The Mother by Yvette Edwards #paperback #bookreview #bloggersbuybooks @panmacmillan #TheMother

 

The Mother by Yvette Edwards

First Published by Mantle April 2016

This edition released 3rd March 2022 by Pan

Book Description:

Marcia Williams thought she knew her son. She thought he was safe. She was wrong . . .

Today, Marcia is heading to the Old Bailey. She's going there to do something no mother should ever have to do: to attend the trial of the boy accused of her son's murder.

She's not meant to be that woman; Ryan, her son, wasn't that kind of boy. But Tyson Manley is that kind of a boy and, as his trial unfolds, it becomes clear that it's his girlfriend Sweetie who has the answers Marcia so badly needs and who can – perhaps – offer Marcia some kind of hope for the future. But Sweetie is as scared of Tyson as Ryan should have been and, as Marcia's learned the hard way, nothing's certain. Not anymore.

My Thoughts:

What an emotional read! With knife crime an ever-present threat to our society this is a book I think everyone should read. It's the story of one family's battle to deal with the loss of a son through the selfish, mindless actions of a young man with little to lose.

Told from mum Marcie's point of view throughout we meet her as she attends court for the first day of the trial of the young man accused of killing her son Ryan. Her main desire is to find out one thing: why Ryan? Was it a targeted act or was Ryan just unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

We read of the devastating effect the crime has had on Ryan's close-knit family: there was only his mum, dad and his aunt. A small family group full of love and kindness. His mum now suffers from alopecia due to the stress of trying to cope, his dad is no longer able to work and lives in his own little world, struggling to even converse with his wife while going through the motions of getting up in the morning and making her a cup of tea which she can't face.

I felt every emotion with Marcie as I read: the anger, the attempt to make heartfelt excuses for the boy in the dock, the confusion when some of the evidence presented didn't even sound like they were describing Ryan. They didn't know him like she did - or did she even really know the young man he was growing in to?

This was a book which will stay with me for a long time, and despite being a work of fiction I'm sad when I realise that it must be the reality for so many families across the UK.

Excellent work from a writer with a superb talent.

About the Author:

Yvvette Edwards is a British author of Montserratian origin. Her debut novel, A Cupboard Full of Coats, was nominated for a number of literary awards including the Man Booker prize. Her second novel, The Mother, was published in 2016. She loves travel, dazzling autumn landscapes and carrot cake. She currently resides in London with her family.