Welcome to Litsy!

This was a quiet, contemplative, memoir about the author‘s mother who was kidnapped from Chapel Sands at the age of 3 but knew nothing about it.

The author weaves a lot around this tale, including what family means and a lot of art references. Whilst I liked all of this, I struggled sometimes to know whether the memories were that of the author or her mother, perhaps due to listening on audio.

... there was a miniature line for the doll‘s garments. Life is sunlit out there in the garden ... After all , sight has primacy ; the whole visible world...
Pictures hold thoughts , ideas and memories like the pockets of a coat ..

I started this today ...a haunting story ❤️ a great cover I think 💫

This nonfiction story reads like fiction.A daughter writes the story of her mother‘s brief disappearance for 3 days at a very young age. The best point of this story is the writing. Cumming uses descriptions of paintings and family photos to engross their reader in finding out her mother‘s story. Clearly obsessed, the author turns the different ideas and possibilities of people‘s action despite not being able to find all the answers. I recommend.

Because of the accolades for this book in the British Press I felt compelled to read it, and am so glad I did. This memoir of the life of the author‘s mother is beautifully written, with lyrical descriptions of place as well as an engrossing tale. How do any of us really know who we are?

I don‘t know why I didn‘t really connect with this book, the writing was good and it‘s on an interesting subject (her mother‘s many layered and unethical adoption and how she found out the truth and her birth family) and part of me thinks I should give it a pick but I just never... liked it that much. Not sure if it‘s me or the book as there was honestly nothing wrong with it 🤷‍♀️

First book for #24b4monday @Andrew65 @jb72 @SumisBooks