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This Is Where We Live
Inside a house live a mother and a child.
There are normal things: walks to school, the park, pasta for tea. But there are other things, too: a severed toe on the doorstep; strange mouthfuls of flesh; wolfish snarls and sheep torn limb from limb. It is a house in which doors get chewed and nails scrape along walls.
There is a monster in the house, and it is tearing it apart at the seams. But is there also a love so fierce that it cannot be broken?
There are normal things: walks to school, the park, pasta for tea. But there are other things, too: a severed toe on the doorstep; strange mouthfuls of flesh; wolfish snarls and sheep torn limb from limb. It is a house in which doors get chewed and nails scrape along walls.
There is a monster in the house, and it is tearing it apart at the seams. But is there also a love so fierce that it cannot be broken?
192 pages, Hardcover
Published July 6, 2023
About the author
Kate Hardie
1 book3 followersKate Hardie is a writer, actor and screenwriter. She has written and directed films for Channel Four, The BFI and Sky, and is due to direct her feature script Starting the End. She has also taught screen writing and directing, lectured and advised on representation and diversity within the film industry, and written essays and articles for the Guardian and Dazed. This Is Where We Live is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
February 4, 2024
Brief but potent. Brilliant execution of the motherhood-as-body-horror theme. Slightly undercuts its own power at the end, but still a solid 5 stars.
January 19, 2026
This will be very choppy, be warned. My MDD is running on all engines…
The first thing I noticed was that the characters in this story seem intentionally diluted. It’s first person narrative, so we get to look into the mind of our main character, Mum. The child, named ‘They’ or ‘Them’ exists in a world seemingly imagined and supported by Mum. We literally know nothing about them, except Mum who hides a dark secret. They are devoid of presence, but they all have a past. This includes The Dad and various men who put in occasional appearances. But a story grows here, albeit a barren one, like a skeletal tree in winter. We watch this family go through the motions, lazily trying to leave their mark. We glimpse at the darker side of being a mother and a daughter. There is the smell of body horror and gore in this densely packed, atmospheric story. Mum has such a reason to be strong, independent and in control of her life, but we see nothing. We hear meaningless words, whispers of Mum, Mum, love, sorry, sorry, sorry. We hear the gut-wrenching horror that can sometimes be parenthood. Beautifully written, words that fit together with perfect precision.
I ask you: Who are the monsters?
The first thing I noticed was that the characters in this story seem intentionally diluted. It’s first person narrative, so we get to look into the mind of our main character, Mum. The child, named ‘They’ or ‘Them’ exists in a world seemingly imagined and supported by Mum. We literally know nothing about them, except Mum who hides a dark secret. They are devoid of presence, but they all have a past. This includes The Dad and various men who put in occasional appearances. But a story grows here, albeit a barren one, like a skeletal tree in winter. We watch this family go through the motions, lazily trying to leave their mark. We glimpse at the darker side of being a mother and a daughter. There is the smell of body horror and gore in this densely packed, atmospheric story. Mum has such a reason to be strong, independent and in control of her life, but we see nothing. We hear meaningless words, whispers of Mum, Mum, love, sorry, sorry, sorry. We hear the gut-wrenching horror that can sometimes be parenthood. Beautifully written, words that fit together with perfect precision.
I ask you: Who are the monsters?
August 1, 2023
I must admit I hadn’t heard of this book when it arrived in the post in early July. Kate Hardie is an English actress and author, and this is her debut novel. The blurb on the back drew me in:
“A single mother wakes to blood in her mouth and flesh under her fingernails. A severed toe on the doorstep. A boy missing.
But her child needs to get to school. There’s a food shop to be done. Parents evenings, play dates and pasta for tea.
Raising her child alone, she’s done all she can to protect them. But what if she’s the thing they need protecting from the most?”
This is Where we Live is a short, disturbing, literary tale of a mother on the edge. It has much in common with Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy, depicting as it does the dark side of motherhood, but it’s more abstract and goes further, delving into the deep-seated generational trauma that can be an insurmountable obstacle for many women.
There is also trans/non-binary rep (very subtly and skilfully done) and a beautiful note at the beginning of the book with a content warning (swipe to see).
Less than 200 pages, I found it a powerful, impactful read and read it hungrily, despite it being quite the opposite of a holiday read. It has been compared to Rachel Cusk’s A Life’s Work and Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch (I’ve read neither but both on my tbr). An author to watch. 4/5⭐️
*Many thanks to the publisher @4thestatebooks @harpercollinsire for the proof copy. This is Where We Live was published on 6 July 2023. As always, this is an honest review.*
“A single mother wakes to blood in her mouth and flesh under her fingernails. A severed toe on the doorstep. A boy missing.
But her child needs to get to school. There’s a food shop to be done. Parents evenings, play dates and pasta for tea.
Raising her child alone, she’s done all she can to protect them. But what if she’s the thing they need protecting from the most?”
This is Where we Live is a short, disturbing, literary tale of a mother on the edge. It has much in common with Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy, depicting as it does the dark side of motherhood, but it’s more abstract and goes further, delving into the deep-seated generational trauma that can be an insurmountable obstacle for many women.
There is also trans/non-binary rep (very subtly and skilfully done) and a beautiful note at the beginning of the book with a content warning (swipe to see).
Less than 200 pages, I found it a powerful, impactful read and read it hungrily, despite it being quite the opposite of a holiday read. It has been compared to Rachel Cusk’s A Life’s Work and Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch (I’ve read neither but both on my tbr). An author to watch. 4/5⭐️
*Many thanks to the publisher @4thestatebooks @harpercollinsire for the proof copy. This is Where We Live was published on 6 July 2023. As always, this is an honest review.*
July 14, 2023
4.5, woah that was a lot. but absolutely amazing and raw and gruesome
December 23, 2024
Generational trauma as a body horror curse. About how hard it is to break, how you wish and wish and wish you can spare your child, but slowly realizing that you can’t; no more than your mother did.
Full Review on my Blog
Full Review on my Blog
December 11, 2023
I must admit I would never have picked up this book if I knew the story was about the bloody side of motherhood. It was my toughest read, raw, disturbing, and heart-wrenching in a way that I can't explain.
It should be a fast read because it has short chapter however due to the shattered story, I always take a break. I could feel the lifeless tone of the character. Break through day by day being a mum, and absent husband while handling the kids. The flashback childhood of the female character left me broken-hearted. Every single page is filled with sadness, suicide attempts, overthinking, and dead thoughts - till at one point, gives me a headache.
There is talk of self-harm and wanting to hurt others. It was not normal and I honestly feel unsafe if one day this could happen to me. The author came out strong with this theme that left me questioning marriage, motherhood, and broken families. I've been through a broken family and I know it was a scary process, but how do we as women survive this shit for the next phase? Being a wife is one thing, being a mother? I feel so overwhelmed with this book.
Yet, I'm just glad this book was only less than 200 pages. More than that, I might have migraine terus. Maybe I'm just too emotional when reading this. But if any of you experienced post-natal depression, any wrongness in your relationship, motherhood, or related to that, please just mind the trigger warning.
It was a good debut book. Thanks to Times Reads and Miss Puteri for the reviewed copy.
It should be a fast read because it has short chapter however due to the shattered story, I always take a break. I could feel the lifeless tone of the character. Break through day by day being a mum, and absent husband while handling the kids. The flashback childhood of the female character left me broken-hearted. Every single page is filled with sadness, suicide attempts, overthinking, and dead thoughts - till at one point, gives me a headache.
There is talk of self-harm and wanting to hurt others. It was not normal and I honestly feel unsafe if one day this could happen to me. The author came out strong with this theme that left me questioning marriage, motherhood, and broken families. I've been through a broken family and I know it was a scary process, but how do we as women survive this shit for the next phase? Being a wife is one thing, being a mother? I feel so overwhelmed with this book.
Yet, I'm just glad this book was only less than 200 pages. More than that, I might have migraine terus. Maybe I'm just too emotional when reading this. But if any of you experienced post-natal depression, any wrongness in your relationship, motherhood, or related to that, please just mind the trigger warning.
It was a good debut book. Thanks to Times Reads and Miss Puteri for the reviewed copy.
May 12, 2025
“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It took me a while to truly understand what was going on with the entire book following a metaphor of sorts but once I did—it hit hard. It was a difficult read at times, but I really appreciated the shifts between the present and the past, which I think added so much more emotional depth to the story.
The slow unravelling of the narrator's mind, and the quiet desperation in her words as the book unfolded, was the best yet saddest part of it.
Genuinely crushed me to read a book about a woman who wants more than nothing but to be a good mother for her child but keeps failing at it, never reading shit like this again (I’ll in fact be reading shit like this again.)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It took me a while to truly understand what was going on with the entire book following a metaphor of sorts but once I did—it hit hard. It was a difficult read at times, but I really appreciated the shifts between the present and the past, which I think added so much more emotional depth to the story.
The slow unravelling of the narrator's mind, and the quiet desperation in her words as the book unfolded, was the best yet saddest part of it.
Genuinely crushed me to read a book about a woman who wants more than nothing but to be a good mother for her child but keeps failing at it, never reading shit like this again (I’ll in fact be reading shit like this again.)
January 28, 2025
The book that Nightbitch wishes she was!!
August 23, 2023
This is an unnerving read. It gets inside your brain, burrows itself. Will not leave. With the world’s most unreliable narrator, it makes you questioning everything. And so, you are constantly thinking about it. I’m still thinking about it, every minute since finishing the book. I am still wondering if all of that really did happen, or if there are another version of events that are closer to reality. Prepare to be in a constant state of confusion. It’s bloody and gory but not obnoxiously so. It’s all just a bit weird, rather than vomit inducing. Think Ottessa Moshfegh and Sayaka Murata but a little more tame.
The main themes of this debut novel is motherhood and womanhood. Through the protagonists POV, we learn about her relationship, not only with her child, but her mother, father and their generational trauma. Gender identity plays an important role too. Admittedly it took me a beat to clock what that it was happening, but for the entire book the protagonist uses they/them pronouns when referring to their child. If someone can write a whole novel using they/them pronouns, you can use them in everyday conversation. It is not that fricken difficult! With that, transphobia is also explored within this novel.
There’s a trigger warning mention at the beginning of the book which is fantastic. The protagonist is an unfit mother, with very evident mental health issues - the specifics of which are never given. Neglect ,while unintentional, is very evident and I felt very conflicted when reading. I felt sorry for the mother because I know she did not wish to be this way, but nonetheless the child carries a huge burden and that is unfair also.
This story is twisted. The mother bites flesh, has blood under her finger nails. She is capable of terrible things. But she loves her child. There is a really powerful monologue towards the end of the novel also. Any woman (which is most woman) who has ever been called ‘crazy’, ‘psycho’, ‘insane’ or anything of the like, this novel is sure to resonate with you.
This is seared into my memory. I need to reread it pronto! Usually not one for body horror, but this has captivated me.
4⭐️
Thank you Harper Collins Ireland for sending me a copy.
The main themes of this debut novel is motherhood and womanhood. Through the protagonists POV, we learn about her relationship, not only with her child, but her mother, father and their generational trauma. Gender identity plays an important role too. Admittedly it took me a beat to clock what that it was happening, but for the entire book the protagonist uses they/them pronouns when referring to their child. If someone can write a whole novel using they/them pronouns, you can use them in everyday conversation. It is not that fricken difficult! With that, transphobia is also explored within this novel.
There’s a trigger warning mention at the beginning of the book which is fantastic. The protagonist is an unfit mother, with very evident mental health issues - the specifics of which are never given. Neglect ,while unintentional, is very evident and I felt very conflicted when reading. I felt sorry for the mother because I know she did not wish to be this way, but nonetheless the child carries a huge burden and that is unfair also.
This story is twisted. The mother bites flesh, has blood under her finger nails. She is capable of terrible things. But she loves her child. There is a really powerful monologue towards the end of the novel also. Any woman (which is most woman) who has ever been called ‘crazy’, ‘psycho’, ‘insane’ or anything of the like, this novel is sure to resonate with you.
This is seared into my memory. I need to reread it pronto! Usually not one for body horror, but this has captivated me.
4⭐️
Thank you Harper Collins Ireland for sending me a copy.
November 5, 2024
The better version of Nightbitch.
A raw body horror novel about motherhood. About how everything you’ve gone through, and everything you’re going through, can make you tear yourself apart and rip into others.
The monologue part ..”they can come…” was amazing.
Not sure how much was metaphorical and how much was literal - I enjoyed it all the same.
Trans stuff is featured heavily.
A raw body horror novel about motherhood. About how everything you’ve gone through, and everything you’re going through, can make you tear yourself apart and rip into others.
The monologue part ..”they can come…” was amazing.
Not sure how much was metaphorical and how much was literal - I enjoyed it all the same.
Trans stuff is featured heavily.
November 26, 2024
deeply weird
April 8, 2026
The pain and beauty of motherhood is honest and raw in this stunning book that tells the story through both stark bluntness and poetic prose.
January 20, 2025
love me a good, grotesque depiction of motherhood
August 11, 2024
Hardcore feminist adventures of being a mother. Loved it. Not for males with a superiority complex.
December 19, 2023
“𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞.
𝐈 ��𝐦 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.
𝐈 𝐫𝐮𝐧. 𝐈 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠”
What an incredible debut! Honestly really really good. I’ve been struggling to stay engaged with books lately but This is Where We Live had me hooked from the first few pages. Short sharp chapters, an unreliable narrator and a story about how fucking stressful it can be being a mother (not that I know, but this book quite easily made me imagine it).
The narrator (a mother) is mysterious, wild and furious but also vulnerable and doesn’t trust herself. Through her POV we see the different relationships she has with her own mother, with her own child and the urgent need to stop the cycle of toxic parenting. How we let people hurt us because we feel that is what we deserve. The book is a tough read in some places, but Kate has managed to get some laugh out loud moments in there too. The characters have this dark humour and it lightens up the darker bits. To me (and this could just be my interpretation) the “murdering” side of the book was a mask for the woman’s depression, and how this can make her react and lash out at people. The wolf coat on the front cover symbolised this for me, a sort of layer she wears to protect herself and her child. But that could just be my wild imagination there - read this one and let me know what you thought!
I think fans of Sheena Patel will love this one! There are no names for any of the characters adding that unreliable element and also I just fucking love a dark quirky read.
As I said I’m blown away that this is a debut novel, it’s a must read guys!! Thank you so much to @4thestatebooks for this copy x
𝐈 ��𝐦 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.
𝐈 𝐫𝐮𝐧. 𝐈 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠”
What an incredible debut! Honestly really really good. I’ve been struggling to stay engaged with books lately but This is Where We Live had me hooked from the first few pages. Short sharp chapters, an unreliable narrator and a story about how fucking stressful it can be being a mother (not that I know, but this book quite easily made me imagine it).
The narrator (a mother) is mysterious, wild and furious but also vulnerable and doesn’t trust herself. Through her POV we see the different relationships she has with her own mother, with her own child and the urgent need to stop the cycle of toxic parenting. How we let people hurt us because we feel that is what we deserve. The book is a tough read in some places, but Kate has managed to get some laugh out loud moments in there too. The characters have this dark humour and it lightens up the darker bits. To me (and this could just be my interpretation) the “murdering” side of the book was a mask for the woman’s depression, and how this can make her react and lash out at people. The wolf coat on the front cover symbolised this for me, a sort of layer she wears to protect herself and her child. But that could just be my wild imagination there - read this one and let me know what you thought!
I think fans of Sheena Patel will love this one! There are no names for any of the characters adding that unreliable element and also I just fucking love a dark quirky read.
As I said I’m blown away that this is a debut novel, it’s a must read guys!! Thank you so much to @4thestatebooks for this copy x
June 2, 2023
This book was such a good read! It gave a great insight into what it feels to be a woman and a mother rather than what it means, which felt like a good new perspective who read. While I felt like the imagery was a little predictable and some of the chapters were slightly repetitive the overall effect was really striking and heartbreaking, would definitely recommend! x
April 29, 2026
This is a five star read for me, but in a very specific way.
This is a really short book, under 200 pages, and it actually took me a bit longer to read than I expected. Not because it’s difficult in terms of writing, but because at points it was a lot. It touches on motherhood and mental health in a way that felt very personal to me, and it definitely brought up feelings I wasn’t expecting. Not in a bad way, but in a very real, sit with it kind of way.
The premise is so strong. Even just from the cover, that bright red with the wolf behind the woman, you go in expecting something quite different. There’s this constant thread of biting, hurting, almost animalistic instinct, and you’re sort of led to think maybe there’s something supernatural going on. But it’s not really horror. It’s much more psychological, much more internal.
For me, this read as a commentary on generational trauma and motherhood. That idea of wanting to give your child everything, to be better than what you had, but not always having the tools to do that because of your own experiences. And that hit hard.
The protagonist is such an interesting character. She’s self aware, she knows she’s flawed, she wants to be a good mother, desperately, and you can feel that the whole way through. There’s this constant fear that her child will turn out like her, that she’ll pass on the things she’s trying so hard to escape. And that felt incredibly real.
There’s a section that really stood out to me where her child lists the things she does, and they’re lovely, normal things, and it really makes you question everything. Because you don’t read this thinking she’s a bad mother. You read it and see someone trying, even when they’re struggling.
There’s also a part that touches on postpartum depression, and I found that particularly difficult. But also incredibly well done. It’s such a hard thing to put into words, and I think this book captured it in a way that felt honest and accurate. That feeling of wanting to be everything for your child, while also feeling completely overwhelmed and not okay yourself.
The whole werewolf element, it’s never actually said outright, but it’s there in the language, in the instinct, in the imagery. And I read that more as a metaphor. That loss of control, that fear of what you’re capable of, especially when you’re not in a good place mentally.
The writing is very internal, very reflective. It’s quite detached and flat in places, but I think that’s intentional. It adds to that melancholy tone that runs through the whole book. This isn’t plot heavy at all, it’s mood heavy. It’s about mindset, emotion, and experience rather than big events.
It’s definitely not something I raced through. It’s more of a read a bit, sit with it, process it kind of book. And I actually really liked that slower, more reflective pace.
I don’t think this will be everyone’s cup of tea at all. It’s heavy, it’s introspective, and it doesn’t give you easy answers. But for me, it really worked.
It feels raw, honest, and like it’s been written from a very real place. Like every emotion has been poured into it. And I think that’s why it’s a five star for me, not because it’s the most enjoyable book I’ve read, but because of how deeply I connected with it.
It made me feel exactly what it wanted me to feel. And that, for me, is what makes it special.
This is a really short book, under 200 pages, and it actually took me a bit longer to read than I expected. Not because it’s difficult in terms of writing, but because at points it was a lot. It touches on motherhood and mental health in a way that felt very personal to me, and it definitely brought up feelings I wasn’t expecting. Not in a bad way, but in a very real, sit with it kind of way.
The premise is so strong. Even just from the cover, that bright red with the wolf behind the woman, you go in expecting something quite different. There’s this constant thread of biting, hurting, almost animalistic instinct, and you’re sort of led to think maybe there’s something supernatural going on. But it’s not really horror. It’s much more psychological, much more internal.
For me, this read as a commentary on generational trauma and motherhood. That idea of wanting to give your child everything, to be better than what you had, but not always having the tools to do that because of your own experiences. And that hit hard.
The protagonist is such an interesting character. She’s self aware, she knows she’s flawed, she wants to be a good mother, desperately, and you can feel that the whole way through. There’s this constant fear that her child will turn out like her, that she’ll pass on the things she’s trying so hard to escape. And that felt incredibly real.
There’s a section that really stood out to me where her child lists the things she does, and they’re lovely, normal things, and it really makes you question everything. Because you don’t read this thinking she’s a bad mother. You read it and see someone trying, even when they’re struggling.
There’s also a part that touches on postpartum depression, and I found that particularly difficult. But also incredibly well done. It’s such a hard thing to put into words, and I think this book captured it in a way that felt honest and accurate. That feeling of wanting to be everything for your child, while also feeling completely overwhelmed and not okay yourself.
The whole werewolf element, it’s never actually said outright, but it’s there in the language, in the instinct, in the imagery. And I read that more as a metaphor. That loss of control, that fear of what you’re capable of, especially when you’re not in a good place mentally.
The writing is very internal, very reflective. It’s quite detached and flat in places, but I think that’s intentional. It adds to that melancholy tone that runs through the whole book. This isn’t plot heavy at all, it’s mood heavy. It’s about mindset, emotion, and experience rather than big events.
It’s definitely not something I raced through. It’s more of a read a bit, sit with it, process it kind of book. And I actually really liked that slower, more reflective pace.
I don’t think this will be everyone’s cup of tea at all. It’s heavy, it’s introspective, and it doesn’t give you easy answers. But for me, it really worked.
It feels raw, honest, and like it’s been written from a very real place. Like every emotion has been poured into it. And I think that’s why it’s a five star for me, not because it’s the most enjoyable book I’ve read, but because of how deeply I connected with it.
It made me feel exactly what it wanted me to feel. And that, for me, is what makes it special.
May 16, 2026
A short read but very memorable. This is about the darker side of motherhood, which I know people would find it hard to relate to without being a mother. The body horror described in the book is a big metaphor for the inadequacy the narrator feels and generational trauma from her own childhood, and her mother's childhood before that.
Powerful read but not for everyone
Powerful read but not for everyone
September 20, 2023
Wauw! Dat was intens, rauw & bijzonder.
December 24, 2023
This book has some of the most incredible passages on the difficulty of early motherhood. How we are told to work towards and expect certain calm togetherness with birthing and post-natal experience but we are sheltered from the crazy fallout that actually exists when you have grown and created a person from your body. This book is a must read for all pregnant women. It’s more honest and true than most “real” birthing and parenting books in non-fiction.
October 9, 2025
‘I regret so much of our life together. I was an inadequate parent, only half formed myself.’
i thought this was going to be gruesome horror like the lamb but realized all the horror was metaphorical. i feel stupid because i spent the whole book waiting and waiting. knowing now it is about the horrors of motherhood, i absolutely think this book is impactful. at this stage of my life (18, prude) i do not think any of this really resonates with me - i’m a horror read/fantasy girl. but it definitely expresses a deep inner fear i have of motherhood. i’m confused on what even happened through this and i hate being confused. i found it reflective and very authentic on the experiences of a woman.
i thought this was going to be gruesome horror like the lamb but realized all the horror was metaphorical. i feel stupid because i spent the whole book waiting and waiting. knowing now it is about the horrors of motherhood, i absolutely think this book is impactful. at this stage of my life (18, prude) i do not think any of this really resonates with me - i’m a horror read/fantasy girl. but it definitely expresses a deep inner fear i have of motherhood. i’m confused on what even happened through this and i hate being confused. i found it reflective and very authentic on the experiences of a woman.
May 30, 2025
There’s a dead body found in the park and our protagonist (an average mum) has woken up with blood under her fingernails and a severed toe on the doorstep.
I was ready for a murder mystery; a cat and mouse chase between this average-mum-turned-killer against the police.
This was not what this book was about at all. It was really heavy on the biting and clawing and violence. At one point her partner takes her to a field so she can kill and eat sheep.
But then half way through I realise that none of this violence is actually happening. It’s actually a big metaphor. For what though? I’m not sure.
I was ready for a murder mystery; a cat and mouse chase between this average-mum-turned-killer against the police.
This was not what this book was about at all. It was really heavy on the biting and clawing and violence. At one point her partner takes her to a field so she can kill and eat sheep.
But then half way through I realise that none of this violence is actually happening. It’s actually a big metaphor. For what though? I’m not sure.
August 4, 2023
Dark, unsettling (yet also comforting in a strange way) and SO BEAUTIFUL!
All the stars for this gem of a book.
All the stars for this gem of a book.
January 7, 2024
This is not for me
August 1, 2023
I must admit I hadn’t heard of this book when it arrived in the post in early July. Kate Hardie is an English actress and author, and this is her debut novel. The blurb on the back drew me in:
“A single mother wakes to blood in her mouth and flesh under her fingernails. A severed toe on the doorstep. A boy missing.
But her child needs to get to school. There’s a food shop to be done. Parents evenings, play dates and pasta for tea.
Raising her child alone, she’s done all she can to protect them. But what if she’s the thing they need protecting from the most?”
This is Where we Live is a short, disturbing, literary tale of a mother on the edge. It has much in common with Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy, depicting as it does the dark side of motherhood, but it’s more abstract and goes further, delving into the deep-seated generational trauma that can be an insurmountable obstacle for many women.
There is also trans/non-binary rep (very subtly and skilfully done) and a beautiful note at the beginning of the book with a content warning.
Less than 200 pages, I found it a powerful, impactful read and read it hungrily, despite it being quite the opposite of a holiday read. It has been compared to Rachel Cusk’s A Life’s Work and Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch (I’ve read neither but both on my tbr). An author to watch. 4/5⭐️
*Many thanks to the publisher @4thestatebooks @harpercollinsire for the proof copy. This is Where We Live was published on 6 July 2023. As always, this is an honest review.*
“A single mother wakes to blood in her mouth and flesh under her fingernails. A severed toe on the doorstep. A boy missing.
But her child needs to get to school. There’s a food shop to be done. Parents evenings, play dates and pasta for tea.
Raising her child alone, she’s done all she can to protect them. But what if she’s the thing they need protecting from the most?”
This is Where we Live is a short, disturbing, literary tale of a mother on the edge. It has much in common with Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy, depicting as it does the dark side of motherhood, but it’s more abstract and goes further, delving into the deep-seated generational trauma that can be an insurmountable obstacle for many women.
There is also trans/non-binary rep (very subtly and skilfully done) and a beautiful note at the beginning of the book with a content warning.
Less than 200 pages, I found it a powerful, impactful read and read it hungrily, despite it being quite the opposite of a holiday read. It has been compared to Rachel Cusk’s A Life’s Work and Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch (I’ve read neither but both on my tbr). An author to watch. 4/5⭐️
*Many thanks to the publisher @4thestatebooks @harpercollinsire for the proof copy. This is Where We Live was published on 6 July 2023. As always, this is an honest review.*
December 31, 2023
-> 3.75 ✨️
This book was so much more than I expected it to be. I think I'm just not in the position to completely understand it, since I'm not a mother and didn't experience motherhood. But I still think that this is such an important read and the author did an amazing job by picturing motherhood in a more realistic way for many women. Motherhood isn't always peaceful and wholesome; it can also be full of guilt and unhappiness.
This book was so much more than I expected it to be. I think I'm just not in the position to completely understand it, since I'm not a mother and didn't experience motherhood. But I still think that this is such an important read and the author did an amazing job by picturing motherhood in a more realistic way for many women. Motherhood isn't always peaceful and wholesome; it can also be full of guilt and unhappiness.
May 31, 2024
A darkly honest portrayal of motherhood and mental illness. I spent a lot of this book trying to figure out what was metaphor and what was actually happening. Still don't quite know, but that seems intentional. The most powerful part, to me, is the monologue near the end - you'll know it when you get there.
December 5, 2024
3.5stars pretty good, I like how it tackles how hard motherhood can be as well as many other subjects. Can't give it more because I didn't catch on that she was talking about they/them as a singular person and not twins/more than 1 kid.
April 28, 2025
Bardzo ciekawy obraz dalekiego od ideału macierzyństwa, z całym bagażem personalnych problemów matki, niepokojem i paranojami. Jeśli podobało wam się Nightbitch, to ta książka ma podobny vibe, ale jest mniej dziwna.
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