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A review by whatsallyreadnext
Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I read this recently ahead of next week's Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist announcement and I think it could be a good contender! I'd heard great things about this book beforehand and overall, I liked it and how honest it was about the challenges of motherhood - in fact, it was so honest that it almost put me off motherhood at times!
Written as an inner monologue
to her son from a young mother, who is struggling with early motherhood, feeling isolated and facing the strain of her marriage, this novel was raw, darkly funny and brutally honest that paints quite a bleak picture of her experiences. When an old friend appears in her life again, he could be the lifeline to remind her of the woman she used to be before motherhood.
Her tough experiences of motherhood felt relentless in the novel and I almost felt exhausted from it all as the reader, but it was certainly a powerful book. I was conscious that at times, she wasn't always the most reliable narrator, and that part of how she'd describe things which happened would be related to her exhaustion as a mother.
Written as an inner monologue
to her son from a young mother, who is struggling with early motherhood, feeling isolated and facing the strain of her marriage, this novel was raw, darkly funny and brutally honest that paints quite a bleak picture of her experiences. When an old friend appears in her life again, he could be the lifeline to remind her of the woman she used to be before motherhood.
Her tough experiences of motherhood felt relentless in the novel and I almost felt exhausted from it all as the reader, but it was certainly a powerful book. I was conscious that at times, she wasn't always the most reliable narrator, and that part of how she'd describe things which happened would be related to her exhaustion as a mother.