Mother Mother : A poignant journey of friendship and forgiveness

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER, JUNE 2021

''Annie Macmanus is a writer whose understanding and capturing of human nature comes as easily to her as breathing'' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS

''A work of gilded melancholy that is going to take everyone by surprise'' UNA MULLALLY

''Macmanus writes with flair and confidence rarely seen in a debut'' SINÉAD GLEESON

One Saturday morning, TJ McConnell wakes up to find his mother, Mary, gone. He doesn''t know where - or why - but he''s the only one who can help find her.

Mary grew up longing for information about the mother she never knew. Her brother could barely remember her, and their father numbed his pain with drink.

Now aged thirty-seven, Mary has lived in the same house her whole life. She''s never left Belfast. TJ, who''s about to turn eighteen, is itching to see more of the world.

But when his mother disappears, TJ begins to realise what he''s been taking for granted.

MOTHER MOTHER takes us down the challenging road of Mary''s life while following TJ''s increasingly desperate search for her, as he begins to discover what has led her to this point.

This is a story about family, grief, addiction and motherhood, and it asks an important question - if you spend your life giving everything to the ones you love, do you risk losing yourself along the way?

''A brilliant book...that explores the brutal legacy of addiction and the consequences of a deep grief left to stagnate'' Sara Cox

''A tender, surprising, occasionally bleak, moving and delicate book'' Irish Times

''A study of grief, addiction and what it means to be a mother'' Stylist

''Melancholy, beautifully unadorned prose'' Mail on Sunday

''Unflinching and unsparing but also beautifully written'' Daily Mail

''An incredible debut'' Daily Mirror

''A page-turning exploration of grief, addiction, young motherhood and unbreakable family ties'' British Vogue