The Book of Mother

Name: The Book of Mother
Brand: Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand
SKU: 9780349012315
Price: 27.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

Longlisted for the International Booker Prize

By Violaine Huisman

0.0 (0 reviews)

3.79

( 2,491 ratings, 446 reviews)

Summary

The Book of Mother by Violaine Huisman is a poignant exploration of a complex mother-daughter relationship. Set against the backdrop of an upper-middle-class Parisian life, the narrative delves into the tumultuous life of Catherine, a charismatic yet troubled mother, through the eyes of her daughter. It blends personal recollection with a vivid portrayal of family dynamics, capturing both the joys and challenges of their bond.
Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$27⁹⁹

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 3-4 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

The Book of Mother

$27⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're captivated by intricate mother-daughter relationships, characterised by raw emotion and candid exploration of family dynamics. It's a compelling portrayal that weaves together personal history with universal themes, making it both intimate and profoundly relatable for fans of deeply powerful narrative fiction.

The Book of Mother

'Marvelous, superbly affective ... A labor of love, which considers primal conflict [between a mother and her daughter] with a tender psychological acuity' New Yorker

Description

An indelible portrait of a brilliant, beautiful, mad and maddening woman, expressing the joy of holding her mercurial attention and also the terrible cost of that intimacy...No-one who reads this captivating book will ever forget Maman Andrew Solomon

A prize-winning tour de force when it came out in France, this brilliant translation of Violaine Huisman's witty, immersive autofiction showcases a Parisian childhood with a charismatic, depressed parent (Oprah Daily). Beautiful and magnetic, Catherine, aka 'Maman', smokes too much, drives too fast, laughs too hard and loves too extravagantly. During a joyful and chaotic childhood, her daughter Violaine wouldn't have it any other way.

But when Maman is hospitalised after a third divorce and breakdown, everything changes. Even as Violaine and her sister long for their mother's return, once she's back, Maman's violent mood swings and flagrant disregard for personal boundaries soon turn their home into an emotional landmine. As the story of Catherine's own traumatic childhood and coming of age unfolds, the pieces come together to form an indelible portrait of a mother as irresistible as she is impossible, as triumphant as she is transgressive.

With spectacular ferocity of language, a streak of dark humour and stunning emotional bravery, The Book of Mother is an exquisitely wrought story of a mother's dizzying heights and devastating lows, and a daughter who must hold her memory close in order to let go.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Book of Mother by Violaine Huisman has been praised for its vivid depiction of filial love, capturing both the beauty and tumult in a mother-daughter relationship. It's described as a poignant and lively narrative that balances sadness with surprising and engaging prose. Critics have highlighted its emotional depth, with a powerful, evocative portrayal of a brilliant yet unstable woman. The book is noted for its brave storytelling, offering an intense exploration of familial trauma, love, and the complexity of motherhood.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780349012315

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 August 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Virago Press Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 34.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 198g

Pages: 224

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Violaine Huisman

About the Author

Violaine Huisman was born in Paris in 1979 and has lived and worked in New York for twenty years, where she ran the Brooklyn Academy of Music's literary series and also organized multidisciplinary arts festivals across the city. Originally published by Gallimard under the title Fugitive parce que reine, her debut novel The Book of Mother was awarded multiple literary prizes including the Prix Fran oise Saga and the Prix Marie Claire.

Leslie Camhi is a New York-based essayist and cultural journalist who writes for the New York Times, Vogue and other publications. She is a frequent contributor to artists' monographs and museum catalogues. The Book of Mother is her first book-length translation.