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A review by emerlea
My Mother's Shadow by Nikola Scott
5.0
Nikola Scott is a tremendous writer with the depth it takes to write a variety of scenes and emotions without becoming repetitive in how she does so. The writing flows seamlessly and each character is easily recognizable by how they are written.
One of the things I enjoyed about the book is that is was a wandering journey with subtle plot and character development throughout, rather than a race to the finish. Many authors race to get you to major plot and character points, making the development unnatural. Ms. Scott was wise enough not to do this. She created a book to be savored, not rushed through.
The book is written from two perspectives,
1) Liz/Elizabeth - The portions from her perspective are as Liz, what she was called during her teen years, and are told through her journal entries. Her sections deal with the loss of her mother, the resulting loss of her childhood, and the loss of her innocence about life; all items that forever changed who she became as an adult.
2) Addie - The eldest daughter of Elizabeth. The two had a complicated relationship during Elizabeth's life, leaving Addie to feel she was never able to meet her mother's expectations the way her two younger siblings had. A year after Elizabeth's death, a stranger arrives stating she's Addie's twin. What follows in an uncovering of sometimes painful revelations, the testing of family bonds between Addie and the father she adores, a new way of understanding her mother.
Life and families can be complicated and messy. Ms. Scott did a wonderful job of showing us one of many ways they can be so, will resolution in the end.
One of the things I enjoyed about the book is that is was a wandering journey with subtle plot and character development throughout, rather than a race to the finish. Many authors race to get you to major plot and character points, making the development unnatural. Ms. Scott was wise enough not to do this. She created a book to be savored, not rushed through.
The book is written from two perspectives,
1) Liz/Elizabeth - The portions from her perspective are as Liz, what she was called during her teen years, and are told through her journal entries. Her sections deal with the loss of her mother, the resulting loss of her childhood, and the loss of her innocence about life; all items that forever changed who she became as an adult.
2) Addie - The eldest daughter of Elizabeth. The two had a complicated relationship during Elizabeth's life, leaving Addie to feel she was never able to meet her mother's expectations the way her two younger siblings had. A year after Elizabeth's death, a stranger arrives stating she's Addie's twin. What follows in an uncovering of sometimes painful revelations, the testing of family bonds between Addie and the father she adores, a new way of understanding her mother.
Life and families can be complicated and messy. Ms. Scott did a wonderful job of showing us one of many ways they can be so, will resolution in the end.