All My Mothers: The heart-breaking new novel from the author of the Costa-shortlisted debut, THE OTHER HALF OF AUGUSTA HOPE

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Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes. This is Joanna Glen’s second novel and with just two books she has become an auto-buy author for me. I missed the author's debut novel when it was originally published, but I'm going to remedy that very soon. If it's half as good as this one, it will be wonderful.

One of the most transporting novels I have read recently” - Patricia Nicol, Daily Mail’s Best Books for Winter Breaks

Featured Reviews

All My Mothers is a captivating and heartening view of motherhood and what it means to be a mother, both within its traditional parameters, and in all its unconventional but beautiful ways. More than that, though, it is a story of unwavering female friendship throughout Eva’s life, starting from age four and on into her twenties and thirties. The unique style of writing in All My Mothers creates a compelling story that explores difficult topics with sensitivity and nuance. One of those rarest of books: so beautiful I almost couldn’t bear it, and so moving I was reading through tears’ STACEY HALLS When her parents’ relationship crumbles, Eva begins looking for a different, better life: a proper family, a perfect mother, and, importantly, real love. Her desire to find where she belongs leads Eva on a journey spanning years and continents – and, along the way, she meets women who challenge her idea of what a mother should be, and who will change her life forever… My review: This book, this book is immense. We are following the story of Eva, from her first memories as a four year starting school and making a best friend, all the way through to adulthood. We see her at her best and her worst, at her highs and lows. This book doesn't pull it's punches.

The narrative structure of All My Mothers provides an interesting exploration into the past and present lives of its protagonists. From a young age, Eva Martinez-Green feels distanced from her mother, not helped by the fact when she is asked to bring in a baby photo to school, she is told by the woman she suspects is not actually her mother her baby photos were stolen. In fact, the earliest photos they have are when she was three and a half years old. Guided by a book they’re reading at school and her newfound friendship with Bridget Blume, Eva begins her quest to understand her beginnings and where she came from. La historia sigue la vida de Eva desde los cuatro años hasta los treinta años. Es una historia coming-of-age impresionante con una voz narradora que va cambiando conforme la prota va creciendo. La manera en la que está escrito este libro es ARTE. El estilo de la autora es precioso y delicado, y se va adaptando perfectamente a las diferentes etapas vitales que atraviesa Eva. Por no mencionar, que hay representación de todo tipo (LGBT+, de cuerpos no normativos, religiosa) y se tratan temas de índole femenina como el cáncer de mama o la endiometrosis. Pero, sobre todo me ha llamado la atención la representación religiosa (judía, musulmana y católica) y que se haga tanto hincapié en ella. La mitad del libro está ambientado en Córdoba (la primera mitad en Chealsy, Inglaterra). La representación de todas esas religiones hace referencia al trasfondo histórico de esa provincia andaluza y la diversidad de la que se ha nutrido su cultura. Had me absolutely sobbing - a beautiful, beautiful book' JO BROWNING WROE, bestselling author of A TERRIBLE KINDNESSIts been at least a year since a book left me in tears but here we are. All My Mothers is a life story. It’s a brilliant and heartfelt exploration of motherhood, grief, friendship and the importance of platonic love. Eva is aware from a young age that her family life is not as it should be. There is just her, her emotionally distant mother and her partially absent father. No siblings, no pets, just the three of them. But why are there no baby photos of Eva? And why is her mother so reluctant to remember Eva as a baby? This is a quest Eva is determined to get to the bottom of. Oh my goodness. It's 3am, I have just finished this book and I simply had to review it immediately. When her parents’ relationship crumbles, Eva begins a journey to find these answers for herself. Her desire to discover where she belongs leads Eva on a journey spanning decades and continents – and, along the way, she meets women who challenge her idea of what a mother should be, and who will change her life forever… This is a title that I may not have been drawn to immediately as it sounded a little syrupy. I was wrong. It’s filled with insight into friendship, ,love , longing loss and the bonds between women. For the lyrical quality of the writing alone, this is a wonderful book and despite moments of heartache, I’m so pleased to have read it. Powerful and compelling from start to finish.

Throughout her life Eva has felt that there is something missing in her life. She feels the outsider even when people go out of their way to show her love. Her mother is distant, undemonstrative and spends most of her time in bed. She is neither a loving mother, nor a supportive mother – she is an absence. An absence that is hard for a small girl to understand. Her father is everything and she adores him. When school requires her to bring a photo of herself as a baby she discovers there are no photographs. As she grows she learns that there is nothing of her before the age of three and a half – another unexplained emptiness. An absence that is compounded when her father leaves and her mother is moved to hospital. Between her emotionally absent mother and her physically absent father, there is nobody to answer them. Eva is convinced that all is not as it seems. Why are there no baby pictures of her? Why do her parents avoid all questions about her early years? Without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read - an extraordinary masterpiece' Anstey Harris, author of The Truths and Triumphs of Grace AthertonAfter reading ‘The Other Half of Augusta Hope’, I was so excited to read ‘All My Mothers’. And I was not disappointed. Joanna Glen is rapidly becoming an auto-buy author for me - and this book is full of the same heart as Augusta Hope. It felt rushed, and it lost it's punch in the most critical moment. Again, using my spainard card here, the whole bought baby moment could have been So Much More Magnanimous. There was an epidemic of doctors and nurses (nuns) that flat out stole babies from their mothers (single mothers, republicans, poor women, romani women, you get the gist) and gave said babies to rich families under the fascist wing. So yeah, by romanticising nuns who literally took away a baby from a muslim woman (with the very same practice used by fascist, stealing nuns) it doesn't really leave a good taste in my mouth. For as long as she can remember, Eva has been sure that her mother is not really her mother. As she starts a life long quest to find the truth, she encounters women throughout her life who make her question the role of a mother, and the relationship she has with her own. Take a Look at Our Summary of November Highlights, Whether You're Looking for the Latest Releases or Gift Inspiration