Reviews

All My Mothers by Joanna Glen

Only show reviews with written explanations

kerryanna2709's review against another edition

4.0

I thought this was going to be a 5 star review but I found the last section a bit tedious. It both dragged and annoyed me by covering off big chunks of time in a couple of paragraphs.

Until that point I loved it. Loved Eva and Bridget. Especially loved Mrs Blume. Loved the desperate need for family and belonging. I thought it was beautiful.

But the very short chapters annoyed me - why did they stop and start so abruptly?!

daniela_is_reading's review

Go to review page

5.0

I bought this book on a whim. The title grabbed me and it was on special, so, why not! 🙂. It was worth it, a moving story focusing on family, friendship, love and everything else that happens inbetween.

Eva is in search of her identity when she comes to realise that neither her mother or father can shed much light into the first 3 and half years of her life. Here, begins a journey of discovery and learning about oneself spanning several decades.

I highly recommend this if you enjoy novels that a both rich in plot and character and full of thought provoking quotes.

Below is a snippet of some of these quotes:

* "I was full of the most unbearable longing. The Portuguese have a word for it: Saudade- a yearning for a happiness that has passed, or perhaps never existed".

* "it is, surprisingly, possible to feel deep joy inside deep sadness."

* "Scientifically speaking, the energy in the universe is not held in each particle, as scientists had originally supposed, but in the space between particles, that is, the energy in everything is in its relationship to everything else".

* "it's so easy to say why, and so much better to say why not"

Definately recommend you give this one a go.

mitchellireland's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

carmen_monique's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Loved it. Beautiful and sad and emotional. Exploration of motherhood and both blood and found family.
Really loved the theme throughout of the real love (platonic but treated as no less valuable) and family built between the main character and her best friend. Loved the analogy of the different coloured mothers.