My Mother's Silence by Lauren Westwood
Genre: Mystery, Suspence, Family Drama
Read: 20th December 2019
Purchase: Amazon
(publication date: 11th November 2019)
★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)
I've not come across Lauren Westwood before but that's possibly due to her usual genre being women's fiction. This time she brought us something a little different woven into the mystery genre with MY MOTHER'S SILENCE.
When I requested this book I had initially thought it would be more of a psychological mystery than what it actually was, given that it was actually listed in the Mystery/Thriller genre. And while it certainly does have an element of mystery, with part of the main focus being on the mysterious death of one woman's twin 15 years before, it is a poignant yet tragic tale of guilt and what ifs and ultimately how to rebuild something that was lost to tragedy.
"‘Mum wants to know when you’re coming home.’ They were the only words that could ever make me return; the words that I’d been waiting to hear for all these years."
Following the tragic death of her twin sister Ginny 15 years ago, Skye Turner left Scotland to follow her dream in America. It was the dream she and Ginny shared - to become travel the world together with Skye on guitar and Ginny's hauntingly beautiful voice. But instead Skye left alone...to follow their dreams for the both of them.
But now she's back.
Returning to the remote Eilean Shiel upon learning her mother was ill and asking for her, Skye was not prepared for the memories that would engulf her as she stepped off the coach and looked across the raging waters to the peninsula where she grew up. Or the silence that encompassed her as she stepped into the Fisherman's Arms, suitcase in hand. Or the indifference from her mother when she opened the door to her long lost daughter.
This is why she left. The guilt that ate her up inside, not knowing what happened that night...the night Ginny died...the night a car accident robbed her of her memory of "that night"...her mother's silent accusations...and her need to escape the pain. And now all eyes were on her once again as fingers pointed and whispered rumours began to circulate.
And then there is their bedroom. The one she shared with Ginny. While the rest of the house has enjoyed a makeover, their room has remained a shrine to her sister. This only serves to haunt Skye, adding to her confusing flashes of memories of that night and those of her sister. But Skye wants the past buried and feels it is time to pack away Ginny's life and store them in the attic along with all their other childhood memories. But then she finds Ginny's old journals and, feeling a tug of conflicting emotions, she leaves them not wanting to open that door as well as respecting her sister's privacy.
But then her brother Bill and his family arrive, sending the house into a whirlwind of chaotic activity. But it's not until her niece Emily, who is obsessed with the idea of Ginny, brings down the box of her old journals does Skye secrete them into her room to explore later. And explore, she will. Because Skye has learnt that her sister had secrets from her, secrets that she knew nothing about...and she thought she knew everything about her but she is suddenly discovering that maybe she didn't know Ginny at all.
And then finding a coach ticket to Glasgow for the day of Ginny's death, Skye finds herself questioning what really happened the night her sister died. Everyone in the community accepted it was an accident, but was it really? If only she could remember...
But the deeper Skye digs into the past, the more she realises that she's not the only one haunted by the secrets of that night. Was she really to blame or were people lying? Did they know something about Ginny's death? Did they have something to do with it or were they protecting her from the truth? Was the story of how her sister died all a lie? If only she could remember...
Told in the first person from Skye's perspective, I did find the story slow moving though the pace did pick up the deeper Skye delved. I didn't take much to Skye and her constant monologuing of second guessing kept the pace fom picking up. Whilst reading I felt like I should escape Eilean Shiel myself, the atmosphere was quite chilly...even moreso in her childhood home with her mother's equally chilly reception. Although this is all part of the story to be fleshed out, I was more interested in the mystery aspect and what really happened the night Ginny died and Skye's accident.
Unrestrained and poignant, MY MOTHER'S SILENCE is a moving story about a family torn apart by tragedy and secrets. It tells of unimaginable grief blended with misconceptions, harboured secrets and long buried memories to create an absorbing read of family drama and mystery.
MY MOTHER'S SILENCE is both compelling and suspenseful, despite the slow start, stirring up emotions and questions that have been long since buried. It is part chick lit part mystery with all the family drama thrown in, as well as a touch of romance. It has a little bit of everything.
My favourite part of this book would have to be the picturesque yet rugged Scottish landscape of the western highlands. It truly evokes that feeling of remoteness and isolation mirrored in the book's protagonist. Perfect for the story that unfolds here. And yet, the landscape is utterly stunning.
I would like to thank #LaurenWestwood, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #MyMothersSilence in exchange for an honest review.
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