Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author“An atmospheric and harrowing tale, richly literary in complexity but ripe with all the crazed undertones, confusions, and forebodings inherent in the gothic genre. Recommend this riveting, du Maurier–like novel to fans of Jennifer McMahon.” — Booklist (starred review)From the author of the internationally bestselling The Lake of Dead Languages comes a … author of the internationally bestselling The Lake of Dead Languages comes a gripping novel about madness, motherhood, love, and trust.
When Daphne Marist and her infant daughter, Chloe, pull up the gravel drive to the home of Daphne’s new employer, it feels like they’ve entered a whole new world. Tucked in the Catskills, the stone mansion looks like something out of a fairy tale, its lush landscaping hiding the view of the mental asylum just beyond its border. Daphne secured the live-in position using an assumed name and fake credentials, telling no one that she’s on the run from a controlling husband who has threatened to take her daughter away.
Daphne’s new life is a far cry from the one she had in Westchester where, just months before, she and her husband welcomed little Chloe. From the start, Daphne tries to be a good mother, but she’s plagued by dark moods and intrusive thoughts that convince her she’s capable of harming her own daughter. When Daphne is diagnosed with Post Partum Mood Disorder, her downward spiral feels unstoppable—until she meets Laurel Hobbes.
Laurel, who also has a daughter named Chloe, is everything Daphne isn’t: charismatic, sophisticated, fearless. They immediately form an intense friendship, revealing secrets to one another they thought they’d never share. Soon, they start to look alike, dress alike, and talk alike, their lives mirroring one another in strange and disturbing ways. But Daphne realizes only too late that being friends with Laurel will come at a very shocking price—one that will ultimately lead her to that towering mansion in the Catskills where terrifying, long-hidden truths will finally be revealed….
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Thanks to William Morrow for a digital kindle copy of The Other Mother by Carol Goodman to review. The following is my honest opinion of the book:
The Other Mother is a suspense thriller that takes on the tough issues of mental illness and postpartum depression and psychosis. The topics presented in this book are challenging ones and considering the stigma surrounding mental illness, they are difficult ones to respectfully tackle in a fictional story. Goodman rises to the challenge and manages not only to write a compelling mystery but highlight the need to make talking about mental health and seeking help when necessary a priority!
Two mothers forge a friendship after meeting in a support group for women struggling with postpartum depression. They couldn’t be more different. Laurel Hobbes comes from money and has been educated at a great institution. She is demanding, fearless, and often unsympathetic. Daphne Hobbes, on the other hand, is a school librarian who relies on the support of her husband Peter, who is a hedge fund manager. She is timid and easily intimidated. Both face challenges adjusting to life with a new baby however. As the two women grow closer, they begin to act alike, dress alike, and even talk alike. When Daphne suspects Laurel is in need of an escape, she applies for a job (as Laurel) archiving the papers of an author who lives in the secluded Catskills. Daphne soon believes she is the one who needs the job and to escape with her daughter and get away from her husband Peter however.
One of the strongest attributes of this book in my opinion is that parts of it are told in the first person narrative through journal entries and doctors notes. This method of storytelling allows the reader to get more familiar with the characters on a more intimate level, while also giving the reader a birds eye view of how the character felt in the scenarios being told, as well as the way that character perceived the situation occurring. Often times, these unreliable accounts added depth and mystery to the overall story.
Another interesting aspect of the book was the use of mirroring storylines. There is the story of the Laurel and Daphne, but there is another story that dates back to another time and situation between two other women (Libby and Edith). The stories are quite similar and as a reader I found myself questioning how, when, and why the narratives would overlap.
Overall, the tone is dark and has a gothic feel (with stone towers and shadowy gardens). The atmospheric descriptions often evoke feelings of fear and dread. The mystery itself keeps the reader engaged and guessing throughout.
My only complaint was that the story went a bit too far on the coincidental for me. With that said, I tend to feel an author should be given some liberty in order to make a story work. This book was good enough that I was willing to overlook the aforementioned coincidences.
Overall, I thought this book was a page turner and would definitely recommend it to others!
‘The Other Mother’ is a fascinating look from the inside of somebody struggling with mental illness. Full of intrigue and twists along with an unreliable narrator that will keep you guessing what’s real and what’s not throughout the tale, it captivated me and kept pulling me back each time I put it down. The story of Daphne and Laurel is told, not only by the main character, but also personal journal entries from each of them leading up to the beginning of the book. A third character named Edith also has a surprising story that is woven together with Daphne and Laurel more than you would suspect.
The narrative is well-paced, keeping its secrets well, though they aren’t impossible to glean if you’re looking in the right places. The characters are put together, even when they’re mentally falling apart, and you can sympathize with the main character as she goes through an identity crisis brought on by her broken mind and the voices of other people.
This book is not for the faint of heart, and those who suffer from Postpartum OCD and perhaps other mental illnesses should be warned of the content, especially from the first person point of view that is offered through the journal entries. However, if you would like to peek into the confusion that is the mind of those with mental disorders and come out with greater respect and clarity of what they go through, I would highly recommend ‘The Other Mother.’
Goodman’s books are always brilliant, but this one is my fave – it’s one of those you hope to forget so you can read it again later.
A mother afflicted with postpartum dark moods who takes on an assignment as an archivist for a reclusive author on the grounds of an insane asylum – in a twisted, atmospheric drama with suspicion at every turn. A little drawn out with a predictable ending, but an overall good plot.
This story has so many twists and turns you almost started doubting your own sanity! Definitely a surprise ending.
Should she really have done what she did? That seemed to be the only way to keep her baby.
Daphne married, had a baby, and had Postpartum symptoms that caused her to not be happy and have thoughts of harming the baby.
Daphne attended classes and met a friend, Laurel, in the class whose baby had the same name as her baby, and they became friends.
Their friendship was odd, though, because Laurel would tell stories about things that happened to Daphne and make them her own.
Her husband was supportive to a point, but then Daphne was worried he would take the baby away from her because he didn’t think she was capable of taking care of their child.
Daphne had a plan where she decided pretending to be someone else to get a job would be the only way out, but was it really?
She took on the identity of her friend Laurel, met Sky and Billie, and lived in a tower on the grounds of an insane asylum to help Sky write her memoir.
The job’s location was not the best place to be with her paranoia and the history of the mansion. Odd things would happen and strange sounds would occur that had Daphne second guessing her leaving. How Billie took over the caregiving of her daughter to the point of obsession was very strange.
THE OTHER MOTHER is not something I normally read. It actually was a bit bizarre, dark, and tense for me, but the twists and turns in the storyline and the pull-you-in writing kept me reading.
I always felt something sinister was about to happen, and was kept on edge and feared for Daphne.
There are many sneaky, conniving, untrustworthy, deceitful characters in THE OTHER MOTHER.
I would not recommend this book to women who have just had a baby and who might be having a difficult time.
This book also addresses suicide and Borderline Personality Disorder.
This DEFINITELY is a psychological thriller that at first had me second guessing why I was reading it, but then it all came together.
THE OTHER MOTHER had a pretty clever and brilliant story line.
As you near the last pages of the book you will still be asking yourself “Just who is the other mother” and “Is anyone who they say they are?” 4/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.