‘What a mess, she thought now . . . what a bloody, unholy mess the whole family has got itself into.’
It’s been twenty-five years since Gus and Monica left England to start a new life in Spain, building a vineyard and wine business from the ground up. However, when Gus suffers a stroke and their idyllic Mediterranean life is thrown into upheaval, it’s left to their three grown-up children in London to step in . . .
Sebastien is busy running his company with his wife, Anna, who’s never quite seen eye-to-eye with her mother-in-law.
Katie, a successful solicitor in the City, is distracted by the problems with her long-term partner, Nic, and the secretive lives of their three daughters.
And Jake, ever the easy-going optimist, is determined to convince his new wife, Bella, that moving to Spain with their eighteen-month-old would be a good idea.
As the children descend on the vineyard, it becomes clear that each has their own idea of how best to handle their mum and dad, as well as the family business. But as long-simmering resentments rise to the surface and tensions reach breaking point, can the family ties prove strong enough to keep them together?
Published 31 March 2020 | Publisher: Pan MacMillan Australia | RRP: AUD$32.99
Buy it at: Dymocks | Booktopia | A&R | Abbey’s | QBD
My Blurb (3.5 / 5 stars)
So despite the fact that I know you think I’m wet and useless and defeatist, I’m actually just trying to elude being stamped on by everyone else, flattened, obliterated. It may sound pathetic to you, but I just want people to be kind. Kind to me, and to each other. That’s all.
Monica and Gus chose to live in Spain; away from their children who live in England. Or rather, Monica followed Gus in realising his dreams of a vineyard. As a family, they are rather more estranged than familiar with huge big gaps between each member. When Gus suffered a stroke, however, things began to boil over until one and then two and then the rest begins to open up and one talks to the other.
This isn’t a book that I’d pick up on my own; not by its description anyway. I’m too wary of family stories as I’ve had enough of mine own. However, I kind of liked the cover so thought I’d give it a go. It was a matter of discipline of reading 2 chapters per day. That made it sound rather terrible, isn’t it? But, it was a pretty sad & heartbreaking story. At least, to begin with, it was, but thankfully the ending wasn’t too bad. Although, I did wonder how realistic it was… Probably only a small percentage of family will survive for the better or am I being a cynic?
Overall, <i>Mum & Dad</i> is a wonderful book in showing just how gaps and misunderstandings can be bridged by being open, talking honestly and willingness to forgive. I enjoyed Trollope’s prose and her descriptions of Spain had me enthralled to the end.
Thanks to Pan MacMillan Australia for copy of book in exchange of honest review
About the author
Joanna Trollope is the author of many highly acclaimed and bestselling novels, including The Rector’s Wife, Marrying the Mistress and Daughters in Law. She was appointed OBE in 1996, a trustee of the National Literacy Trust in 2012, and a trustee of the Royal Literary Fund in 2016. She has chaired the Whitbread and Orange Awards, as well as being a judge of many other literature prizes including chairing the BBC National Short Story Awards for 2017. Mum and Dad is her twenty-second novel.
Tien's Blurb 