The mother of all good reads

All My Mothers By Joanna Glen, Harper Collins, $37

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. All My Mothers is an absolute delight, one of the most satisfying reads I have had. It is beautifully written, heart-warming, a brilliant story which should appeal to young and old.

Eva is a young girl who has always felt a gap in her life. She remembers nothing of her early life but is being brought up in fairly affluent circumstances. Her mother is emotionally absent, struggling with severe bouts of depression and her father is physically absent a great deal of the time. Her maternal grandparents help out financially

As Eva prepares for her first days at school her parents’ relationship crumbles. Her father leaves and Eva is distraught. Her mother tries her best, always looking immaculate. Eva longs for the kind of mother who looks casual, opens her arms to her daughter for a warm hug.

Her teacher reads the class a story about colours of mothers. Eva realises hers is pink, cool and correct.

On her first day at school, Eva is befriended by Brigid, who has a blue mother, the kind

Eva wants. Things become more difficult for Eva when the teacher asks pupils to bring a baby photo to school. There is no baby photo of Eva to be found. Years later, while reading one of her father’s books, a baby photo falls out. The baby is being held by a woman in a grey dress, her head having been cut out of the photo. Eva is sure it is her.

Brigid — of the blue mother — becomes her lifelong friend and her family a good part of Eva’s life.

This is a story of Eva’s search for identity, set in London and later in Andalusia.

I have spent time in Cordoba myself and loved every moment, but just being with Eva as she untangles and possibly tangles her life while discovering her background is an epic read.

I could not put this book down.

Joanna Glen was shortlisted for the Costa award for her first novel The Other Half of Augusta Hope. I would give her an award for this one. —