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All My Mothers
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…
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…
400 pages, ebook
Published August 5, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,056 reviews
September 17, 2023
nobody speak to me for the next 48 hours i am not ok
January 19, 2023
This is the story of Eva Martínez-Green, from the day she began school, and for the next 30 years of her life. It's a story about mothers - for anyone who has been a mother, has had a mother, wants to be a mother, or even just knows a mother. It's a totally immersive story, at times painful and at others joyful, that had me ugly-crying for the last two chapters. I loved it.
On the day Eva starts school at St Hilda's in London, two life-changing things happen. Firstly, she meets Bridget Blume, the vivacious Jewish girl who will be her best friend forever and ever, and secondly she is introduced to a book called The Rainbow Rained Us. Listening to Miss Feast read the book to her class, Eva is struck by the thought that there are many different types of mothers in the world, and by its follow-up, that she and her own mother Cherie did not match. It is such a revelation that she asks her father to buy her a copy of the book. At around this time she also begins writing her own book, a notebook/journal really, of her quest to find out who she is. The Quest Book.
Over the years Eva has many important women in her life. Many are positive influences, such as Bridget's mother, M, and Sister Ana in Córdoba, but others are less positive. Eva realises that all of them can teach her something. Christine Orson, mother of Eva's teenage boyfriend Michael, is such an example. This is a woman who gave up her high-powered career to steer her 3 boys to their best lives, and who actually makes notes about questions to guide mealtime discussions. At Eva's first meal with the family, Christine asks them all what they consider to be their guiding principle for life. Eva's response is something she's instinctively known her whole life, but perhaps only crystallises at that point - longing. Convinced she was abducted from her home in Spain as a toddler, Eva has always longed for a loving mother, her real mother.
This is a book of two halves, with the first half set in London for Eva's childhood. At about the halfway point, when Eva is at university, the story relocates to Córdoba. For me, the pace really picked up at that point, but that's not to say I enjoyed the first half any less. It's a slow burn. The London section was all about development of character and motivation, while in Spain the focus turns more to the plot. Covering such a long timespan, I appreciated the way the author mentioned current events every now and then (the funeral of Lord Mountbatten, the popularity of Mamma Mia the Musical, 9/11), providing an anchor to the context of the times, whether or not they directly influenced the characters.
I missed the author's debut novel when it was originally published, but I'm going to remedy that very soon. If it's half as good as this one, it will be wonderful.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for an eARC to read and review.
On the day Eva starts school at St Hilda's in London, two life-changing things happen. Firstly, she meets Bridget Blume, the vivacious Jewish girl who will be her best friend forever and ever, and secondly she is introduced to a book called The Rainbow Rained Us. Listening to Miss Feast read the book to her class, Eva is struck by the thought that there are many different types of mothers in the world, and by its follow-up, that she and her own mother Cherie did not match. It is such a revelation that she asks her father to buy her a copy of the book. At around this time she also begins writing her own book, a notebook/journal really, of her quest to find out who she is. The Quest Book.
Over the years Eva has many important women in her life. Many are positive influences, such as Bridget's mother, M, and Sister Ana in Córdoba, but others are less positive. Eva realises that all of them can teach her something. Christine Orson, mother of Eva's teenage boyfriend Michael, is such an example. This is a woman who gave up her high-powered career to steer her 3 boys to their best lives, and who actually makes notes about questions to guide mealtime discussions. At Eva's first meal with the family, Christine asks them all what they consider to be their guiding principle for life. Eva's response is something she's instinctively known her whole life, but perhaps only crystallises at that point - longing. Convinced she was abducted from her home in Spain as a toddler, Eva has always longed for a loving mother, her real mother.
This is a book of two halves, with the first half set in London for Eva's childhood. At about the halfway point, when Eva is at university, the story relocates to Córdoba. For me, the pace really picked up at that point, but that's not to say I enjoyed the first half any less. It's a slow burn. The London section was all about development of character and motivation, while in Spain the focus turns more to the plot. Covering such a long timespan, I appreciated the way the author mentioned current events every now and then (the funeral of Lord Mountbatten, the popularity of Mamma Mia the Musical, 9/11), providing an anchor to the context of the times, whether or not they directly influenced the characters.
I missed the author's debut novel when it was originally published, but I'm going to remedy that very soon. If it's half as good as this one, it will be wonderful.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for an eARC to read and review.
April 27, 2022
Only child Eva Martinez-Green is lonely, growing up with detached and distant parents. She is often overwhelmed by a sense of "saudade", a Portuguese/Spanish word which has no English translation, but can be best described as "the presence of absence" a kind of nostalgia and deep, melancholic longing for something that has passed or possibly never even existed. This is a wonderfully emotional story of the innate need we all have, to be nurtured, loved, cherished and ultimately, to know we belong. A lovely 4.5 stars.
December 16, 2021
Eva’s friend is Bridget Blume, but the person she connects with is her friends Mother.
Bridget’s mother is sensitive, loving, hugs where she sees a difference in her own life.
She seeks out her real mom.
This although is poignant and sad in places it balances out with some good uplifts.
A coming of age story seeped in emotions.
Bridget’s mother is sensitive, loving, hugs where she sees a difference in her own life.
She seeks out her real mom.
This although is poignant and sad in places it balances out with some good uplifts.
A coming of age story seeped in emotions.
May 12, 2024
Eva Martinez-Green is an only child who can’t shake the thought that her parents aren’t her real parents. They have almost no baby photos of Eva and don’t offer much information about the beginning of her life. Eva’s mother is emotionally distant and her father is gone often. When her parents split up, Eva begins a quest to uncover answers and seek the truth about her identity.
Along the way she meets her best friend, Bridget, seeks a mother figure through Bridget’s mom, experiences substantial loss, has a crush on a boy, gets involved in a bad relationship with a different boy, pursues her education, travels, and more.
In some ways, All My Mothers reminded me of Summer Sisters, with its similar themes of friendship, coming of age, family, and found family. Identity is also a prevalent theme in All My Mothers.
This is a moving story spanning several years and as a reader you feel for the unknowns Eva is attempting to discover. There are highs and lows and I enjoyed Eva’s journey.
Along the way she meets her best friend, Bridget, seeks a mother figure through Bridget’s mom, experiences substantial loss, has a crush on a boy, gets involved in a bad relationship with a different boy, pursues her education, travels, and more.
In some ways, All My Mothers reminded me of Summer Sisters, with its similar themes of friendship, coming of age, family, and found family. Identity is also a prevalent theme in All My Mothers.
This is a moving story spanning several years and as a reader you feel for the unknowns Eva is attempting to discover. There are highs and lows and I enjoyed Eva’s journey.
August 5, 2021
All My Mothers is 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. Eva Martinez-Green seemingly has everything a young woman could yearn for. Yet she has always felt like a part of her was missing and something she couldn't quite put her finger on was not quite right. We are first introduced to her as she attends her very first day at school. She's a bashful and quiet girl who inhabits a large house in Chelsea with her mother and father, but when she thinks about it, she wonders why she has no memories before the age of three and a half years old. She feels like an outsider even in her own home with her emotionally stilted mother who always holds back some of herself and never gives quite enough of her love and care to her young daughter. She spent most of her time in bed and is distant, cold and the mothering instinct certainly does not come naturally to her. She also isn't supportive of her daughter and when Eva meets her best friend, Bridget, she sees exactly how mothers usually behave in loving homes. She feels more loved and safe and at home at Bridget’s than she ever does in her own home.
She even receives hugs and kind, supportive words from Bridget’s mum, too. This makes Eva want to understand even more why her own mother is not motherly, so she sets out to discover the truth. She begins to believe that the Martinez-Green clan may not be her biological family, so she embarks upon a mission to either confirm her theory or disprove it and hopefully find a sense of belonging in the process. This is a captivating, heartbreaking and deeply emotional novel that asks the question: What would it be like to think that you’d ended up with the wrong mother? I loved this poignant, tear-jerker of a story: Eva's range of possible and impossible families, her risky attempts at friendship, her unexpected epiphanies, her passion for the ancient city of Córdoba — and the sometimes terrible, sometimes wonderful, always powerful, impact of love. Joanna Glen has returned with a tender and evocative examination of one woman’s journey of self-discovery. No one writes of the joy and heartache of life as thoughtfully and beautifully, and Eva’s story is entirely bewitching. Exploring yearning, grief and love in all its forms, it will leave you bereft but bedazzled. Highly recommended.
She even receives hugs and kind, supportive words from Bridget’s mum, too. This makes Eva want to understand even more why her own mother is not motherly, so she sets out to discover the truth. She begins to believe that the Martinez-Green clan may not be her biological family, so she embarks upon a mission to either confirm her theory or disprove it and hopefully find a sense of belonging in the process. This is a captivating, heartbreaking and deeply emotional novel that asks the question: What would it be like to think that you’d ended up with the wrong mother? I loved this poignant, tear-jerker of a story: Eva's range of possible and impossible families, her risky attempts at friendship, her unexpected epiphanies, her passion for the ancient city of Córdoba — and the sometimes terrible, sometimes wonderful, always powerful, impact of love. Joanna Glen has returned with a tender and evocative examination of one woman’s journey of self-discovery. No one writes of the joy and heartache of life as thoughtfully and beautifully, and Eva’s story is entirely bewitching. Exploring yearning, grief and love in all its forms, it will leave you bereft but bedazzled. Highly recommended.
August 26, 2022
And here we have the disappointment of the year everyone. This one hurts because this was going to be the second best book I read in 2022 after A Certain Hunger. But no.
This is a very mournful 3/5 stars for me. Onto better things.
This is a very mournful 3/5 stars for me. Onto better things.
March 2, 2021
I’m not often reduced to tears by a book but I finished this with wet cheeks.
I just loved it. Eva (as in forever, not evil, she tells us early on) is searching for something. She knows that something is missing but isn’t entirely sure what. She just knows that she doesn’t belong in her family. This book chronicles her life and her desire to find love and happiness. Eva makes wonderful friends and I loved them all.
A real strength of this book is the characters. Each of them is so perfectly written and even those we don’t like, we understand. Eva has a strong voice and the author writes her so clearly. I felt her feelings and I saw her surroundings.
Honestly, I can only think of lovely things to say about this absolute gem of a book. I will be recommending it to friends and actively searching out more books by this talented author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.
I just loved it. Eva (as in forever, not evil, she tells us early on) is searching for something. She knows that something is missing but isn’t entirely sure what. She just knows that she doesn’t belong in her family. This book chronicles her life and her desire to find love and happiness. Eva makes wonderful friends and I loved them all.
A real strength of this book is the characters. Each of them is so perfectly written and even those we don’t like, we understand. Eva has a strong voice and the author writes her so clearly. I felt her feelings and I saw her surroundings.
Honestly, I can only think of lovely things to say about this absolute gem of a book. I will be recommending it to friends and actively searching out more books by this talented author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.
October 27, 2022
Author Joanna Glen's All My Mothers is a rare combination of an incredible plot with an equally, if not more, sublime writing style.
I can't even say for sure how many times Glen used foreshadowing, but I feel confident enough to say that nearly every little detail has a greater significance to be found out later on. Undoubtedly, there are so many satisfying moments to be had when seemingly everything adds up. I'm in awe.
As for the plot, I admire the overarching idea that everything makes sense in time as we grow into ourselves. In the details, there's so much to process and take in, and I think I'll be coming back to them, especially when in challenging relationships myself. Right now, the plot certainly feels like a hug to my past self who faced such. It's healing, and I'm grateful.
I can't even say for sure how many times Glen used foreshadowing, but I feel confident enough to say that nearly every little detail has a greater significance to be found out later on. Undoubtedly, there are so many satisfying moments to be had when seemingly everything adds up. I'm in awe.
As for the plot, I admire the overarching idea that everything makes sense in time as we grow into ourselves. In the details, there's so much to process and take in, and I think I'll be coming back to them, especially when in challenging relationships myself. Right now, the plot certainly feels like a hug to my past self who faced such. It's healing, and I'm grateful.
August 19, 2021
A bad mum, A missing mum, A borrowed mum, A dead mum, A found mum.
March 23, 2022
i absolutely could not put this book down, it was a glorious read.
i’d recommend it to anyone who needs a reminder that sometimes family isn’t all about blood-relations, and it can be the people you surround yourself with that can be your sisters, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins — and that that is more than enough xxx
i’d recommend it to anyone who needs a reminder that sometimes family isn’t all about blood-relations, and it can be the people you surround yourself with that can be your sisters, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins — and that that is more than enough xxx
October 21, 2022
Eva is aware from a young age that her family life is not as it should be. There is just her, her emotionally distant mother and her partially absent father. No siblings, no pets, just the three of them. But why are there no baby photos of Eva? And why is her mother so reluctant to remember Eva as a baby? This is a quest Eva is determined to get to the bottom of.
Although Eva’s life could be construed as lonely, she has a best friend, Bridget, who fills the empty gaps perfectly. Bridget’s home is everything Eva dreams of; siblings, noise, mess, chaos - and the most warm and loving mother that ever lived. This is where Eva starts her journey to find out who she is, where she comes from and to try and understand the many variations of motherhood.
Like the other thousands of reviewers, I absolutely loved this. The style of writing is so wonderfully unique that I defy anyone not to love Eva. She made me laugh and she made me cry, on numerous occasions. This is the story of her life and it spans decades and continents, it’s filled with glorious colour but there is also darkness. It’s captivating, once you fall into the world of Eva Martinez-Green, you won’t want to leave.
Although Eva’s life could be construed as lonely, she has a best friend, Bridget, who fills the empty gaps perfectly. Bridget’s home is everything Eva dreams of; siblings, noise, mess, chaos - and the most warm and loving mother that ever lived. This is where Eva starts her journey to find out who she is, where she comes from and to try and understand the many variations of motherhood.
Like the other thousands of reviewers, I absolutely loved this. The style of writing is so wonderfully unique that I defy anyone not to love Eva. She made me laugh and she made me cry, on numerous occasions. This is the story of her life and it spans decades and continents, it’s filled with glorious colour but there is also darkness. It’s captivating, once you fall into the world of Eva Martinez-Green, you won’t want to leave.
March 30, 2023
I did not like the style of writing.
At all.
Not the short sentences.
The one page chapters.
The characters.
Most especially the six year old who sounded like a 42 year old.
Really.
And of course the multiple references to the book about mothers.
That she read in prep.
Carried all over the world with her.
Geez.
At all.
Not the short sentences.
The one page chapters.
The characters.
Most especially the six year old who sounded like a 42 year old.
Really.
And of course the multiple references to the book about mothers.
That she read in prep.
Carried all over the world with her.
Geez.
February 28, 2024
First half much stronger than the second
December 29, 2023
Oh my goodness. It's 3am, I have just finished this book and I simply had to review it immediately.
This book, this book is immense. We are following the story of Eva, from her first memories as a four year old starting school and making a best friend, all the way through to adulthood. We see her at her best and her worst, at her highs and lows. This book doesn't pull its punches.
At it's heart, it is a coming of age story. But it's so much more than that. It's about the circular nature of life, it's about how disappointments come but also wonderful things, but mostly it's about girls and women and mothers, and the wonderful relationships between them all.
I loved how the author weaved the story, you grow into it as Eva grows up. We sometimes see where the journey is going, and sometimes we don't, but Eva is a truthful narrator to both herself and her subjects. She is at times, not terribly likeable, but she is believable and three dimensional.
I simply loved this book.. It made my heart break at some parts, and made me stifle laughter at others. I literally stayed up all night to finish it, and now I have work in three hours and can't wait to recommend this book to others.
Five stars, 6 if I could. This book spoke to my soul and I love it. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review.
This book, this book is immense. We are following the story of Eva, from her first memories as a four year old starting school and making a best friend, all the way through to adulthood. We see her at her best and her worst, at her highs and lows. This book doesn't pull its punches.
At it's heart, it is a coming of age story. But it's so much more than that. It's about the circular nature of life, it's about how disappointments come but also wonderful things, but mostly it's about girls and women and mothers, and the wonderful relationships between them all.
I loved how the author weaved the story, you grow into it as Eva grows up. We sometimes see where the journey is going, and sometimes we don't, but Eva is a truthful narrator to both herself and her subjects. She is at times, not terribly likeable, but she is believable and three dimensional.
I simply loved this book.. It made my heart break at some parts, and made me stifle laughter at others. I literally stayed up all night to finish it, and now I have work in three hours and can't wait to recommend this book to others.
Five stars, 6 if I could. This book spoke to my soul and I love it. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review.
June 12, 2022
This was simply beautiful. It's narrated by Eva who grows up with the suspicion that her parents are not her birth parents (although they deny this). She's an only child who forms a firm friendship with Bridget and she is captivated by Bridget's large and loving family. Over the course the book, Eva will have a progression of mother figures in her life and will also come to understand her own story.
It's a book about friendship and motherhood and finding your own people and it gave me all the feels that I got from Still Life. I thought it might be too dumbed down or sentimental for my taste but I absolutely adored it and I hugely recommend it.
It's a book about friendship and motherhood and finding your own people and it gave me all the feels that I got from Still Life. I thought it might be too dumbed down or sentimental for my taste but I absolutely adored it and I hugely recommend it.
December 9, 2023
Spent much of this desperate for someone to clock Eva’s narcissistic ass!
Not even the Tooting representation could stop the narrative falling off a cliff in the final 100 pages.
Not even the Tooting representation could stop the narrative falling off a cliff in the final 100 pages.
January 6, 2024
4⭐️ Read in one sitting - the most amazing writing style and journey. A heartfelt, tear-jerking reminder that every little detail of our life makes up who we are.
Update: I can’t stop thinking about the intricacies of love, in particular a mothers love and the constant theme of this throughout this story, the highs and lows, the joy and disappointment. So beautiful, and so so important. We all have mothers and mother figures in our lives….what kind of “mother” will I be?
Update: I can’t stop thinking about the intricacies of love, in particular a mothers love and the constant theme of this throughout this story, the highs and lows, the joy and disappointment. So beautiful, and so so important. We all have mothers and mother figures in our lives….what kind of “mother” will I be?
May 23, 2023
EL LIBRO PERFECTO NO EXIS—
EL LIBRO PERFECTO: All my mothers.
No hay cosas que me guste más que adentrarme en una historia completamente a ciegas, sin tener referencias de nadie. Simplemente dejarte llevar por esa vocecita que te dice "este libro es para ti". Y lo mejor de todo es así es: este libro llegó para quedarse.
All my mothers es un libro que lo tiene completamente TODO. Empezando porque es una oda a las madres y a las hijas; a las niñas y a las jóvenes, a las adultas y a las ancianas. Es un libro de mujeres de todos los colores, como dice el libro que la pequeña Eva Martínez-Green, The Rainbow Rained Us. En él, descubre que hay madres de muchos colores y empieza a sospechar que quizás su madre, no lo sea realmente. Por lo que decide empezar su propia búsqueda y, en el camino, va encontrándose muchas madres distintas como en su libro.
La historia sigue la vida de Eva desde los cuatro años hasta los treinta años. Es una historia coming-of-age impresionante con una voz narradora que va cambiando conforme la prota va creciendo. La manera en la que está escrito este libro es ARTE. El estilo de la autora es precioso y delicado, y se va adaptando perfectamente a las diferentes etapas vitales que atraviesa Eva.
Una vida está compuesta de muchos momentos y All my mothers consigue captar eso a la perfección. Real como la vida misma, este libro te hace sentir todo tipo de emociones. Y , por su puesto, siempre de la mano de unos personajes que son maravillosa y terriblemente humanos. No todas sus decisiones son correctas o estuve de acuerdo con ellas, pero ¿quién vive una vida sin equivocarse alguna vez? ¿Sin tomar un desvío que te lleva a un callejón sin salida? ¿Si haber tenido que recurrir a un GPS que te reoriente?
Por no mencionar, que hay representación de todo tipo (LGBT+, de cuerpos no normativos, religiosa) y se tratan temas de índole femenina como el cáncer de mama o la endiometrosis. Pero, sobre todo me ha llamado la atención la representación religiosa (judía, musulmana y católica) y que se haga tanto hincapié en ella. La mitad del libro está ambientado en Córdoba (la primera mitad en Chealsy, Inglaterra). La representación de todas esas religiones hace referencia al trasfondo histórico de esa provincia andaluza y la diversidad de la que se ha nutrido su cultura.
All my mothers es definitivamente una de mis mejores lecturas del año, pero también de la vida.
EL LIBRO PERFECTO: All my mothers.
No hay cosas que me guste más que adentrarme en una historia completamente a ciegas, sin tener referencias de nadie. Simplemente dejarte llevar por esa vocecita que te dice "este libro es para ti". Y lo mejor de todo es así es: este libro llegó para quedarse.
All my mothers es un libro que lo tiene completamente TODO. Empezando porque es una oda a las madres y a las hijas; a las niñas y a las jóvenes, a las adultas y a las ancianas. Es un libro de mujeres de todos los colores, como dice el libro que la pequeña Eva Martínez-Green, The Rainbow Rained Us. En él, descubre que hay madres de muchos colores y empieza a sospechar que quizás su madre, no lo sea realmente. Por lo que decide empezar su propia búsqueda y, en el camino, va encontrándose muchas madres distintas como en su libro.
La historia sigue la vida de Eva desde los cuatro años hasta los treinta años. Es una historia coming-of-age impresionante con una voz narradora que va cambiando conforme la prota va creciendo. La manera en la que está escrito este libro es ARTE. El estilo de la autora es precioso y delicado, y se va adaptando perfectamente a las diferentes etapas vitales que atraviesa Eva.
Una vida está compuesta de muchos momentos y All my mothers consigue captar eso a la perfección. Real como la vida misma, este libro te hace sentir todo tipo de emociones. Y , por su puesto, siempre de la mano de unos personajes que son maravillosa y terriblemente humanos. No todas sus decisiones son correctas o estuve de acuerdo con ellas, pero ¿quién vive una vida sin equivocarse alguna vez? ¿Sin tomar un desvío que te lleva a un callejón sin salida? ¿Si haber tenido que recurrir a un GPS que te reoriente?
Por no mencionar, que hay representación de todo tipo (LGBT+, de cuerpos no normativos, religiosa) y se tratan temas de índole femenina como el cáncer de mama o la endiometrosis. Pero, sobre todo me ha llamado la atención la representación religiosa (judía, musulmana y católica) y que se haga tanto hincapié en ella. La mitad del libro está ambientado en Córdoba (la primera mitad en Chealsy, Inglaterra). La representación de todas esas religiones hace referencia al trasfondo histórico de esa provincia andaluza y la diversidad de la que se ha nutrido su cultura.
All my mothers es definitivamente una de mis mejores lecturas del año, pero también de la vida.
August 6, 2021
‘Sometimes you can’t solve the problems you’ve helped to create.’
On the day that Eva Martínez-Green started school at St Hilda’s in London, two important things happened: first she met Bridget Blume; and secondly she was introduced to a book called ‘The Rainbow Rained Us’. Bridget becomes Eva’s friend, and the book has such a profound impact on Eva, that she asks her father to buy her a copy. Ms Feast, the class teacher, reads the book to the school. And from the story Eva realises that there are many different types of mothers. But somehow, Eva and her mother do not match. There are gaps in Eva’s life and questioning her parents does not help fill in these gaps. Eva wonders where she belongs.
Eva’s story unfolds over the next thirty years in London and in Spain. Her parents separate and a tragedy in Bridget’s family sees Bridget and her family move to Israel. Eva feels this loss more keenly as, for a while, she lived with the Blume family and experienced their acceptance and love.
What can I tell you about this novel, about the pain of searching for truth, about wondering who your parents really are and why you did not grow up with them? Or about growing up in a dysfunctional home, where truth is hidden (or ignored)? Eva’s journey is challenging and complicated. She observes (and experiences) different models of mothering during her quest. This is a novel about life, about belonging, and about mothering. Along the way, Eva meets several women who will have an important influence on her life. Not all are positive.
I was drawn into Eva’s story, and desperately wanted her to find the answers she was searching for. This is a beautifully written novel: painful in some parts, joyful in others.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
On the day that Eva Martínez-Green started school at St Hilda’s in London, two important things happened: first she met Bridget Blume; and secondly she was introduced to a book called ‘The Rainbow Rained Us’. Bridget becomes Eva’s friend, and the book has such a profound impact on Eva, that she asks her father to buy her a copy. Ms Feast, the class teacher, reads the book to the school. And from the story Eva realises that there are many different types of mothers. But somehow, Eva and her mother do not match. There are gaps in Eva’s life and questioning her parents does not help fill in these gaps. Eva wonders where she belongs.
Eva’s story unfolds over the next thirty years in London and in Spain. Her parents separate and a tragedy in Bridget’s family sees Bridget and her family move to Israel. Eva feels this loss more keenly as, for a while, she lived with the Blume family and experienced their acceptance and love.
What can I tell you about this novel, about the pain of searching for truth, about wondering who your parents really are and why you did not grow up with them? Or about growing up in a dysfunctional home, where truth is hidden (or ignored)? Eva’s journey is challenging and complicated. She observes (and experiences) different models of mothering during her quest. This is a novel about life, about belonging, and about mothering. Along the way, Eva meets several women who will have an important influence on her life. Not all are positive.
I was drawn into Eva’s story, and desperately wanted her to find the answers she was searching for. This is a beautifully written novel: painful in some parts, joyful in others.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
May 14, 2024
The choppy sentences worked….until they didn’t. The thoughts and opinions of her as such a young child were too mature and unbelievable. The book was also far too long. Overall though, not bad. Just not necessarily for me.
June 17, 2021
I really really enjoyed this. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before - a life story that’s told with a lot of compassion and warmth and humour.
January 23, 2023
Devoured this book - loved it from page 1. The sort of book that you just can’t wait to get back to and just curl up and enjoy
July 17, 2024
I picked this book up because of its premise of a child having questions about her early life and origins, sensing she is being lied to by her parents.
The book is 480 pages and most of the first half is narrated by Eva as a child or teenager. It begins as she is starting school and beginning to develop friendships. She befriends Bridget Blume and is besotted. Not just by her, but by her entire family, especially her mother who is so unlike Eva's mother whom she calls Cherie (like her father does).
At school Eva is deeply affected by a book the teacher reads 'The Rainbow Rained Us', in which a rabbit throws a stone at the rainbow of Noah's Ark breaking it apart into hundreds of multicoloured mothers who repopulate the earth with children.
From then on she refers to her mother as Pink Mother and Bridget's mother as Blue Mother.
When they are asked to share a baby photo, Eva becomes even more convinced than she already was, that her mother is not her mother, there is no photo of her as a baby, nothing before the age of three and a half.
The novel's first half follows her through primary school, her developing friendship and first great loss, first the loss of a favourite teacher, then a death that will result in her friend's family moving to another country and then abandonment by her father, who returns to Spain and rarely if ever makes contact. Eva's personality develops and is compromised by these losses and causes her to develop or accept superficial relationships, taking some time to realise what she lost by neglecting what has been meaningful to her.
In the second half of the novel she has started a university degree, changing locations due to the demands of her boyfriend Michael, but when told they will spend a summer semester in Cordoba, Spain, the separation from all that is familiar and expected of her, marks the beginning of a transformation and a quest into looking for the answer to questions she has about her origins.
The second half is something of an adventure as she develops a new friend Carrie who is interested in helping her and the two begin to consider not returning to their previous lives, to stay in Cordoba.
As Eva enters her 20's her relationships and perspective begin to evolve, although she remains somewhat detached, circumspect and emotionally distant. With the presence of those around her, she begins to understand the complexity of being a mother, of being mothered and that judgments can change, as can people, especially when they find those relationships that are mutually nurturing.
Overall, an enjoyable summer read that is likely to spark an interest in Cordoba, if like me you have never been there.
The book is 480 pages and most of the first half is narrated by Eva as a child or teenager. It begins as she is starting school and beginning to develop friendships. She befriends Bridget Blume and is besotted. Not just by her, but by her entire family, especially her mother who is so unlike Eva's mother whom she calls Cherie (like her father does).
At school Eva is deeply affected by a book the teacher reads 'The Rainbow Rained Us', in which a rabbit throws a stone at the rainbow of Noah's Ark breaking it apart into hundreds of multicoloured mothers who repopulate the earth with children.
There Blue Mother stood in a mesmerising cornucopia of blues, at the edge of a turquoise sea, laughing, the wind in her hair, surrounded by her blue family.
'Blue Mother is free and open and speaks from her heart.'
She sounded exactly like Bridget's mother - utterly perfect.
From then on she refers to her mother as Pink Mother and Bridget's mother as Blue Mother.
Pink Mother was sitting upright in a kind of fairy-tale bed, a bit like my mother and father's, a four-poster, with a roof and curtainy droops around it.
No,no,no.
'Pink Mother is delicate and feminine,' said Miss Feast, explaining that delicate meant not strong.
When they are asked to share a baby photo, Eva becomes even more convinced than she already was, that her mother is not her mother, there is no photo of her as a baby, nothing before the age of three and a half.
The novel's first half follows her through primary school, her developing friendship and first great loss, first the loss of a favourite teacher, then a death that will result in her friend's family moving to another country and then abandonment by her father, who returns to Spain and rarely if ever makes contact. Eva's personality develops and is compromised by these losses and causes her to develop or accept superficial relationships, taking some time to realise what she lost by neglecting what has been meaningful to her.
In the second half of the novel she has started a university degree, changing locations due to the demands of her boyfriend Michael, but when told they will spend a summer semester in Cordoba, Spain, the separation from all that is familiar and expected of her, marks the beginning of a transformation and a quest into looking for the answer to questions she has about her origins.
The second half is something of an adventure as she develops a new friend Carrie who is interested in helping her and the two begin to consider not returning to their previous lives, to stay in Cordoba.
As Eva enters her 20's her relationships and perspective begin to evolve, although she remains somewhat detached, circumspect and emotionally distant. With the presence of those around her, she begins to understand the complexity of being a mother, of being mothered and that judgments can change, as can people, especially when they find those relationships that are mutually nurturing.
Overall, an enjoyable summer read that is likely to spark an interest in Cordoba, if like me you have never been there.
July 17, 2022
I loved this story, in particular how it is narrated by Eva throughout her life. It starts with a child's voice that grows as she does, through adolescents to young adult and then as an adult. The voice fitted each of these stages perfectly describing love for people and places in Eva's life at that time
May 10, 2024
All My Mothers by Joanna Glen tells the touching story of Eva, who, from a young age, searches for the love she craves within her family. Throughout her life, she experiences different mother figures, each teaching her valuable lessons about motherhood. Yet, Eva still yearns for a sense of belonging and love. The book highlights the importance of family love in shaping our identities and how the absence of it can leave us feeling empty and worthless. It emphasizes that without genuine love, we may settle for any kind of affection, regardless of its source.
June 8, 2023
Déjenme empezar diciendo que AMÉ este libro. Aunque gran parte de la trama se centra en la maternidad, este libro también celebra la amistad entre mujeres. Sobre todo destaca cuánta historia se puede acumular entre dos personas, a tal punto que se convierten en la familia que elegimos para nosotros mismos.
Esta novela lo tiene todo: un plot interesante, una estructura que agiliza el ritmo de la lectura, personajes que extrañas en el momento que cierras el libro y frases que se quedan contigo. Llegar a la última página me dejó con un vacío gigante (de esos que se tienen cuando se termina algo muy bueno) y con muchísimas ganas de visitar Córdoba algún día.
Mi nueva agenda es hacer que más gente lo lea!!! 🖤🍊
Esta novela lo tiene todo: un plot interesante, una estructura que agiliza el ritmo de la lectura, personajes que extrañas en el momento que cierras el libro y frases que se quedan contigo. Llegar a la última página me dejó con un vacío gigante (de esos que se tienen cuando se termina algo muy bueno) y con muchísimas ganas de visitar Córdoba algún día.
Mi nueva agenda es hacer que más gente lo lea!!! 🖤🍊
February 27, 2024
The best book I have read in a very long time. Going to be recommending this to everyone.
August 18, 2022
Stop arrêtez tout ! Des fois je lis un livre et je *sais* que je ne lirais pas mieux avant un long moment. C’est le cas avec All My Mothers. J’ai mis 5 étoiles mais en vrai je veux en mettre 6, 8, 12. Je n’ai pas peur de le survendre. J’essaie d’organiser mes pensées.
De base j’ai choisi ce livre pour le sujet qu’il semblait traité en 4e de couverture, càd les mamans (et plus largement les familles) de coeur. Si vous allez en thérapie à cause de votre famille franchement lisez ça.
Puis finalement, au delà du sujet, j’ai aussi adoré le style de l’autrice. Je lisais et je me disais « c’est comme ça que j’aimerais écrire ». Elle a des tournures de phrases qui me faisait m’arrêter dans ma lecture et me dire pfiou, ou bizn je relisais le même passage plusieurs fois.
Je suis quelqu’un qui aime les personnages. S’il y a pas une intrigue de ouf mais des bons personnages développés, I’m all in (ici il y a les deux). J’ai rarement lu des personnages si bien écrit. J’ai presque cru que c’était autobiographique tellement ils m’ont semblés *réels*
Mention spéciale au postscript de l’autrice qui parle avec amour de Cordoue, là où se passe la plupart de l’action.
Par contre prévoyez les mouchoirs si vous êtes un coeur sensible/émotif : j’ai ugly-cried dans le train et à la gare (et j’ai pas pu le finir en public). C’est pas du tout tire-larmes je précise. C’est beau vrai intense sincère.
De base j’ai choisi ce livre pour le sujet qu’il semblait traité en 4e de couverture, càd les mamans (et plus largement les familles) de coeur. Si vous allez en thérapie à cause de votre famille franchement lisez ça.
Puis finalement, au delà du sujet, j’ai aussi adoré le style de l’autrice. Je lisais et je me disais « c’est comme ça que j’aimerais écrire ». Elle a des tournures de phrases qui me faisait m’arrêter dans ma lecture et me dire pfiou, ou bizn je relisais le même passage plusieurs fois.
Je suis quelqu’un qui aime les personnages. S’il y a pas une intrigue de ouf mais des bons personnages développés, I’m all in (ici il y a les deux). J’ai rarement lu des personnages si bien écrit. J’ai presque cru que c’était autobiographique tellement ils m’ont semblés *réels*
Mention spéciale au postscript de l’autrice qui parle avec amour de Cordoue, là où se passe la plupart de l’action.
Par contre prévoyez les mouchoirs si vous êtes un coeur sensible/émotif : j’ai ugly-cried dans le train et à la gare (et j’ai pas pu le finir en public). C’est pas du tout tire-larmes je précise. C’est beau vrai intense sincère.
May 2, 2023
Love love love this book. I just read it for the second time whilst in Cordoba which made it even more special as I was able to see the sights that Eva saw and the reasons why she loved this city so much! There is so much beauty and wisdom within the heartbreaking but hopeful story and I really can't recommend it enough.
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