism [...] by the end of this dazzling debut you just want to give her a huge cheer for coming through Wise and moving . . . this memoir is an acknowledgment that love demands a price By turns painful and joyful, this beautiful book has plenty of poignant lessons to teach us about grief and love Gavanndra writes beautifully, her words are unsentimental but very lyrical [...] I loved this book and my tears fell into the bath as I read it A devastating, heart-breaking and magnificent meditation on the function of memory. It will stay with me forever, so beautifully written A completely unforgettable and unique family memoir. A total cliché but I honestly couldn't put it down A real tear-jerker 'Beautifully-written, calm-but-utterly-compelling life-story of trauma and healing... the author seems lovely and I want to be her pal!' At a time when so many families are losing loved ones, and are denied even the scant comfort funerals provide, there is no more poignant moment for this book to appear This is one of the best books I've read about grief - and the catastrophic consequences of addiction. Exquisitely written. Profoundly moving Gavanndra Hodge's moving memoir recounts the consequences of an early life framed by beauty, glamour and tragedy A heartbreaking and compelling memoir Looks at the power of love and loss in shaping one's life. Moving and beautifully written The must-read of the summer So brilliantly written . . . ultimately joyful and uplifting Brave and beautifully written There are books - and then there are books that you'll never forget reading. A quite extraordinary memoir I read it in one sitting without pause. It is an astonishing book. I haven't stopped thinking about it A wonderful and transformative memoir about the impact of loss and the power of love; and one that illustrates how it is never too late to tackle suppressed grief I read this in one sitting, tears splashing onto its pages. A beautiful book about grief, losing a sibling, trauma, drugs, parenting & memory in the most exquisite way. Please everyone read it This book is genuinely extraordinary Life affirming [...] an enrapturing journey through darkness, destructive behaviour and an urgency for light and happiness now A powerful memoir Timely and highly original Brilliant and moving The Consequences of Love is undoubtedly one of this year's most hotly-anticipated books, and with good reason Brilliantly written and heartbreaking but also joyful and uplifting Extraordinary . . . profoundly moving A brave, lyrical, painful tale of bereavement, addiction, and the building of a new life Superbly written. Beautifully written and utterly heartbreaking. Courageous, inspired, bleakly comic, extreme candour Searing Hodge's beautiful memoir is both a devastating, grief-fuelled account of her sister's death and a redemptive tale of an emotional reckoning It's a vivid and oddly entertaining memoir, a hand plunged into the dark hole of grief . . . uncovers surprising treasures - most importantly, strength, resilience and love Searing. A masterful writer with a gift for storytelling. Her prose is rich with detail, combining a sharp sense of place with escalating drama. A triumph The most moving, most exquisitely written book about addiction, grief, loss and coming to terms with trauma even decades on. One that you will be thinking about, and remember long after finishing One of the most beautiful memoirs I've ever read. This story will say with you long after you put the book down I just turned the last page (reluctantly!). A bold, often brutal exploration of memory, grief and love. Full of hope and heart. I can't recommend it enough A brave, brilliant book that is both beautiful and important. Read it then buy it for all your friends Gavanndra's memoir The Consequences of Love is absolutely beautiful. It's compelling, heartbreaking, sweet, honest, fascination. I recommend it HIGHLY. I absolutely LOVED it. This stunning exploration of grief is so well written and profoundly moving An elegant study of grief and memory Hodge pours heartbreak and love into the pages of a book that never pretends to know the answers, and is all the better for it An elegant study of grief and memory An eye-opening snapshot of the fashion world in '90s London