
Mother Island
Bethan Roberts
This is the story of two women, Nula and Maggie, joined by old family history and love for the same little boy.
Nula, struggling with her new baby and feeling alone in her marriage, employs her cousin Maggie as a nanny when she returns to work. But it's not long before Nula finds herself theatened by Maggie's close bond with her son, Samuel.
Nula's outwardly perfect house crackles with unspoken jealousies and rivalry until Maggie's intense love for Samuel tips into obsession and she decides her only option is to abduct the child. As Maggie makes her desperate bid for safety, the women's shared past of trauma and loss comes to the fore once more.
WINNER OF THE JERWOOD FICTION UNCOVERED PRIZE 2015.
Product Details
About Bethan Roberts
Reviews for Mother Island
The Times
More than just a piece of mummy lit, it's particularly good on the multiple tiny stories of hurt and resentments that can make up a family history.
Metro
There's little more engrossing than a top-notch psychological thriller. Bethan Roberts's latest novel doesn't disappoint – it's satisfyingly creepy and stimulates that delicious paradox: goose-pimples in summer.
The Independent
A sharp examination of what it means to be a mother...What makes Mother Island stand out from the crowd, though, is the compassion the author shows for her central characters...A thoroughly cracking read
Big Issue
Cleverly constructed… Skilful unravelling of events… Uncomfortable and gripping in equal measures
Juanita Coulson
Lady
A gripping read and perfect page-turner…that manages to combine tension with nuances…of family life with great aplomb
Laura Lockington
Brighton & Hove Independent
This is a sad and moving tale, written with understanding and compassion. A compulsive page-turner
Melanie Whitehouse
Sussex Life