The Mother of All Problems by Nancy Peach - #BookReview #Blogtour

 

I was in the middle of downward dog when my father called. Bendy Lydia hates it when somebody's mobile goes off in yoga class and, despite being contorted into a particularly improbable configuration, she managed to convey her displeasure through nostil flaring and deep exhalations alone. She is an immensely talented woman in this regard - if I ever tried to demonstrate how annoyed I was by snorting and sighing, I'd probably sound like a pantomime horse.

***

Penny Baker is coping. Just about.

Three kids, one dog, one lovely but sometimes oblivious husband. Tick, tick tick.

She is even managing to hold her own among the competitive school mums - if you don’t look too closely. But when she finds herself also caring for her elderly mother, diagnosed with dementia, the household is thrown into disarray and Penny finds herself stretched to breaking point trying to meet everyone’s needs.

Can she make the new family situation work? And is there any chance of finding some space in it all for herself?

Fans of Milly Johnson, Gill Sims and Alexandra Potter will adore this funny, relatable and uplifting read.

***

There are very few books which I award a five star rating but I wholeheartedly do with this book without any hesitation.

The main character, Penny, is the epitome of the sandwich generation. She has children and elderly parents to care for and has to cope with the pressures that this situation brings. Many of us have found ourselves in a similar situation and therefore, Penny is a character with whom it is easy to identify with. 

It is an emotive yet hilarious book to read. It evokes both tears and laughter at different points and the author has written a novel which is charming whilst simultaneously dealing with difficult topics. Dementia is not an easy topic to write about in a  humourous way but Ms. Peach has successfully done so sympatheticly. At no point does she laugh at her characters but deals with them sensitively and in a way which is humourous and witty. 

What this novel does so successfully is to highlight the importance of family and friends and how there are times in life when we really need this support system. The author depicted her secondary characters superbly and in each of them the reader can acknowledge that they have come across such people in their own lives. We've all known a Tiggy or a Lindi at one point or another. Couple the strain of trying to hold everything together with the pressure of social media and it can cause an explosive situation for a person who is desperately trying to be all things to all people as Penny was.

I was delighted to read that there will be a sequel to this book, and I am certain that I will be first in the queue to get my hands on a copy. In the meantime, I shall be reading the author's previous book, Love Life in the near future.

ISBN: 978 1804366295

Publisher:  Canelo Hera

Formats:  e-book and paperback - this is currently available on kindleunlimited

No. of Pages:  400 (paperback)

About the Author:

Nancy Peach is a writer of women’s fiction, a mother of three, and an owner of various ridiculous-looking pets. She is also a practicing doctor working for the NHS and a national cancer charity, and has been writing (in a terribly British, embarrassed, secretive way) for as long as she can remember. Nancy’s debut, Love Life was published in 2021. The Mother of All Problems was long-listed for the Comedy Women in Print prize.

(ARC and all media courtesy of Rachel's Random Blog)

(all opinions are my own)