Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Farrar, Straus & Giroux for gifting me an audio ARC of this debut novel by Harriet Clark, narrated by Maggie Thompson. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!
When Suzanne was a baby, her mother was sentenced to life in prison for her part in bank robbery that left a security guard dead. Since then, she has lived with her grandparents, and her grandfather faithfully takes Suzanne to the prison every weekend. Her grandmother refuses to go or have any contact with her daughter. When her grandfather dies, Suzanne's life revolves around her solitary visits to her mom with help from a volunteer nun and her grandmother's friends who circle around her, all who seem to be separated from their children as well.
This is a haunting, beautifully written coming-of-age story, and it will break your heart. Suzanne finds herself caught in two different worlds - one where she gets to spend time with her mother, and one where her mother doesn't exist. Basically, Suzanne is left on her own and her life stagnates, as her grandmother's health worsens. The narration of this novel was perfect - it's a slow, steady narration that fits perfectly with this slow, character-driven, introspective novel. This book will make you think about how parental decisions affect their children's lives.
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