Before She Was Mine

by Kate Long

Freya is torn between her two mothers. Liv, her adoptive mother who nurtured and raised her, is earthy, no-nonsense. The total opposite to Melody: with her vibrant, explosive personality and extensive, brightly coloured wardrobe, Freya's birth mother is still apt to find herself thrown out of Top Shop for bad behaviour.
Hard as it has been for Freya to try to reconcile her two families, it has been harder for her mothers. Proud of her mature and sensible adoptive daughter, Liv fears Melody's restless influence. Meanwhile, forced to give up her baby when she was just a teenager herself, Melody now craves Freya's love and acceptance - but only really knows how to have fun.
Then tragedy strikes, and the bonds of love that tie these three women together will be tested to the max. Can they finally let go of the past, and pull together in order to withstand the toughest challenge life could throw them?

Genres: Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2011

About the author

Hello! And welcome to my GoodReads author page.

New: Pinterest boards!
https://www.pinterest.com/volewriter/... - For my new novel, Something Only We Know

http://pinterest.com/volewriter/bank-... See where Charlotte, Karen and Nan actually live!

and my Bad Mothers Facebook page, with lots of background info on the characters and filming: http://www.facebook.com/BadMothersUnited


I write bittersweet novels about family drama and personal crises, especially stories involving the relationship between mothers and daughters.

I like my books to ask questions such as, What makes a parent good or bad? In what way does a family's history shape its present? How can we make the best of the hand which life has dealt us?

My characters tend to have 'ordinary' backgrounds - but actually I think no one is truly ordinary. We all have amazing tales to tell of risk and loss, survival and disaster and triumph, on whatever scale. The most intense dramas are often played out across a domestic stage, with unexpected discoveries and revelations, patterns repeated or shattered forever, bonds broken and new alliances formed.

I've found myself as a reader that meeting such issues in fiction can help me make sense of the real world around me.

Recurring themes in my books include adoption, pregnancy/fertility issues, mental health, sexuality, disability, infidelity and the breaking of family secrets. I also tend to set the action in a specific place around Lancashire, Cheshire or Shropshire.

Reviews

[Sally Quilford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Kate Long proves that when it comes to family politics, no one writes better. Before She Was Mine is an affectionate and touching look at twenty-three year old Freya, who is torn between her fun-loving biological mother, Melody, and her adoptive and literal Earth mother, Liv. When both suffer a crisis at the same time, Freya is torn between wanting to do the best for both of them, whilst being unable to split herself in two. Add to that her friend, Nicky's impending nuptials and the issues surrounding that, one begins to wonder if Freya will ever have time or energy to sort out her own problems.

Peopled with a cast of very believable characters, the novel is a beautifully written and beautifully observed look at family in all its forms.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great read from Kate Long.

Freya with 2 mothers to juggle - her birth mother and her adoptive mother - has to meet the demands of both mums as they each go through their own personal crisis. Thrown into all the turmoil is her best friend’s upcoming ‘perfect’ wedding to the ‘perfect’ man - will anyone really notice if she wears her beloved Doc Martens under the bridesmaid dress?

As usual Kate manages to bring to life her characters and combine the humour with the heartache, to make this a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining read.

Would definitely recommend.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just read this over a wet Easter weekend and it proved a good novel to curl up on the sofa with. Interesting and well drawn characters, with an unusual take on mother-daughter relationships. Well written.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. "Warm, witty and wise" - just what it said on the cover!

[Rosie Lovell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm, funny yet poignant story - couldn't put it down.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable

[Regina Bubb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tragedies and drama happening all at once is always over-whelming. Freya really became an admirable character for me because she tried her best to help wherever she was needed. She didn’t realize her own true potential and when she finally turned to herself she accepted what there is to come for her.

[Tracy Fells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my introduction to Kate Long's writing and I am keen to next read The bad mother's handbook. Loved the voice of narrator Freya and how this cleverly interweaved with Liv's diary and the social worker's notes on Melody (Freya's birth mother). I confess to reading this all virtually in one sitting, spending a wonderful Sunday afternoon immersed in the characters' lives.

Freya bounces back and forth between her birth mother and her the woman who adopted her trying to find her own direction in life. Both her mothers have problems to overcome in their lives and these are sensitively handled by the author. Freya is portrayed realistically as a introverted, security seeking young woman scared to venture out of her comfort zone. Thankfully there is satisfactory resolution to all the story strands and Freya finally realises what the reader has sussed long ago, that love was right under her nose.

A terrific read: funny, emotional and full of heart.

[Wsclai · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a book not only about mother-daughter relationship. It's about all aspects of a woman's life - dating, getting married, choosing partners, being oneself, parenting, facing illness, pursuing dreams ... etc. It's a stew of everything essential and whoever is female will surely identify with the book somewhere.

The story is touching in many places and funny in some. The characters are believable and close-to-life. What I find odd, perhaps, is the ending - is a complete twist to what happens earlier in the story when Frey is busy juggling between her two mothers.

[Tara Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Long excels at writing families. Her explorations of relationships, particularly between mothers and daughters, are pithy, wryly observed and vividly realistic. This book centres around Freya and her two mothers, one adoptive and one biological. Very different characters, they both have a profound influence on her life, particularly when both mothers find themselves in traumatic situations.

I didn't cringe as much with fascinated self-recollection at scenes in this book as much as I have in previous books; but it certainly doesn't shrink from the more painful side of human emotions.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost finished, but have to say what a brilliant read! The characters are so believable. I was actually in tears at one point, moved over the baby scene, which made compelling reading. Freya is torn between two mothers, and those mothers are completely different: no cardboard characters in this novel.

I do like the sense of place, and the style.

Now, to relish the end.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Kate Long has added another cracker to my bookshelf! Finished within a day, incredibly difficult to put down (BE WARNED), and one of the more riveting story lines to grace my eyes. My only complaint? That Kate Long can't write a book a day! Definite recommend!

[Kathleen McGurl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Very warm, some unforgettable characters and a brilliant exploration of what it's like to be adopted, and to be in touch with both your birth and adopted mothers.

[Donna Irwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really Good read. Enjoyed this very much. Great writing as it explored the various relationships between the central character and the other characters. Warm, funny, sad.

[Trez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Long tackles many serious topics in this family drama from the point of view of the central character Freya. The speed at which the various crises arise and are addressed is quite overwhelming. Perhaps that is the point as the central character is often overwhelmed and just about coping with the aid of alcohol, friend and on/off boyfriend. The current dramas of her life are interspersed with brief reports on previous milestones in her life written from the perspective of others involved. I think these are intended to give insight on her two mothers and her current situation and relationships. Some of the family dramas are harrowing and traumatic, readers should be prepared for this. It is a coming of age story where eventually Freya makes some decisions about how she wants to live her life. The ending did not seem to follow, it was as if she had become a completely different character overnight. Although there was a lot about relationships with friends and family, the characters themselves lacked depth. I persisted with the book but would not recommend.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF Both the mothers seemed equally scatty, clueless and self centred with no visable means of financial support so the attempt run the plot off of contrasting them against each other seemed stupid. Also i found the romance that seemed to be developing between Freya and her uncle very uncomfortable.

[Jolie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very predictable story about a twenty something girl dealing with dynamics of birth and adoptive moms. I took a long time to get into the story and really only finished because it was the only book I had on hand.

[Kerry Power · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely witty and warm read.

[Elizabeth Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story of a girl adopted but real mother turns up. Book deals sensitively with feelings of the all three women as they deal with life and it's challenges.

[Huda Lovecat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy book 👍🏼

[Ipswichblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Long always writes decent stories and this no different, good characters and a few twists and turns

[Siobhan Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Long proves that when it comes to family politics no one writes better. Before She Was Mine is an affectionate and touching look at twenty-three year old Freya who is torn between her fun-loving biological mother Melody and her adoptive and literal Earth mother Liv. When both suffer a crisis at the same time Freya is torn between wanting to do the best for both of them whilst being unable to split herself in two. Add to that her friend Nicky's impending nuptials and the issues surrounding that one begins to wonder if Freya will ever have time or energy to sort out her own problems.

Kate manages to bring to life her characters and combines the humour with the heartache to make this throughly enjoyable and entertaining read. Would definitely recommend

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the zany birth mother in this book. The beginning really amused me as it cleverly gave you the impression it was a naughty child/teenager going on the rampage. I found it interesting that the daughter seemed to be more mature than the birth mother and that tied in well with the storyline. As always though, there is a more serious side to the story which continually puts Freya in the difficult position of having to make difficult choices (and hence growing up even more). Another cracker of a book!

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

It really was OK, and that is all. Another story about another character - no different to listening to any other human's story. Except of course that her mother falls pregnant in her 40s, her adopted mother gets cancer, her best friend gets jilted and she thinks she is pregnant all at the same time.....yeah yeah.

[Minoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heartwarming read into dynamics of two unusual mother-daughter relationships. What I loved the most though, was how extremely significant events were not narrated real time, but in retrospect. I also loved how causally crisis were mentioned - it felt realistic. Rarely ever in our lives do we have our crisis arriving at us with bugles.
3.5 stars

[Aileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had trouble getting into this book it took me a few chapters to get used to all the Characters this book deals with some difficult and emotional issues, I eventually enjoyed it and would recommend, it was funny at times and sad at other times.

[JR_❤️_books · Rating 2 out of 5]

"A storyteller in the Joanna Trollope league", they say? I'll never read Joanna Trollope then, as one thing I really don't like is wasting my time with books that have no beginning, no plot and no actual epilogue - and a lot of crap in the middle.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't know if its my age but I gave up on this book two thirds through as I found the twenty something main character irritating! I never normally give up on books but I didn't care what happened to her!!!

[Pat Osment · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book.It illustrated beautifully how strong a mothers love can be wether an adoptive mother or a natural one and the effects it has on the young adult Freya.I loved the humour woven amongst the heartache

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. There was a lot in it, from family relationships, to growing up, to gentle romance (my favourite kind). It was also good to read a book set in my own county and to know all the places mentioned!