Following the arrest of her youngest son, caught burying a body in the woods near the home where she raised him, Meredith Mayes moves through the memories of her own life with disbelief. Her sense of loss is familiar: her husband and firstborn son died in a car accident ten years prior. These two events circle one another in her mind, enshrouding her as one grief reawakens the other.The onslaught of a clamoring media is the noisy backdrop to the ferocious crush of her memories. With the arrival of her nephew, Curtis, she finds some measure of sanity, but he has trauma of his own to process. Neither of them can fully trust in the wake of what has happened, but together, they must work to find a way through.The intrusions of the past and the immediacy of the present combine to make “Mother Of” a powerful examination of the choices we make, the lives we live because—or perhaps in spite—of them, and a heartfelt, gut-wrenching look at the soul of a mother coming to grips with the unthinkable.
When it comes to novellas, they can either be great or
highly confuse you. When not written well, there can be too many descriptors
and the story never progresses OR the story moves way too fast and doesn’t end
up making any sense.
I was pleasantly surprised reading through ‘Mother Of’. It
was written in a unique style with narrative, inner dialogue – moreso than
inner monologue, and flashbacks. The use of font and verb tenses allows you to
sort it out in your mind once you get used to it.
The story was intriguing, and I know it could probably be
used to expand into a full novel, but I liked having a bite-sized version.
It's one that shows the struggle between love and morality. It really gives you something to think about.
If you’re a fan of crime novels or fiction in general – take
an afternoon and check this one out. It’s quick. It’s interesting. It’s worth
the read!
5/5 Stars
