 What a Mother Knows by Leslie Lehr Sourcebooks Landmark May 7, 2013; 317 pages How Far Will a Mother Go to Find Her Daughter? Michelle Mason can't remember that day, that drive, that horrible crash that killed the young man in her car. All she knows is she's being held responsible, and her daughter is missing. Despite a shaky marriage, a threatening lawsuit, and troubling flashbacks pressing in on her, Michelle throws herself into searching. Her daughter in the one person who might know what really happened that day, but the deeper Michelle digs, the more she questions the innocence of those closest to her, even herself. As her search hurtles toward a shattering revelation, Michelle must face the biggest challenge of her life. (from Amazon) Before we get started I'd like to welcome you to kick-off post in the blog tour. I've been reviewing books and sharing them on the web for a while now, but this is my first time as part of a tour. Talk about pressure! Anyway, I'm glad you're here and that I have the chance to tell you what I think about this book. We meet the main character Michelle 18 months after being involved in a horrific accident. From the cover we know that Michelle was driving, a young man died, she's being blamed, and her daughter is missing. Unfortunately Michelle doesn't know any of these things. Her recovery has been long and difficult. The traumatic brain injury she sustained has left her without any memory of the crash or the events leading up to it. Her husband Drew decided that it would be better to keep the truth from her so she doesn't get upset. He fabricates a story that Nikki, their teenage daughter, is attending school in Australia and even mails her postcards of famous landmarks. Now that Michelle has been released from the hospital she believes that Nikki will be coming home too. Her joyous homecoming turns surreal as the facts about the accident are revealed. In addition she learns that Drew is returning to New York where he has been living (and working). Holy cow! Talk about upsetting and stressful! Michelle is stunned and angry. How could this happen? Why didn't anyone tell her? Where is her daughter and why isn't anyone doing anything to find her? These are some of the questions that she is determined to answer. But how? The last thing she remembers is wrapping Nikki's sweet 16 birthday present - when everything was normal. Or was it? Slowly Michelle begins to piece together the fractured bits of her memory as she struggles to find out what happened to her daughter. I like Michelle, but I don't like her husband. I understand that sometimes you want to avoid giving people difficult news, but I can't believe for an instant that he was able to convince the doctors, hospital and therapists to go along with his lie about Nikki. It also seems incredibly harsh that he left her after less than 24 hours of being out of the hospital. Apparently their marriage was suffering more than anyone let on, but I guess that doesn't surprise me considering the lack of compassion he shows. I can't help but think that this book would make terrific Lifetime Movie. It's got all the elements that you expect. A little tragedy, family drama, the mystery of the missing daughter, and the strained relationship between Michelle and her mother. Then there's the Hollywood backdrop and the untimely death of a rising star. All of those things feel a little cliche, but that doesn't mean that it's not a good story. I moved quickly through the book, rooting for Michelle and cursing the people who hindered her progress. The author captures the sense of urgency and desperation that any mother would surely feel in Michelle's situation. As a knitter I was thrilled to see that there are several references to yarn and knitting! It's something Michelle and Nikki share and the appearance of a unique yarn or garment has special meaning to both of them. I also like the classic rock references and the lyrics that Nikki used to send messages and share her feelings. More than once I found myself with a Door's song stuck in my head long after I closed the book! What a Mother Knows is an intriguing story that really made me think. How far would I go to find my child? That's easy - as far as I have to. How about you? What a Mother Knows - Book Launch / Blog Tour |
| April 29 – Robin Reads & Writes May 1 - Chick Lit is Not Dead May 2 - Bookfoolery May 3 - The Bookworm May 4 - Lori's Reading Corner May 5 - The Self Taught Cook May 6 - Mrs Condit Reads Books May 7 - From the TBR Pile May 8 - Cocktails and Books May 9 - Burton Book Review May 10 - Chick Lit Plus May 12 - The Book Diva’s Reads May 13 - Peeking Between the Pages May 14 - Long and Short Reviews | May 15 - Rainy Day Ramblings May 16 - Help4NewMoms May 17 - Winey Mommy May 18 - Cozy Up with a Good Read May 20 - A Bookish Way of Life May 21 – Confessions of a Book Junkie May 22 - 5 Minutes for Mom May 23 - Angela Klocke May 24 - WeeShare May 26 - Brianna Lee May 28 - Reviewing Shelf May 29 - Socrates Book Reviews May 31 - Passionate about Books |
| | Coming Events There are two opportunities to talk with Leslie! She and Hope Edelman (author of the bestselling book Motherless Daughters) will be hosting a live chat on BookTalk Nation on May 1st. And, Leslie is taking questions on Goodreads. Visit Leslie's website for a complete list of appearances and events. |
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Wishing you all the happiness words can bring!
Robin B.
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