Scan barcode
A review by strawberrymivvy
A Good Enough Mother by Bev Thomas
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Ruth is a senior psychotherapist working with the victims of trauma, and we get an insight into the stabilising work of these short-term stabilisation solutions. It becomes apparent that Ruth herself is suffering and as the novel progresses she becomes unable to maintain the boundaries between her professional and personal lives.
The story is told with occasional chapters that give us a flash back into her life a few years previously, before her teenage son disappeared, as she struggles to accept his mental health challenges and differences to his outgoing twin.
Ruth makes more and more unwise professional decisions and things come to a tragic head.
Whilst it would be wrong to say this was an enjoyable read, it was well-written and with a story that took me places I didn't expect to go. A great psychological novel
The story is told with occasional chapters that give us a flash back into her life a few years previously, before her teenage son disappeared, as she struggles to accept his mental health challenges and differences to his outgoing twin.
Ruth makes more and more unwise professional decisions and things come to a tragic head.
Whilst it would be wrong to say this was an enjoyable read, it was well-written and with a story that took me places I didn't expect to go. A great psychological novel
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide attempt