Bookrate

From the author of the Costa shortlisted debut, The Other Half of Augusta Hope, comes the story of one girl’s journey to find her birth mother, and her realisation that mothers – and family – can be discovered in the most unexpected of places… London, 1980s. Though she has a comfortable, privileged life, Eva Martínez-Green is deeply unhappy. The only child of an emotionally absent mother and a physically absent father, Eva has grown up in a cold, unloving house. But Eva is convinced that all is not as it seems. Why are there no baby pictures of her? Why do her parents avoid all questions about her early years? When her parents’ relationship crumbles, Eva begins looking for a different, better life: a proper family, a perfect mother, and, importantly, real love. Her desire to find where she belongs leads Eva on a journey spanning years and continents – and, along the way, she meets women who challenge her idea of what a mother should be, and who will change her life forever… Praise for Joanna Glen’s debut novel, The Other Half of Augusta Hope: ‘A therapeutic dose of high-strength emotion’ GUARDIAN ‘It’s going to be all over every book club in Britain before you can say Burundi’ THE TIMES ‘Full of the reality of hope and despair in everyone’s lives’ MIRANDA HART ‘This gem of a novel entertains and moves in equal measure’ DAILY MAIL ‘Keep the tissues close’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ‘An irresistible message of redemption and belonging’ RED magazine ‘Heartening and hopeful’ JESS KIDD, author of Things in Jars ‘Mesmerizingly beautiful’ SARAH HAYWOOD, author of The Cactus ‘An extraordinary masterpiece’ ANSTEY HARRIS, author of The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton ‘Gutsy, endearing and entertaining’ DEBORAH ORR ‘Absolutely brilliant’ GAVIN EXTENCE, author of The Universe Versus Alex Wood