by Kimberly McCreight (Simon & Schuster)
Dramatic and deeply unsettling – enough to put an icy “there but for the grace of God go I” hand on the spine of most parents.
I have, pretty much, brought up three children on my own. I know what it’s like to try to balance the important needs of offspring, with the career which brings in the salary to support the family. It can be hell.
Single mom and lawyer Kate Barron is in a make or break career-enhancing meeting when she receives a call from her daughter’s exclusive school. Her highly intelligent, well-behaved daughter, Amelia, has been suspended, as of now. Never mind the meeting, Kate must hotfoot it to Amelia. But the fates and public transport are not in her favour.
By the time Kate arrives at Grace Hall, Amelia is dead. This is not a spoiler! Early on in the book we are up to speed on Amelia’s demise, the question is why?
Why did Amelia die? Why are there so many very important Amelia-related issues, suddenly coming to the fore, which Kate, (to all intents and purposes a hard working, pretty perfect mother) never knew existed?
Do we really know what goes on in the, often difficult, lives of our teenagers? Does trawling through their e-mail and Facebook, (if a parent ever gets to the “friend” stage...) actually help? Then again, what a state of affairs if you have to delve into FB to know your child.
How does a parent balance “mind your own business” with “this is my business, you are my precious child, I want to help”?
Refusing to believe the official line on what happened to Amelia, Kate starts to investigate and two of today’s most severe teen problems, bullying and initiations, immediately come to the fore.
Riveting, in the true sense of the word, Kate and Amelia share the well-paced narrative, which gives the reader a balanced perspective on the tragedy as it unfolds.
This is this author’s first novel and as a former lawyer and a mother of two daughters she writes from a place of distinct knowledge, providing important food for thought.
I was captivated, angered and horrified in turn. I am already casting the movie...