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Catching the Light
‘Powerful and mesmerising, Catching the Light is a brilliant portrait of the ways we are consumed by motherhood, art and the yearning for self.’—Shankari Chandran, Miles Franklin award–winning author of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens and Safe Haven
‘Immediately gripping and thrillingly nuanced, this is a novel you’ll devour in a rush and then savour for a long, long time.’—Diana Reid, bestselling author of Love & Virtue and Signs of Damage
Water, sand, hills, the painter was out at sea, looking towards the shore. Impossible to say whether he was coming in or going out. When Sylvie, a single mother yearning for a creative spark, meets Michael, a renowned painter, she feels something she hasn’t felt in years. Impulsively she decides to uproot her life and move to Isaiah, an artists’ colony, with her teenage daughter, Alice.
To Sylvie, Isaiah seems to offer a second chance at the things she’s sacrificed—freedom, love and art—but her relationship with Michael begins to affect the closeness she once had with her daughter. Without her mother’s knowledge, Alice engages in an act of teenage defiance that will shape both their lives.
Years later, Alice, a PhD student, is sought out by Caroline, an art historian researching Michael for a retrospective of his work. As their conversations tease out long-buried memories, Alice grapples with her past and Caroline’s hidden agenda.
Sometimes it’s all a matter of perspective.
PRAISE FOR CATCHING THE LIGHT:
‘Catching The Light is a stunning work of fiction, at once bold and intricately woven. An enthralling read.’—Eliza Henry-Jones, author of Salt and Skin
‘Catching the Light is a beautiful, adventurous novel about complicated and enduring love. A smart, stunning portrait of parenthood and mother-daughter bonds. Horton's writing is captivating, lush, and incredibly moving.’—Laura Elvery, author of Trick of the Light and Ordinary Matter
‘A nuanced dissection of art, morality and motherhood. Joanna Horton holds these principles to the light and shakes loose their unspeakable truths’—Adriane Howell, author of Hydra
‘This is a beautiful novel. It is at once subtle and expansive, shifting across place and time without simplifying or overstating complications of memory and perspective. It is evocative and moving, gently weaving many threads together.’—Anna Kate Blair, author of The Modern
PRAISE FOR BETWEEN YOU AND ME:
‘It’s the language of this nuanced novel that did it … Between You and Me lingers in my mind’— Canberra Times
‘Joanna Horton's debut is strong on female friendship, and she creates a crisp, effortlessly authentic narrative voice’— Sydney Morning Herald
&
‘Immediately gripping and thrillingly nuanced, this is a novel you’ll devour in a rush and then savour for a long, long time.’—Diana Reid, bestselling author of Love & Virtue and Signs of Damage
Water, sand, hills, the painter was out at sea, looking towards the shore. Impossible to say whether he was coming in or going out. When Sylvie, a single mother yearning for a creative spark, meets Michael, a renowned painter, she feels something she hasn’t felt in years. Impulsively she decides to uproot her life and move to Isaiah, an artists’ colony, with her teenage daughter, Alice.
To Sylvie, Isaiah seems to offer a second chance at the things she’s sacrificed—freedom, love and art—but her relationship with Michael begins to affect the closeness she once had with her daughter. Without her mother’s knowledge, Alice engages in an act of teenage defiance that will shape both their lives.
Years later, Alice, a PhD student, is sought out by Caroline, an art historian researching Michael for a retrospective of his work. As their conversations tease out long-buried memories, Alice grapples with her past and Caroline’s hidden agenda.
Sometimes it’s all a matter of perspective.
PRAISE FOR CATCHING THE LIGHT:
‘Catching The Light is a stunning work of fiction, at once bold and intricately woven. An enthralling read.’—Eliza Henry-Jones, author of Salt and Skin
‘Catching the Light is a beautiful, adventurous novel about complicated and enduring love. A smart, stunning portrait of parenthood and mother-daughter bonds. Horton's writing is captivating, lush, and incredibly moving.’—Laura Elvery, author of Trick of the Light and Ordinary Matter
‘A nuanced dissection of art, morality and motherhood. Joanna Horton holds these principles to the light and shakes loose their unspeakable truths’—Adriane Howell, author of Hydra
‘This is a beautiful novel. It is at once subtle and expansive, shifting across place and time without simplifying or overstating complications of memory and perspective. It is evocative and moving, gently weaving many threads together.’—Anna Kate Blair, author of The Modern
PRAISE FOR BETWEEN YOU AND ME:
‘It’s the language of this nuanced novel that did it … Between You and Me lingers in my mind’— Canberra Times
‘Joanna Horton's debut is strong on female friendship, and she creates a crisp, effortlessly authentic narrative voice’— Sydney Morning Herald
&
- GenresFiction
Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2025
15 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
April 20, 2025
Quite a brilliant look into the mother daughter relationship, with a back drop of the heady art scene and the drama and unusual life in a commune setting. The work seems not to dive completely into the cultish world, thought it does show the effects of being on the fringes and the all encompassing feelings of love and obsession.
A mother deeply loving her daughter, while still neglecting her, focussing on the self, her art, her stalled career and failed romantic entanglement. I was sad witnessing a daughter fending for herself, stepping into the parental role while her mother was unable to snap herself out of the depths of despair, realising too late the mess made.
Beautifully written conjuring lush imagery while completely convincing the reader of the messy and fractured relationship. I didn't completely love either of the protagonists, but it wasn't necessary to form a bond with them to understand the act of defiance of the daughter, and the reaction of the mother, even if this was much too late for decisive and protective action.
A scene showing the daughter's strength and beauty in describing her shaved head touches on the author's skill and provocative writing, seeming to translate easily to the page.
This is a complex story stretching over time, a slow burn reflecting on moral ambiguity, power and control. I knew who I sided with and I'd not be surprised to learn that I'm in the minority.
Thank you to Ultimo Press for my review copy.
A mother deeply loving her daughter, while still neglecting her, focussing on the self, her art, her stalled career and failed romantic entanglement. I was sad witnessing a daughter fending for herself, stepping into the parental role while her mother was unable to snap herself out of the depths of despair, realising too late the mess made.
Beautifully written conjuring lush imagery while completely convincing the reader of the messy and fractured relationship. I didn't completely love either of the protagonists, but it wasn't necessary to form a bond with them to understand the act of defiance of the daughter, and the reaction of the mother, even if this was much too late for decisive and protective action.
A scene showing the daughter's strength and beauty in describing her shaved head touches on the author's skill and provocative writing, seeming to translate easily to the page.
This is a complex story stretching over time, a slow burn reflecting on moral ambiguity, power and control. I knew who I sided with and I'd not be surprised to learn that I'm in the minority.
Thank you to Ultimo Press for my review copy.
October 21, 2025
5 / A rich, evocative slow burn with the perfect amount of intrigue: mother and daughter angst with a backdrop of the art world, and the cultish energy of an artist clinging to his relevance.
Sylvie and her daughter Alice are invited to an upcoming retrospective of Michael’s, a former lover, friend and owner of the art community known as Isaiah. This evokes memories for them both, and unsettles Alice as she is asked to discuss a painting of her from their time living at Isaiah.
This is a book to be read slowly, savouring the wonderful imagery and to reflect on all of the nuanced character relationships that Joanna has created.
Catching the Light is a beautifully written book with a softness, fragility and hope to it, and probably one of my favourite reads this year.
I borrowed this from my library and didn’t get to finish it. I had to wait a long while before I could read it again, almost 5 months, but it was like no time had passed, and I still felt right there with the characters.
Below are a few of my favourites
“But still, there's a nagging sense of a ghost life gone unlived, a life in which she might have travelled, had other relationships, worked in earnest.”
“She see Michael’s life cushioned with the certainty of achievement, and herself wandering through it and touching with grubby fingers.”
“Maybe it’s a story she has been waiting to tell.”
“She shoved her into a corner, the only place she would fit.”
“Rituals like that lived inside her like glass; they needed to be kept and handled carefully. They would break under the weight of other people’s regard.”
“I read once that every time you remember something, you’re only remembering the last time you thought of it. And your mind can make up all kinds of details, fill in the blanks any old way. Memories don’t really mean anything.”
“She wished she found it easier to open up, to skirt the edges of danger without ever thinking of falling in.”
“But now he tosses the word out like a barrier between them, daring her to say something.”
“In his voice she hears the shadow of his old self - the smooth, reasonable self, the one he uses to persuade. The magician. Has he said something similar to Alice?”
“Because she thought motherhood as something that could be bargained with or whittled down.”
“I started to feel like, maybe there is no redemptive narrative arc. Maybe all I can do is just try to live on my own terms as much as possible.”
“That was how it had always been with Alice: only ever the tip of the iceberg.”
5 ⭐️ eBook
Sylvie and her daughter Alice are invited to an upcoming retrospective of Michael’s, a former lover, friend and owner of the art community known as Isaiah. This evokes memories for them both, and unsettles Alice as she is asked to discuss a painting of her from their time living at Isaiah.
This is a book to be read slowly, savouring the wonderful imagery and to reflect on all of the nuanced character relationships that Joanna has created.
Catching the Light is a beautifully written book with a softness, fragility and hope to it, and probably one of my favourite reads this year.
I borrowed this from my library and didn’t get to finish it. I had to wait a long while before I could read it again, almost 5 months, but it was like no time had passed, and I still felt right there with the characters.
Below are a few of my favourites
“But still, there's a nagging sense of a ghost life gone unlived, a life in which she might have travelled, had other relationships, worked in earnest.”
“She see Michael’s life cushioned with the certainty of achievement, and herself wandering through it and touching with grubby fingers.”
“Maybe it’s a story she has been waiting to tell.”
“She shoved her into a corner, the only place she would fit.”
“Rituals like that lived inside her like glass; they needed to be kept and handled carefully. They would break under the weight of other people’s regard.”
“I read once that every time you remember something, you’re only remembering the last time you thought of it. And your mind can make up all kinds of details, fill in the blanks any old way. Memories don’t really mean anything.”
“She wished she found it easier to open up, to skirt the edges of danger without ever thinking of falling in.”
“But now he tosses the word out like a barrier between them, daring her to say something.”
“In his voice she hears the shadow of his old self - the smooth, reasonable self, the one he uses to persuade. The magician. Has he said something similar to Alice?”
“Because she thought motherhood as something that could be bargained with or whittled down.”
“I started to feel like, maybe there is no redemptive narrative arc. Maybe all I can do is just try to live on my own terms as much as possible.”
“That was how it had always been with Alice: only ever the tip of the iceberg.”
5 ⭐️ eBook
May 1, 2025
Although I have not read Joanna Horton’s debut novel, it is obvious from her second release Catching the Light that she is an impressive and insightful writer who easily and thoroughly explores the minds and actions of her characters. The complex relationships portrayed in this novel, reveal the depth and multi-facets of personalities—particularly those who are artists. Catching the Light captures the human form in its various shades and textures: the brittle and soft edges exposing intentions and masks. Like paint on a canvas—we follow the curves and lines of each stroke and try to make sense of love, grief, self and public reflections. This exceptional expose´ takes us on a fascinating, riveting journey. But like a tall candle, it burns slowly down to its wick, revealing the smouldering centre that has once sparked the fires of the imagination.
Sylvie, a single mother gives birth to her daughter, Alice, at a young age. Now older, she yearns to have her creative juices flowing again. When she meets a famous artist and falls under his spell, she gives up all that appears to be a restriction in her life to pursue and capture the freedom, light and attention she craves. Packing up her daughter, she moves to Isaiah, an artist commune, where their lives begin to change. Lessons will be learned from harsh revelations. And soon it will be seen that all is not as perfect as hoped. Sylvie’s relationship with her daughter suffers gradually, the deeper she falls into the tortured well of Michael, the painter. His cult leader tendencies are realised and we are reminded of similar figures in history who came to a bitter end when they fell from their lofty heights of unsavoury ambitions.
Sylvie forms an image in her mind of Michael, one that at the beginning she loves. But over time and while engaging in his everyday activities at Isaiah, she begins to see different sides and versions of him. At first what she perceives entices her but eventually his changed form (or her perceptions of him) suddenly does not fit into those neat boxes she has painted.
The story is told in two timelines. We see a younger and older version of Sylvie plus a fourteen and twenty-seven year old Alice. The differences between them are evident. But as time progresses, it is interesting to note those broader changes. We also see how Alice’s life has been shaped by the choices her mother made, and the long lasting effects of living in the commune during the formative years. When Caroline, an art historian seeks out Alice, now a PHD student, to write a story about Michael, deep memories surface and stark realisations come in the form of self-questioning. Alice’s quiet acts of rebellion are smoky images smudged across a canvas. Could these artistic enactments be seen as exploitation? There’s plenty of moral ambiguity, mishandling of power and conscience control when innocence and maturity silently meet.
There are some very creative and rich poetic lines in this story that shake up concepts and perceptions. The author gives us lots to ponder and process as we walk in the footsteps of the characters and see through their eyes, the dramas, disappointments and discoveries they embrace and shake. This is one of these stories that stealthily enters your thoughts and burns in the background. Though the topics are confronting, crisp clear images make this an intriguing reading experience. For those who enjoy well written literary stories that present social challenges and dive into a character’s psyche to unravel the human condition, this is for you. Art faces heart in a dangerous dual. 4.5 Stars
Thanks to Ultimo Press for a review copy.
Sylvie, a single mother gives birth to her daughter, Alice, at a young age. Now older, she yearns to have her creative juices flowing again. When she meets a famous artist and falls under his spell, she gives up all that appears to be a restriction in her life to pursue and capture the freedom, light and attention she craves. Packing up her daughter, she moves to Isaiah, an artist commune, where their lives begin to change. Lessons will be learned from harsh revelations. And soon it will be seen that all is not as perfect as hoped. Sylvie’s relationship with her daughter suffers gradually, the deeper she falls into the tortured well of Michael, the painter. His cult leader tendencies are realised and we are reminded of similar figures in history who came to a bitter end when they fell from their lofty heights of unsavoury ambitions.
Sylvie forms an image in her mind of Michael, one that at the beginning she loves. But over time and while engaging in his everyday activities at Isaiah, she begins to see different sides and versions of him. At first what she perceives entices her but eventually his changed form (or her perceptions of him) suddenly does not fit into those neat boxes she has painted.
The story is told in two timelines. We see a younger and older version of Sylvie plus a fourteen and twenty-seven year old Alice. The differences between them are evident. But as time progresses, it is interesting to note those broader changes. We also see how Alice’s life has been shaped by the choices her mother made, and the long lasting effects of living in the commune during the formative years. When Caroline, an art historian seeks out Alice, now a PHD student, to write a story about Michael, deep memories surface and stark realisations come in the form of self-questioning. Alice’s quiet acts of rebellion are smoky images smudged across a canvas. Could these artistic enactments be seen as exploitation? There’s plenty of moral ambiguity, mishandling of power and conscience control when innocence and maturity silently meet.
There are some very creative and rich poetic lines in this story that shake up concepts and perceptions. The author gives us lots to ponder and process as we walk in the footsteps of the characters and see through their eyes, the dramas, disappointments and discoveries they embrace and shake. This is one of these stories that stealthily enters your thoughts and burns in the background. Though the topics are confronting, crisp clear images make this an intriguing reading experience. For those who enjoy well written literary stories that present social challenges and dive into a character’s psyche to unravel the human condition, this is for you. Art faces heart in a dangerous dual. 4.5 Stars
Thanks to Ultimo Press for a review copy.
May 15, 2025
Loved. I couldn’t put this book down and was gripped right from the start by the cultish vibes and stayed for the look into complex mother/daughter relationships and motherhood. It really resonated with me.
June 2, 2025
I couldn’t warm to any character and overall this book just felt unpleasant.
June 23, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
April 26, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
Joanna Horton’s latest novel - Catching the Light - examines the mother/daughter relationship and the complexities of motherhood. Set in New Zealand, the novel follows single mother Sylvie and her teenage daughter Alice as they make the bold move to live at an artists commune called Isiah. Enthralled by a successful and “famous in the art world” artist called Michael, Sylvie puts herself and her desire to make art again first - throwing her and Alice’s once-close relationship into tumult.
I absolutely loved Horton’s debut novel: Between You and Me, so I was excited to read this one when I heard about its release. It’s was gripping and hard to put down with great pace.
Horton is the master of creating complicated characters which you neither love nor hate. They have depth and emotion to them with contradicting feelings and are very real and interesting to read about.
The writing is very clever! There was such a stark contrast between Sylvie’s internal dialogue around how important motherhood is to her and how much she loves Alice. And how Alice actually feels - abandoned, unloved and alone. There is a web of intricacies underlying their motives and desires reminding you how complex familial relationships truly are.
There are hints about something happening to Alice which once revealed - helps you understand the splintered relationship between Sylvie and Alice in the present narrative.
If you liked Horton’s debut novel or you’re a fan of Diana Reid then I think you’ll like this book too!
Thank you @ultimopress for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏼
Joanna Horton’s latest novel - Catching the Light - examines the mother/daughter relationship and the complexities of motherhood. Set in New Zealand, the novel follows single mother Sylvie and her teenage daughter Alice as they make the bold move to live at an artists commune called Isiah. Enthralled by a successful and “famous in the art world” artist called Michael, Sylvie puts herself and her desire to make art again first - throwing her and Alice’s once-close relationship into tumult.
I absolutely loved Horton’s debut novel: Between You and Me, so I was excited to read this one when I heard about its release. It’s was gripping and hard to put down with great pace.
Horton is the master of creating complicated characters which you neither love nor hate. They have depth and emotion to them with contradicting feelings and are very real and interesting to read about.
The writing is very clever! There was such a stark contrast between Sylvie’s internal dialogue around how important motherhood is to her and how much she loves Alice. And how Alice actually feels - abandoned, unloved and alone. There is a web of intricacies underlying their motives and desires reminding you how complex familial relationships truly are.
There are hints about something happening to Alice which once revealed - helps you understand the splintered relationship between Sylvie and Alice in the present narrative.
If you liked Horton’s debut novel or you’re a fan of Diana Reid then I think you’ll like this book too!
Thank you @ultimopress for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏼
May 11, 2025
The way in which Joanna Horton is able to write her characters in a way that force you to see them from so many perspectives is a talent. You hate them, love them, reason with them, understand them and then want to scream at them. You're truly left wondering if they are or aren't bad people or victim of bad choices, especially in this book. The developments of Michael and Jack (Between You and Me) brilliantly portray (in my opinion) how men are able to navigate the world so differently to women.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2024
A well paced book (just right for a boxing day read!). The characters were believable and written in a non-judgmental, thoughtful manner. The story takes you in from the start. Thanks to publisher for ARC.
May 29, 2025
Captivating, insightful, beautifully written. Drops tantalising hooks throughout that make you wish you didn’t have to put it down. Come for the messy commune polyamory drama; stay for the thoughtful exploration of motherhood. This book is a gift ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2025
love the generosity of Horton's storytelling. every character feels so rich and yet hovering out of your grasp, in a way that honours the complexity of their lives and experiences.
August 22, 2025
Really enjoyed this book! Could not put it down. I was so intrigued by the relationships that were conveyed in the book especially the mother and daughter relationship between Sylvie and Alice and the way they each had to navigate their lives between the fantasy they have and reality. Genuinely really liked this one!
September 16, 2025
I’m a sucker for a book centred on art in some way and this one was interesting! It had me thinking throughout and I was regularly reevaluating my opinions of the central characters. Turpentine, and particularly its smell, is mentioned a few too many times, and the big reveal at the end was not as big as it was built up to be, but the story was compelling and the writing was great.
April 17, 2025
.....📚 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 📚.....
Catching The Light by Joanna Horton is a mesmerising portrayal of motherhood, love, innocence, sexuality, and the journey to self-discovery.
When Sylvie, a single mother yearning for a creative spark, meets Michael, a renowned painter, she feels something she hasn’t felt in years. Impulsively, she decides to uproot her life and move to Isaiah, an artists’ colony, with her teenage daughter, Alice.
To Sylvie, Isaiah seems to offer a second chance at the things she’s sacrificed—freedom, love, and art—but her relationship with Michael begins to affect the closeness she once had with her daughter. Alice has not had a traditional relationship with her mum, often treated as a little adult growing up, she is used to being independant, but at Isaiah, Alice is left to all but look after herself. Without her mother’s knowledge, Alice engages in an act of teenage defiance that will shape both their lives.
Years later, Alice, a PhD. student, is sought out by Caroline, an art historian researching Michael for a retrospective of his work. As their conversations tease out long-buried memories, Alice grapples with her past and Caroline’s hidden agenda. Will Caroline finally uncover the truth about Sylvie and Alice's time at the artists colony and can digging up the past help heal the relationship between mother and daughter.
This was a beautifully written and paced book that explores the relationship between mother and daughter and the impact of these roles and relationships on identity. I'm not sure I could say whether I really liked any of the characters, but their flaws and anxieties give the story more depth and complexity. Would definitely recommend this one.
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Thank you to @ultimopress for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
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Catching The Light by Joanna Horton is a mesmerising portrayal of motherhood, love, innocence, sexuality, and the journey to self-discovery.
When Sylvie, a single mother yearning for a creative spark, meets Michael, a renowned painter, she feels something she hasn’t felt in years. Impulsively, she decides to uproot her life and move to Isaiah, an artists’ colony, with her teenage daughter, Alice.
To Sylvie, Isaiah seems to offer a second chance at the things she’s sacrificed—freedom, love, and art—but her relationship with Michael begins to affect the closeness she once had with her daughter. Alice has not had a traditional relationship with her mum, often treated as a little adult growing up, she is used to being independant, but at Isaiah, Alice is left to all but look after herself. Without her mother’s knowledge, Alice engages in an act of teenage defiance that will shape both their lives.
Years later, Alice, a PhD. student, is sought out by Caroline, an art historian researching Michael for a retrospective of his work. As their conversations tease out long-buried memories, Alice grapples with her past and Caroline’s hidden agenda. Will Caroline finally uncover the truth about Sylvie and Alice's time at the artists colony and can digging up the past help heal the relationship between mother and daughter.
This was a beautifully written and paced book that explores the relationship between mother and daughter and the impact of these roles and relationships on identity. I'm not sure I could say whether I really liked any of the characters, but their flaws and anxieties give the story more depth and complexity. Would definitely recommend this one.
.
.
Thank you to @ultimopress for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
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May 5, 2025
Catching the Light has stayed with me. It’s a reflective piece that uses two time periods to explore changes in relationships and perspectives. I found the characters nuanced and knowable - they prompted questions about art, people in my life, and my own ideas around motherhood, selfishness and sacrifice. At the same time, the story is well-paced and draws you in - it’s a delight to read and leaves you feeling like your time was well exchanged for something beautiful. Highly recommend
April 20, 2025
This was a stunning read—one that quietly took my breath away. From the opening pages, I had a sense that I was stepping into something special. The writing is incredibly immersive, drawing me in with its quiet intensity and emotional depth.
The characters are deeply flawed, complex, and, in many ways, unlikeable. But there’s something magnetic about how their lives intersect, how their wounds and secrets shape the messy dynamics between them. I found myself completely caught up in those relationships—watching, feeling, wondering.
What really stood out to me was the portrayal of the fractured mother-daughter relationship. It was raw, nuanced, and felt heartbreakingly real. The author nailed that complicated blend of love, resentment, longing, and misunderstanding that can exist between mothers and daughters.
The sense of place is just as vivid. Life at Isaiah is rendered with a quiet, intimate realism. The world the author builds feels tangible, and in many ways, I felt I was living inside the story rather than simply reading it.
Overall, something I’d definitely recommend. Emotional, intimate, and beautifully written.
The characters are deeply flawed, complex, and, in many ways, unlikeable. But there’s something magnetic about how their lives intersect, how their wounds and secrets shape the messy dynamics between them. I found myself completely caught up in those relationships—watching, feeling, wondering.
What really stood out to me was the portrayal of the fractured mother-daughter relationship. It was raw, nuanced, and felt heartbreakingly real. The author nailed that complicated blend of love, resentment, longing, and misunderstanding that can exist between mothers and daughters.
The sense of place is just as vivid. Life at Isaiah is rendered with a quiet, intimate realism. The world the author builds feels tangible, and in many ways, I felt I was living inside the story rather than simply reading it.
Overall, something I’d definitely recommend. Emotional, intimate, and beautifully written.
April 20, 2025
This is such a beautiful novel.
Sylvie moves her and her daughter Alice to a new place to live. It’s not your usual kind of living arrangement, it’s not really a commune either. A famous artist, Michael, has built this space for people. When Sylvie falls for Michael, the bond with her daughter falls apart.
I loved the writing so much. I was intrigued and enjoyed every word written on the pages. There was a softness and perfect slowness to the writing which allowed you to absorb the setting and the moments, both beautiful and difficult.
This book is about complicated love, sexuality, art, mother - daughter relationships and depression.
I’m definitely going to find Joanna’s other book to read now! Highly recommend.
Thank you @ultimopress for sending this wonderful book to me in exchange for an honest review.
Sylvie moves her and her daughter Alice to a new place to live. It’s not your usual kind of living arrangement, it’s not really a commune either. A famous artist, Michael, has built this space for people. When Sylvie falls for Michael, the bond with her daughter falls apart.
I loved the writing so much. I was intrigued and enjoyed every word written on the pages. There was a softness and perfect slowness to the writing which allowed you to absorb the setting and the moments, both beautiful and difficult.
This book is about complicated love, sexuality, art, mother - daughter relationships and depression.
I’m definitely going to find Joanna’s other book to read now! Highly recommend.
Thank you @ultimopress for sending this wonderful book to me in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2025
Catching the Light follows Sylvie, a mother and painter who finds herself creatively stuck until she meets charismatic artist Michael and, chasing a spark she’s been missing, moves to his remote artist commune with her 14-year-old daughter, Alice.
In the present day, Alice and Sylvie reunite in Melbourne as art historian, Caroline, begins researching Michael for a retrospective. The past is slowly pulled back into the light, and Alice is forced to reckon with what happened during that time: memory, regret, and the choices that shaped them both.
The prose is beautiful — quiet, thoughtful, and very moving. The novel is definitely slow, but in a way that works. It’s rich with reflection: on motherhood, creativity, responsibility, and what we owe to ourselves. The mother-daughter dynamic is depicted with so much nuance, showing depth in this complex dichotomy between their closeness and the way they hurt and push each other away.
A sensitive, layered read.
In the present day, Alice and Sylvie reunite in Melbourne as art historian, Caroline, begins researching Michael for a retrospective. The past is slowly pulled back into the light, and Alice is forced to reckon with what happened during that time: memory, regret, and the choices that shaped them both.
The prose is beautiful — quiet, thoughtful, and very moving. The novel is definitely slow, but in a way that works. It’s rich with reflection: on motherhood, creativity, responsibility, and what we owe to ourselves. The mother-daughter dynamic is depicted with so much nuance, showing depth in this complex dichotomy between their closeness and the way they hurt and push each other away.
A sensitive, layered read.
April 19, 2025
Catching the Light by Joanna Horton was an enchanting read that I didn't want to put down. It's a little outside my beloved crime fiction / thriller genre but in reality I realise many of my favourite books of the last few years are books like this - those that draw you in, keep you suspended as the story unfolds, before releasing you. Books you remember or plotlines that come to mind at random times weeks, months or years later. This is a beautifully written slow burn of a novel featuring prickly characters and complicated relationships.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
September 2, 2025
Interesting profile of a mother-daughter relationship against the background of a visual arts community, aspiring artists and others clinging to that golden chalice. Struggled a bit with some of the characters though found this to be an honest view and not fantasising parental roles, other relationships and the sacrifices that ultimately affect life’s journeys. 3.5
July 23, 2025
A complex mother daughter relationship is at the heart of this cerebral novel that challenges the reader to think about the role of art and artists in society. A sometimes slow moving but ultimately rewarding read.
July 24, 2025
Loosely based around the relationship between a mother and daughter, the life events that can come between that relationship either enhancing or potentially destroying, the miscommunications that can blur relationships and perspectives.
August 9, 2025
An interesting novel centered around the relationship between a mother and daughter, then and now, and art. I enjoyed some of the beautiful descriptions but I found myself struggling somewhat with the characters, in particular single mother Sylvie.
September 26, 2025
A complex, multi-layered look at motherhood, mother-daughter dynamics, lust and its ramifications, class and female friendship. Really well paced - the author kept me wanting to find out what happened and all was revealed in a subtle but meaningful way.
November 8, 2024
I’ve just finished the proof of this book and it was absolutely incredible. One of the best books I’ve read in a long, long time. Blown away.
March 10, 2025
Catching the Light is a moving and immersive read, touching on art, love, sexuality, the intricacies of friendship, and a complicated mother-daughter relationship.
Absolutely loved this book.
Absolutely loved this book.
April 11, 2025
3.5 stars. A well written, beautifully paced book which had me intrigued from the get go.
May 5, 2025
Wowza (4.5)
June 18, 2025
Loved this. Complicated mother-daughter relationship. Commune, artists, cult-adajcent.
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