Mother Tongue

(Paperback)

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Description

Darya is a young woman trying to recover her life after a brutal terrorist attack shakes her rural Russian hometown, killing her young sister. Her father wants her married off to one of his factory employees and her mother has resurfaced as the matriarch of their family, displacing Darya and even blaming her for Nika's death. But the attack has drawn foreigners to their community, reporters and aid workers who open Darya's eyes to the world. When she falls for a older man, a journalist from New York, could he be her ticket out of her hometown, her old life and her grief

A stunning story about finding your voice in the aftermath of tragedy, from acclaimed author Julie Mayhew.

Reviews

Mayhew's most ambitious book to date * The Sunday Telegraph (Living) *
This is a more ambitious book than Mayhew's previous novels... Chekhov for the terror age -- Emily Bearn * The Daily Telegraph (Review) *
Where The Big Lie had you calling for revolution, Mother Tongue leaves you at lot more introspective, asking questions of how to define identity, home, and grief. Mayhew is a brilliant author, and I can't wait to see what comes next * Ruth Lily Writes *
It's a beautiful story, about a world many of us will hopefully never come to know, but a venture all us have to go through, told in almost lyrical tones, that will leave you with a vice gripping your stomach, caring for a girl in a world very similar, but in many ways, very different, to your own * Something Like Lydia *
Although it's classed as a young adult book, it's very much a universal story, dealing with love, identity and loss. You must read it * Berkhamstead Living *
It's heartbreaking and affirming all at the same time, agonising and engaging, and a cracking good read. * Muddy Stilettos *
Mother Tongue is a book that leaves you thinking about it long after you've finished reading it * Newbooks Magazine *
Filled with references to Russian literature, culture and folklore, Mother Tongue is an evocative and troubling read, with a thought-provoking afterword about Mayhew's scruples in tackling a subject as tragic as Beslan in fiction * Financial Times (Life and Arts) *
Mother Tongue is ultimately about grief, hope and love. It's about how on earth you survive when the worst happens, about how you can possibly find hope when humanity has displayed its most evil and terrible nature. It's about not being defined by the awful things that can happen, and about finding yourself amidst the debris of life. And it's a story that stays with you long after you finish reading -- Victoria Dilly * Reading Zone *
As always her writing is beautiful, and the characters intricately drawn so you're really pulled into Darya's world and all the problems that come with it. And as always, although it's classed as a young adult book, it's very much a universal story, dealing with love, identity and loss. You must read it * Berkhamsted Living, *
This beautifully written coming-of-age story (...) is a sensitive exploration of how trauma affects personal development * Inis Reading Guide *
This is the best book I have read in 2016 (...) Mother Tongue seriously surpassed all my expectations and blew me away. From page one I was hooked and hanging out to know what would happen next (...) I instantly fell in love with the writing-style. Julie Mayhew certainly has a way with words. The descriptive language in Mother Tongue is just beautiful, and it was never overdone or overpowering. It felt like I was stepping into another world and that all the characters were real. Even though I've never been to Russia I felt like I could clearly visualise both Saratov and Moscow where the story takes place. (...) Not only is this a story about grief and loss, but it is also about finding your voice and yourself in the aftermath of tragedy (...) I really *really* loved this book (...) Mother Tongue is a raw, heartbreaking look at tragedy and its aftermath, but is also a story about hope - and one that you should definitely add to your to be read list * The World Around Me (Australia) *

Author Bio

Julie Mayhew originally trained as a journalist, then as an actress, and she started writing because she hardly ever saw a script with a brilliant role for a girl or a woman. She is the author of RED INK (shortlisted for the 2014 Branford Boase Award) and the critically acclaimed THE BIG LIE. She is also prolific writer for radio, and has twice been nominated for Best Original Drama at the BBC Audio Drama Awards for her plays A SHOEBOX OF SNOW and THE ELECTRICAL VENUS. Julie is a recent recipient of an Arts Council England Award and a K Blundell Trust Award to research and develop stories in Berlin and in her hometown Peterborough, and she is currently under commission to write a free and modern adaptation of THE RAILWAY CHILDREN for Eastern Angles Theatre. She lives in Hertfordshire with her family, where she is host of short story cabaret The Berko Speakeasy.
Website: www.juliemayhew.co.uk, Twitter: @juliemayhew, Instagram: JulieMayhew