Night Waking
A mother's journey through mystery and motherhood
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Granta Books
Published:3rd Jun '21
Should be back in stock very soon
In Night Waking, a mother's discovery of a skeleton leads her to confront both personal and historical mysteries while navigating the complexities of family life.
In Night Waking, the story revolves around Anna Bennett, a mother grappling with the challenges of parenting amidst a backdrop of mystery and isolation. Living on a remote island in the Hebrides with her insomniac toddler and a seven-year-old son preoccupied with death, Anna's life is further complicated by her husband's frequent absences. As an ecologist, he is consumed with his work, leaving Anna to navigate the complexities of motherhood largely on her own.
When her son stumbles upon a baby's skeleton buried in their garden, Anna is forced to confront the dark history of the island and its impact on her family. This discovery serves as a catalyst for her to delve deeper into the island's past while simultaneously addressing her own struggles with motherhood. The narrative is both humorous and poignant, offering a unique perspective on the challenges that come with raising children in an unconventional setting.
Night Waking is not just a tale of mystery; it is a meditation on the intricacies of family life, the weight of expectations, and the resilience required to navigate the unpredictable waters of parenthood. Through Anna's journey, readers are invited to reflect on their own experiences and the often-unspoken trials that accompany the joys of raising children. Sarah Moss's writing shines as she weaves together themes of motherhood, loss, and the search for identity in a world that often feels overwhelming.
Tartly humorous, sad and clever ... a passionately written meditation on motherhood, with all the monotony, desperation and visceral feelings faithfully recorded -- Elizabeth Buchan * Sunday Times *
Moss writes marvellously (and often hilariously) about the clash between career and motherhood. Allison Pearson for intellectuals -- Kate Saunders * The Times *
Fresh and illuminating... [Sarah] Moss is a wry, winning guide * Guardian *
Highly enjoyable... The upbeat conclusion to this blend of middle-class satire, historical fiction and campus novel does not soften Moss's withering take on sexism and her stark view of motherhood -- Anthony Cummins * Daily Telegraph *
An original and accomplished novel * Daily Mail *
Sarah Moss's debut, Cold Earth, was a stylish thriller set on a remote archaeological dig in Greenland. Here she takes the emotional isolation of early parenthood as her subject, intensifying the experience by transplanting a young family to a remote Scottish island ... In her previous book, a character noted that there was "some peace in having a kind of room of my own, even if it is a grave." This latest work explores the concept further with some startling results' -- Emma Hagestadt * Independent *
Sarah Moss weaves in perceptions about motherhood, attitudes to children and attempts to improve the world... she demonstrates that she can handle a darkly comic narrative with the best of them - although Night Waking is much more than that -- Tina Jackson * Metro *
Witty with dark humour ... Moss manages to wave the threads together quite expertly at the end -- Alastair Mabbott * Herald *
The prose is flawless and elegant... [A] well-crafted, and intelligent read, and enlightening at times. It inspired me to find out more about the horrendous Highland Clearances * Matthew James Hunt blog *
There are many layers to this book - political, feminist, artistic... beautifully written * Magnet Magazine *
ISBN: 9781783787685
Dimensions: 198mm x 128mm x 24mm
Weight: 267g
384 pages