Bloggin' 'bout Books: Just in Time for Mother's Day Comes a Heartwarming Story About the Joys of Motherhood ... Oh, Wait ...

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

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Just in Time for Mother's Day Comes a Heartwarming Story About the Joys of Motherhood ... Oh, Wait ...

11:29 AM

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Desperate for a new start away from her controlling husband, Daphne Marist applies for her dream job as a live-in archivist for her favorite novelist—and gets it. Not only does she know nothing about how to actually perform her duties, but she's also presenting herself with a false name and credentials that do not belong to her. Sure she can fake it well enough to fool her elderly employer, Daphne heads to the Catskills with her six-month-old daughter, Chloe, in tow. Waiting for her is a beautiful stone mansion surrounded by a lush landscape that makes the whole scene seem like something out of a fairy tale. The lovely refuge is exactly what Daphne needs, even if the insane asylum that lurks behind the home sends shivers down her spine.

As Daphne starts organizing papers for Schuyler Bennett, she becomes immersed in the author's story, especially her connection with the asylum. In doing so, she's trying to forget her own troubles, the reason why she fled her home in the first place. Yes, Daphne was diagnosed with Postpartum Mood Disorder after Chloe's birth and yes, it made her forgetful, clingy, even obsessive. It didn't, however, make her a danger to her infant daughter. No matter what, Daphne refuses to believe her husband's accusations—she would never hurt Chloe. Never. She doesn't know how to interpret the disturbing memory fragments tormenting her mind, but they can't be what they seem to be. They can't be evidence that she put her own child at risk. That would be impossible, wouldn't it?

The longer Daphne is in the Catskills, the more she comes to realize that something did happen before she left. Something awful. It's up to her to mine her troubling memory for the truth before she finds herself the newest resident in an asylum that is conveniently close to her new home ...

Just in time for Mother's Day comes a heartwarming novel about the joys of motherhood ... oh, wait, this is not that book! As is indicated by its title, The Other Mother—the newest Gothic thriller by Carol Goodman—is indeed about motherhood. It's about all the uncertainty, guilt, anxiety, fear, and fierce, mind-warping love that comes along with bearing a child, especially for the first time. While all of those emotions are perfectly natural, this wouldn't be a Goodman book if those feelings weren't twisted into something decidedly more sinister than just a new mother's paranoia. Goodman uses these heightened emotions to create a story that is chilling and can't-look-away compelling. It's the kind of novel that keeps the reader constantly off-kilter, never knowing what is real and what isn't. In doing so, however, the plot gets confusing and a bit contrived. Still, it's a tense, twisty thriller that will keep you engrossed until the very end. The Other Mother isn't my favorite novel by this author, but it's definitely another enthralling story that kept me turning pages long past bedtime.

(Readalikes: Reminds me a bit of Remember Mia by Alexandra Burt)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a half dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Other Mother from the generous folks at HarperCollins. Thank you!

11 comments:

Lark 12 May, 2018 13:28
I like Carol Goodman but I'm not sure that I'd like this particular novel. I think I might pass on this one.
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Replies
Kay12 May, 2018 13:57
I agree that if the author is Carol Goodman, creepy is involved - and usually the woods, dark and deep, some kind of 'haunted house' vibe, and craziness. I'm looking forward to trying this one. She recently won The Mary Higgins Clark Award (given at the Edgar's) for THE WIDOW'S HOUSE. I like that one a lot.
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Helen's Book Blog12 May, 2018 14:33
Every mother's nightmare; that we hurt our own child. This one might be too creepy for me :-)
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Jenny12 May, 2018 16:17
These types sure are popular right now. I can never decide if I should try them or not. They’re so hit and miss for me. I do gave a Goodman on my shelf somewhere though. Can’t remember which one though.
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Replies
DoingDewey13 May, 2018 11:00
I also found this engaging, but having finished it, I can't say I liked it very much. While it was hard to put down, I also found it unbelievable and over-the-top, with way too many coincidences and cases of mistaken identity. It's interesting to me that it could be such a gripping read anyway :)
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Replies
Katherine P15 May, 2018 11:26
Oh I need this one! I love the pairing of unreliable narrator and the research into the asylum. It sounds like a great read if not exactly a perfect Mother's Day read!
ReplyDelete
Replies

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Books Read in 2024 (asterisks denote favorites)

1. The Nightmare House by Sarah Allen (Jan)
2. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan* [audio] (Jan)
3. Graysen Foxx and the Treasure of Principal Redbeard by J. Scott Savage (Jan)
4. The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor by Aubrey Hartman* (Jan)
5. Ditch the Glitch by Camille Smithson (Jan)
6. Zeke Zooter and the Eye of Balor by Bruce Jacobs (Jan)
7. Never Lore: Journey to Mt. Smolder by Taya and Nathan Okerlund (Jan)
8. God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney [audio] (Jan)
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10. The Last One by Will Dean (Jan)
11. Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire (Jan)
12. My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Jan)
13. Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong (Jan)
14. Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda* (Jan)
15. The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant (Jan)
16. Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity by Elizabeth C. Bunce* (Jan)
17. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson* (Jan)
18. More Than a Body by Lindsay and Lexie Kite (Feb)
19. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay (Feb)
20. Slayed on the Slopes by Kate Dyer-Seeley (Feb)
21. My Imaginary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Feb)
22. Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee (Feb)
23. Artifice by Sharon Cameron* (Feb)
24. Something About Sophie by Mary Kay McComas (Feb)
25. Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow (Feb)
26. My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Feb)
27. Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt (Feb)
28. Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead (Feb)
29. Murder on Millionaires' Row by Erin Lindsey (Feb)
30. Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson (Mar)
31. End of Story by A.J. Finn (Mar)
32. None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (Mar)
33. My Contrary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Mar)
34. Where There's Smoke by E.B. Vickers (Mar)
35. Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong* (Mar)
36. The Kind to Kill by Tessa Wegert (Mar)
37. Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban (Apr)
38. Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor (Apr)
39. Swimming in a Sea of Stars by Julie Wright (Apr)
40. The Girl Who Wasn't There by Penny Joelson (Apr)
41. The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers [audio] (Apr)
42. The Secret of Rainy Days by Leslie Hooton (Apr)
43. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin (Apr)
44. The Nights the Lights Went Out by Karen White (Apr)
45. Flippin' Skaters by Teresa Richards (Apr)
46. Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch [audio] (Apr)
47. The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes* (Apr)
48. Dust by Dusti Bowling* (Apr)

49. Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie (Apr)

50. One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware (Apr)

51. Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest (Apr)

52. The Hunter by Tana French (May)

53. Murder at Rough Point by Alyssa Maxwell (May)

54. The Hard Parts by Oksana Masters [audio] (May)

55. Watch It Burn by Kristen Bird (May)

56. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson* (May)

57. No Matter What by K.M. Frost (May)

58. Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen (May)

59. The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain [audio] (May)

60. Candy Cane Crime by Amanda Flower [novella] (May)

61. An Improbable Season by Rosalyn Eves (May)

62. Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs* (May)

63. Borrow My Heart by Kasie West (May)

64. Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham (May)

65. Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis (May)

66. The Weight of Everything by Marcia Argueta Mickelson (May)

67. Make the Fireflies Dance by Rachel Bateman (May)

68. The Lost Girls of Willow Brook by Ellen Marie Wiseman [audio] (May)

69. A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan (Jun)

70. Where They Lie by Claire Coughlan (Jun)

71. The Shift: 7 Powerful Mindset Changes for Lasting Weight Loss by Gary Foster [audio] (Jun)

72. The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan (Jun)

73. A Deadly Endeavor by Jenny Adams (Jun)

74. The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie (Jun)

75. Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen, and the Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn [audio] (Jun)

76. The Watchers by A.M. Shine (Jun)

77. Deep Water by Jamie Sumner (Jun)

78. First Victim by Debbie Babitt (Jun)

79. One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome* (Jun)

80. Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix [audio] (Jun)

81. When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer (Jun)

82. Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (Jun)

83. The Great Trouble: A Story of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson [audio] (Jun)

84. 49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards (Jun)

85. Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell (Jun)

86. Trouble Island by Sharon Short (Jun)

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89. Falling Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Jun)

90. Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey (Jun)

91. First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly* (Jun)

92. Homecoming by Kate Morton* (Jul)

93. The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King* [audio] (Jul)

94. Middle of the Night by Riley Sager* (Jul)

95. The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (Jul)

96. The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave (Jul)

97. Operation: Happy by Jenni L. Walsh* (Jul)

98. Shutter by Ramona Emerson (Jul)

99. Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris (Jul)

100. The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson (Jul)

101. The Monsters We Make by Kali White (Jul)

102. The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall by Ali Standish (Jul)

103. Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon [audio] (Jul)

104. Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney* (Jul)

105. A Patchwork of Clues by Sally Goldenbaum (Jul)

106. Popcorn by Rob Harrell* (Jul)

107. Library Girl by Polly Horvath (Jul)

108. Such a Lovely Family by Aggie Blum Thompson (Jul)

109. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (Aug)

110. The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon (Aug)

111. Basket Case by Nancy Haddock (Aug)

112. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett* (Aug)

113. Front Country by Sara St. Antoine [audio] (Aug)

114. Stowaway by John David Anderson (Aug)

115. Consigned to Death by Jane K. Cleland (Aug)

116. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman* (Aug)

117. Louder Than Hunger by John Schu (Aug)

118. Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd (Aug)

119. Peanut Butter Panic by Amanda Flower (Aug)

120. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl (Aug)

121. Flight 171 by Amy Christine Parker (Aug)

122. Criminally Cocoa by Amanda Flower [novella] (Aug)

123. The Kaya Girl by Mamle Wolo (Aug)

124. The Last Word by Gerri Lewis (Aug)

125. The Last Kids On Earth by Max Brallier* (Aug)

126. Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo (Aug)

127. It Could Be Anyone by Jaime Lynn Hendricks (Aug)

128. Return to Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman (Aug)

129. A Winter Grave by Peter May (Aug)

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131. Night Will Find You by Julia Heaberlin [audio] (Aug)

132. A Quiet Retreat by Kiersten Modglin (Aug)

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134. The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson (Aug)

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153. Murder is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens (Sep)

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157. Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James* (Oct)

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166. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James* [re-read] (Oct)

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168. Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis (Oct)

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170. A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner (Oct)

171. The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters (Oct)

172. Sightseeing With Aliens by Insha Fitzpatrick (Oct)

173. Remember This: The Fascinating World of Memory by Monique Polak (Oct)

174. The Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning [audio] (Oct)

175. Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino (Oct)

176. Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes (Oct)

177. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare* (Oct)

178. Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie (Oct)

179. The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming (Nov)

180. The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (Nov)

181. Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales by Wendy S. Swore (Nov)

182. The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth [audio] (Nov)

183. Chadwick Boseman: King of Wakanda: A Hero On and Off the Screen by Chris Singleton (Nov)

184. The Legend of the Last Library by Frank L. Cole (Nov)

185. Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston/adapted for young readers by Ibram X. Kendi (Nov)

186. The Beautiful Game by Yamile Saied Méndez (Nov)

187. The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Nov)

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189. The Bard and the Book: How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare from Oblivion by Ann Bausum (Nov)

190. Ruby, Who? by Jill Campbell (Nov)

191. Gothictown by Emily Carpenter (Nov)

192. A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Nov)

193. Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking by Raquel V. Reyes (Nov)

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Just in Time for Mother's Day Comes a Heartwarming Story About the Joys of Motherhood ... Oh, Wait ...

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