I loved how the author weaved the story, you grow into it as Eva grows up. We sometimes see where the journey is going, and sometimes we don't, but Eva is a truthful narrator to both herself and her subjects. She is at times, not terribly likeable, but she is believable and three dimensional. Do you have those books that you love just SO MUCH, hit you so hard and mean so much to you, but you worry that it was more about the circumstance in which you read it than the book itself? The Other Half of Augusta Hope, Joanna Glen’s debut was my favourite book I read last year, and I was worried All My Mothers wouldn’t live up to the hype that I had created for it.

The Price of Salt was in some ways revolutionary – it differed from other gay romances of its time in its hint of a happy ending. And as ever when it comes to the author of The Talented Mr Ripley, the novel is beautifully, thrillingly told – even on second reading I could barely tear myself away from its sensitive, confused, desperate characters. To quote the book itself, “A classic is something with a basic human situation.” I agree with Val McDermid, who wrote the foreword to my edition, that The Price of Salt fits this description. Read it, then watch the stunning 2015 film adaptation, in which Cate Blanchett performs the somewhat miraculous feat of rising from the living room floor hands-free, all the while looking impossibly elegant. 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... About This Edition ISBN:I didn't start this expecting to find a character that means as much to me as Eva. But once in a while you find a character that hits you at your core, and that's what Eva did for me. Her complicated family life, her emotional turmoil, her fierce friendship, her curiosity mixed with hesitance. This is one of those characters that touched my heart, and I'll carry her story with me. From there, we follow her story of Eva's family. Of families that are created, those that you find, and those that walk into your world unexpectedly. How some people shape you irrevocably, leaving their mark long after they're no longer in your life. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is one of those books that follows you around long after you have read it. It is short and uncomplicated. You may find yourself putting the book down after finishing it, and wondering what to do next. The atmosphere and characters keep popping up in my head with such vivid clarity that it is quite unnerving. A beautiful book. Overall, it is a story about a girl whose “mother” felt like a phantom and an intruder. All her life, Eva has never truly felt connected to her mother, neither emotionally nor physically. This is why she clings to a color schemes which sorts all kinds of mothers into distinct colors to describe their personality and qualities of how a true mother should act and behave. For her, it is a way to cope with the neglect and detachment of her parents. Throughout the story, she encounters various types of mothers who act as a role model and dramatically shape her one way or the other.

It's like the author looses steam the second our protagonist lands in Cordoba, which is an absolute let down after almost half the book knowing this will be the beginning of the Actual Quest.I found it both a mesmerisingly beautiful portrait of a young woman discovering what home means to her, and a poignant depiction of how our actions can touch other people's lives in ways we could never have anticipated. Augusta and Parfait are wonderful characters; I was willing them on to find the happiness and peace they both deserved' Sarah Haywood, author of The Cactus As Eva enters adulthood, her struggles with endometriosis and infertility whilst in an unfulfilling and controlling relationship were insightful and honest. I’ve yet to come across novels where these issues feature throughout the plot and they resonated with me personally.

Eva’s life in London helps the reader to learn about the characters, and when she starts to study in Cordoba, the real task of finding her birth mother begins. I was drawn into Eva’s story, and desperately wanted her to find the answers she was searching for. This is a beautifully written novel: painful in some parts, joyful in others.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? Dystopian Fiction Books Everyone Should Read: Explore The Darker Side of Possible Worlds and Alternative Futures All My Mothers is a touching story about family, self discovery and friendship which manages to strike just the right balance between sweet and sad. One of the most transporting novels I have read recently” - Patricia Nicol, Daily Mail’s Best Books for Winter Breaks

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.

LoveReading Says

One of those rarest of books: so beautiful I almost couldn't bear it, and so moving I was reading through tears' STACEY HALLS We follow Eva as she makes a life long friend in Bridget Blume and her lovely family – particularly Bridget’s mother who feels like a really lifeline to Eva. Their relationship grows and changes and there are some really heartbreaking moments throughout this novel. Eva continues to search for her ‘real’ mother, and this leads her to time abroad in Córdoba during university where the setting of the book becomes even more atmospheric! London, 1980s. Though she has a comfortable, privileged life, Eva Martínez-Green is deeply unhappy. The only child of an emotionally absent mother and a physically absent father, Eva has grown up in a cold, unloving house. But 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? I simply loved this book.. It made my heart break at some parts, and made me stifle laughter at others. I literally stayed up all night to finish it, and now I have work in three hours and can't wait to recommend this book to others. 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.