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A review by ashmagoffin
Mother Tongue by Naima Brown
4.0
Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
Brynn is a suburban mother restricted by duty and routine until a fall leaves her in a coma. She wakes up self-assured, self-realised and speaking fluent French. Brynn’s new personality has an immense impact on the circle of people around her. Brynn’s husband Eric, now without a submissive housewife, his objectification of women manifests quite literally. Jenny, their daughter, struggling without routine and attention. And lastly Lisa, Brynn’s best friend, who sees an opening for a life that she has always wanted.
This book is darkly comedic and as it progresses becomes bizarre and uncanny. The events are absolutely unhinged but the tone of this book justifies the characters’ actions in a matter-of-fact way. This novel is unpredictable, I feel like it expertly toed the line between taking it too far and taking it just far enough. No character was a caricature, I feel like Lisa’s and Eric’s perspectives add a lot to this story which left me with a lot of complex feelings. As the novel drew to a close, I became increasingly puzzled but pleasantly so. Inquisitive, eccentric and sharp, this book is about motherhood, grabbing life with both hands and the consequences of acting in your own self interests to the people around you, this book will stay with me for a long time.
Brynn is a suburban mother restricted by duty and routine until a fall leaves her in a coma. She wakes up self-assured, self-realised and speaking fluent French. Brynn’s new personality has an immense impact on the circle of people around her. Brynn’s husband Eric, now without a submissive housewife, his objectification of women manifests quite literally. Jenny, their daughter, struggling without routine and attention. And lastly Lisa, Brynn’s best friend, who sees an opening for a life that she has always wanted.
This book is darkly comedic and as it progresses becomes bizarre and uncanny. The events are absolutely unhinged but the tone of this book justifies the characters’ actions in a matter-of-fact way. This novel is unpredictable, I feel like it expertly toed the line between taking it too far and taking it just far enough. No character was a caricature, I feel like Lisa’s and Eric’s perspectives add a lot to this story which left me with a lot of complex feelings. As the novel drew to a close, I became increasingly puzzled but pleasantly so. Inquisitive, eccentric and sharp, this book is about motherhood, grabbing life with both hands and the consequences of acting in your own self interests to the people around you, this book will stay with me for a long time.