A review by bonecarvdweaver
My Mother's Shadow by Nikola Scott

4.0

"It's the kind of spring that bursts forth in order to finally have a proper revenge on winter, that won't hold back but thrusts upwards and shoots outwards and pushes roots down into the ground, because it is so full of life and full of intoxicating newness that it simply won't stand for being held back a minute more."

CW: Child grooming, abuse, neglect, brief descriptions of abortion, incest, depression and infidelity

My Mother's shadow follows forty-or-so old Addie, a woman seeking some sort of change in her life. Not the sort that comes with her mother's sudden death, more or so like regaining control of her passion in pastries and finding what she wants to do in life, albeit a little too late. A call comes through the day of her mother's funeral and unravels a mystery that will not only change her life, but her family's too.

This is a story told in present tense, the days leading up to and after Addie's mother's funeral, and back to the 1950's in journal entries written by Addie's mother, Elizabeth. The diaries tell a story of a seventeen year old girl whose mother is dying, she's shipped off to a distant relative for the summer, hoping to come home and have life return to normal. During that summer she falls for the new glamorous life she's swept up into, and for someone who will change her life for the worse.

I personally preferred the diary entries written by Elizabeth, a look into the way of life in the 50's that post-war were filled with excitement and money, but something horrid for women, especially those who are giving birth before marriage, who are seen as sins, and how they are punished, abused, and treated in society. To sum it up, cruel.

I felt like Addie's parts went on too long. While seeing her relationships unfold with her family were tense and interesting, I felt like there were parts I was bored by, scenes that didn't quite feel unnecessary, and characters who weren't fleshed out properly who were more important to the story than some other things. Whenever we got back to Elizabeth's chapters, I was floundered by the change of writing style. It was beautiful, it was surreal, and it swept me up so emotionally that it was almost brutal to switch back to her current daughter's POV. I loved seeing the cause and future outcome of Elizabeth's life, and as we come into contact with Addie's living, adopted twin, and their strange adventure to figure out who their real father is.

Overall, despite being a bit too long for my taste, I thought this was a wonderful book. I adored the characters, the mystery and the twists. And more than anything, it reminds me of my relationship with my parents, and how much more I could know if I truly got to know who my parents were before me, as to explain who they are now and who I am also.

This book often had a lyrical, nearly poetic prose that took me back in time to the story. This really makes me interested in historical fiction, and I think anyone interested should give it a try.