A Dream Within A Dream: The Mother Blog Tour: Review

The Mother

Author: Yvvette Edwards
Genre: Literary Fiction
Release Date: May 10, 2016
Publisher: Amistad

Description:

The author of the critically acclaimed A Cupboard Full of Coats makes her hardcover debut with a provocative and timely novel about an emotionally devastated mother’s struggle to understand her teenage son’s death and her search for meaning and hope in the wake of incomprehensible loss

The unimaginable has happened to Marcia Williams. Her bright and beautiful sixteen-year-old son Ryan has been brutally murdered. Consumed by grief and rage, she must bridle her dark feelings and endure something no mother should ever have to experience: she must go to court for the trial of the killer—another teenage boy—accused of taking her son’s life.

How could her son be dead? Ryan should have been safe—he wasn’t the kind of boy to find himself on the wrong end of a knife carried by a dangerous young man like Tyson Manley. But as the trial proceeds, Marcia finds her beliefs and assumptions challenged as she learns more about Ryan’s death and Tyson’s life, including his dysfunctional family. She also discovers troubling truths about her own. As the strain of Ryan’s death tests their marriage, Lloydie, her husband, pulls further away, hiding behind a wall of secrets that masks his grief, while Marcia draws closer to her sister, who is becoming her prime confidant.

One person seems to hold the answers—and the hope—Marcia needs: Tyson's scared young girlfriend, Sweetie. But as this anguished mother has learned, nothing in life is certain. Not any more.

A beautiful, engrossing novel that illuminates some of the most important and troubling issues of our time, The Mother is a moving portrait of love, tragedy, and survival—and the aftershocks from a momentary act of cruel violence that transforms the lives of everyone it touches.

The Mother is a truly unique blend of heartbreak, loss, guilt, hope, and redemption. How would you react if your child was killed at the hand of another? That's the question at the heart of this book - one that our main character, Marcia Williams, must ask herself and come to terms with. It's a parent's worst nightmare - having a child die before you do, but having one killed - murdered - is even worse yet. The majority of us will never have to face this situation in our own lives, but I have to admit that I don't think I would've reacted as admirably as Marcia does throughout the novel. The death of Marcia's son - Ryan - is heartbreaking and although I couldn't fully empathize with her, my heart hurt for her loss and the pain she felt. Along with being a great work of literary fiction, this novel could also be seen as a character study of Marcia Williams. She's the heart and soul of this story - it all revolves around her reactions and actions - her willingness to forgive and move on. She's an amazing main character with a ton of admirable traits, especially given her circumstances. I felt connected to her right from the beginning of the book, which made this a crazy emotional roller coaster ride of a story.

Another aspect of the book that really pulls the reader inside of the story is the author's use of the first person point of view. I'm a big advocate for this writing style (if you've read any of my other reviews, you'll already know this) because of the intense and deeply personal bond it allows the reader to create with the narrator. In this case, the story is told from Marcia's perspective, so we get an inside look at everything she's going through and trying to deal with at once. It's a difficult place to be, inside her mind during the book, but it's well worth the emotional toll it takes due to the personal bond we grow to have with Marcia. I don't do spoilers and the description pretty much tells you exactly what the book is about anyway. In my opinion though, the story is more about Marcia and how she deals/copes with the death of her son - than the actual crime and trial itself. It's a mesmerizing look into the heart and mind of someone living their worst nightmare - but it's not just a story of grief and loss - it's so much more than that. I highly recommend it to everyone regardless of your usual preferences - this is a beautiful novel that deserves to be read by readers everywhere.

Photo by Danielle Acquah

Yvvette Edwards, the author of the highly praised A Cupboard Full of Coats, has lived in London all her life. She resides in the East End and is married with three daughters and a stepson. The Mother is her second novel.

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