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Cat Step
She only left her daughter in the car for a minute; just a quick minute whilst she ran into the shop. She barely thought twice about making the decision, but it soon began to consume her every thought. And not just her thoughts, but those of every neighbour, police officer and social security worker in a 15-mile radius. But this is her child. Surely she knows best?
After she’d made the move to a small town in Scotland, the rolling hills and blustery beaches seemed to be the perfect backdrop for her and her four year-old daughter, Emily, to start again. It wasn’t always easy just the two of them, but Liz was sure that she could manage this time. And now this?
Sometimes, one mistake is all it takes to unravel everything. Cat Step is a lyrically sparse tale about judgement, intergenerational relationships, community, class and the expectations that we place on mothers. With sharp prose Alison Irvine has crafted a compassionate narrative that compels you to listen on.
After she’d made the move to a small town in Scotland, the rolling hills and blustery beaches seemed to be the perfect backdrop for her and her four year-old daughter, Emily, to start again. It wasn’t always easy just the two of them, but Liz was sure that she could manage this time. And now this?
Sometimes, one mistake is all it takes to unravel everything. Cat Step is a lyrically sparse tale about judgement, intergenerational relationships, community, class and the expectations that we place on mothers. With sharp prose Alison Irvine has crafted a compassionate narrative that compels you to listen on.
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First published November 5, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
June 4, 2022
Alison Irvine’s Cat Step starts with what would be a nightmare for any parent. Liz, the novel’s protagonist, has recently left her mother’s house in London, and moved with her young daughter Emily to the small Scottish town of Lennoxtown (or “Campsie” to its inhabitants). Lennoxtown is where her partner Robbie grew up, and Liz is temporarily living in his late grandmother’s house, coordinating its sale on behalf of Robbie’s brother who lives in Australia. One afternoon, Liz drives to the supermarket for some quick shopping and leaves Emily, who is feeling unwell, asleep in the car seat. Liz comes out of the store to spot a youth running away and a group of people standing around the parked car. Liz discovers that the youth had smashed the passenger side window to steal her phone, but was scared off the scene. The Police are called, and before she knows it, rather than being pitied as the victim of an attempted theft, Liz ends up being investigated by the Police and the social services. They make no secret of the fact that that she might end up being prosecuted for abandonment of a minor.
As Liz struggles to make ends meet, while handling Emily and convincing the social services that she is a good mother, she also tries to delve into her partner Robbie’s past. She’s particularly puzzled at the fact that Robbie seems to have had his reasons for not returning to Campsie.
The contemporary domestic thriller is the direct descendant of the Victorian “sensation novel”. Alison Irvine’s Cat Step uses the trappings of the genre to grip a reader’s interest, as she tantalisingly reveals the secrets she has up her sleeve. The plot builds up tension and makes for edge-of-the-seat reading.
But in Cat Step Irvine does not set out to simply entertain. On the contrary, her novel addresses themes such as responsibility and guilt, and challenges us to ask whether society is, on occasion, too judgmental. Cat Step also explores very real social problems, such as the difficulties facing single parents especially when they are raising children without having adequate support or a fixed income.
I liked the fact that the darker aspects of the novel are balanced out by more positive passages as well as a touch of humour. Liz is an ex-professional dancer (“Cat Step” is a reference to the pas de chat) and she takes on a temporary job as a dance instructor to a group of old people in sheltered housing. This sub-plot acts as a catalyst for the development of the central story, but it also introduces a cast of eccentric characters who alleviate the tense atmosphere with dialogue which feels authentic and witty.
This is an exciting and gritty read, which challenges even while it entertains.
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...
As Liz struggles to make ends meet, while handling Emily and convincing the social services that she is a good mother, she also tries to delve into her partner Robbie’s past. She’s particularly puzzled at the fact that Robbie seems to have had his reasons for not returning to Campsie.
The contemporary domestic thriller is the direct descendant of the Victorian “sensation novel”. Alison Irvine’s Cat Step uses the trappings of the genre to grip a reader’s interest, as she tantalisingly reveals the secrets she has up her sleeve. The plot builds up tension and makes for edge-of-the-seat reading.
But in Cat Step Irvine does not set out to simply entertain. On the contrary, her novel addresses themes such as responsibility and guilt, and challenges us to ask whether society is, on occasion, too judgmental. Cat Step also explores very real social problems, such as the difficulties facing single parents especially when they are raising children without having adequate support or a fixed income.
I liked the fact that the darker aspects of the novel are balanced out by more positive passages as well as a touch of humour. Liz is an ex-professional dancer (“Cat Step” is a reference to the pas de chat) and she takes on a temporary job as a dance instructor to a group of old people in sheltered housing. This sub-plot acts as a catalyst for the development of the central story, but it also introduces a cast of eccentric characters who alleviate the tense atmosphere with dialogue which feels authentic and witty.
This is an exciting and gritty read, which challenges even while it entertains.
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...
November 16, 2020
Cat Step begins with the main protagonist, Liz, who has moved from London into a small Scottish town, leaves her tonsillitis ridden four year old daughter in her car to quickly pop into the shops. While she is paying, a burglar smashes her car window in a foiled attempt to steal the mobile phone on the car chair. Luckily the child is safe.
Like a river flowing into it’s tributaries, this incident sets up a lot of questions. Why did Liz move? where is the husband she is mentioning?, why does her friend June act strange around her? Will Liz herself manage to uncover her husband’s childhood life and will it cost her sanity?
Cat Step could be seen as a thriller of sorts but I saw it as how a tightly knit community can work for and against each other, how secrets can be kept for years and then let out quickly. It’s also gives a depiction of fragile mental health and, a topic which I have been encountering a lot this year, motherhood.
Alison Irvine is a fantastic writer, Cat Step just flows and the author mixes past and present deftly, without confusing the reader. Most importantly, the characters are all flawed; sometimes they exhibit kindness, other times they can be waspish. Plus there’s also some descriptions of Scottish country, which I enjoyed as well.
I know the terms ‘page turner’ and ‘gripping’ are overused but Cat Step is indeed that. Lest one think that a fast read is a superficial one. Trust me, there’s a lot to think about here. This not only about how one action leads to a chain of events, Cat Step is how one action can reveal a dark underbelly which should have stayed hidden.
Like a river flowing into it’s tributaries, this incident sets up a lot of questions. Why did Liz move? where is the husband she is mentioning?, why does her friend June act strange around her? Will Liz herself manage to uncover her husband’s childhood life and will it cost her sanity?
Cat Step could be seen as a thriller of sorts but I saw it as how a tightly knit community can work for and against each other, how secrets can be kept for years and then let out quickly. It’s also gives a depiction of fragile mental health and, a topic which I have been encountering a lot this year, motherhood.
Alison Irvine is a fantastic writer, Cat Step just flows and the author mixes past and present deftly, without confusing the reader. Most importantly, the characters are all flawed; sometimes they exhibit kindness, other times they can be waspish. Plus there’s also some descriptions of Scottish country, which I enjoyed as well.
I know the terms ‘page turner’ and ‘gripping’ are overused but Cat Step is indeed that. Lest one think that a fast read is a superficial one. Trust me, there’s a lot to think about here. This not only about how one action leads to a chain of events, Cat Step is how one action can reveal a dark underbelly which should have stayed hidden.
November 23, 2023
Biting novel on the brutality of grief and motherhood.
Liz, trained dancer and mother to intensely shy Emily, temporarily moves to a small ghostly Scottish town a few years after the death of her husband.
As she struggles under shadows of lingering grief, her relationship with her young daughter is exacting.
A simple mistake in a Coop car park exacerbates her situation, spiralling into a doleful existence as she attempts to piece together her life.
Yet the town holds murky secrets itself. Secrets in part owed to her dead husband in his youth.
Such a powerful read from Irvine. Very direct, terse prose - no frills. So dispiriting at times as you become immersed in Liz's troubles, yet so uplifting when her strength of character shines through. Loved it.
Liz, trained dancer and mother to intensely shy Emily, temporarily moves to a small ghostly Scottish town a few years after the death of her husband.
As she struggles under shadows of lingering grief, her relationship with her young daughter is exacting.
A simple mistake in a Coop car park exacerbates her situation, spiralling into a doleful existence as she attempts to piece together her life.
Yet the town holds murky secrets itself. Secrets in part owed to her dead husband in his youth.
Such a powerful read from Irvine. Very direct, terse prose - no frills. So dispiriting at times as you become immersed in Liz's troubles, yet so uplifting when her strength of character shines through. Loved it.
March 15, 2023
*Re-read March 2023 - I don't know why I kept this book if I'm honest! Whilst Irvine has a talent for writing people, the story subject on re-reading was depressing and uninteresting to me (single mother with a problematic child). Granted there is much more to the story and the complexities are well told but as a child-disliking anti-natalist, the shitty behaviour of the kid and the retaliatory behaviour by the mother in the end just did my head in! I kept seeing "ABORTION" in flashing neon lights!!! Not my cup of tea, despite good quality writing. Drop from a 5 to a 3.5 star read.
Original review: This for me was a quick read that started and ended in one day but what a read it was.
Alison Irvine has done an amazing job on this story that starts out with the simple split second tired decision of a harried mother, but slowly descends into a complex tale of misunderstanding, loss, mental illness and recovery.
The characters are beautifully flawed and realistic, the setting perfectly described, the relationships expertly explored.
A brilliant read from a clearly talented writer who isn't afraid to tackle difficult subject matter.
Original review: This for me was a quick read that started and ended in one day but what a read it was.
Alison Irvine has done an amazing job on this story that starts out with the simple split second tired decision of a harried mother, but slowly descends into a complex tale of misunderstanding, loss, mental illness and recovery.
The characters are beautifully flawed and realistic, the setting perfectly described, the relationships expertly explored.
A brilliant read from a clearly talented writer who isn't afraid to tackle difficult subject matter.
November 5, 2020
Cat Step is an eerie and compulsive read centred around the theme of motherhood and how one snap decision can have life-changing consequences. Liz and her four year old daughter, Emily, have just moved to a small town in Scotland which was home to Emily’s father during his childhood. In a moment of desperation, Liz decides to leave Emily asleep in the car whilst she pops into the Co-Op. Emily is unwell and Liz believes that she has done the right thing by choosing not to disturb her, but when the police are called after a thief attempts to break into her car, her parenting abilities are quickly called into question.
Whilst this novel is classed as literary fiction, it definitely has the feeling of reading a mystery or thriller at times. The remote Scottish town which is surrounded by the Campsie Fells mountain range made for a really atmospheric and claustrophobic setting. All of the residents of the town know of each other’s pasts and secrets, and this seemingly simplistic plot quickly shifts to one which is much more complicated as Liz learns that her husband wasn’t quite who she thought he was.
Irvine takes a compassionate look at single parenting and mental health; Liz is not a perfect mother, and whilst she finds herself on a downward spiral as the storyline progresses, her love for her daughter is limitless and she always tries to do right by her. The novel probes some really interesting topics including societal expectations surrounding motherhood, single parenting, safeguarding and judgement. Whilst Liz is fairly unlikeable as a protagonist on several occasions, I had no doubt in my mind that her only priority was the welfare and happiness of her child and I really felt for her.
A dark, gritty and thoughtful novel with a really unique storyline, this unflinching meditation on motherhood makes for an obsessive read. If literary fiction is your thing, Cat Step is the perfect book to keep you company through these cold and dark autumn nights!
Thank you so much to the lovely people at Dead Ink Books and to Jordan Taylor-Jones for this gifted copy. Cat Step is out today!
Whilst this novel is classed as literary fiction, it definitely has the feeling of reading a mystery or thriller at times. The remote Scottish town which is surrounded by the Campsie Fells mountain range made for a really atmospheric and claustrophobic setting. All of the residents of the town know of each other’s pasts and secrets, and this seemingly simplistic plot quickly shifts to one which is much more complicated as Liz learns that her husband wasn’t quite who she thought he was.
Irvine takes a compassionate look at single parenting and mental health; Liz is not a perfect mother, and whilst she finds herself on a downward spiral as the storyline progresses, her love for her daughter is limitless and she always tries to do right by her. The novel probes some really interesting topics including societal expectations surrounding motherhood, single parenting, safeguarding and judgement. Whilst Liz is fairly unlikeable as a protagonist on several occasions, I had no doubt in my mind that her only priority was the welfare and happiness of her child and I really felt for her.
A dark, gritty and thoughtful novel with a really unique storyline, this unflinching meditation on motherhood makes for an obsessive read. If literary fiction is your thing, Cat Step is the perfect book to keep you company through these cold and dark autumn nights!
Thank you so much to the lovely people at Dead Ink Books and to Jordan Taylor-Jones for this gifted copy. Cat Step is out today!
November 3, 2020
Does anyone else find that the better the book, the harder it is to write a decent review?
This book is outstanding - it’s the first book which I’ve read in one sitting in sooo long. I just couldn’t bear to stop reading!
At its heart, this is a story of motherhood and loss, but tackled in a way which I haven’t seen before - it’s an unflinching look at the way mental health and parenting can collide to create something fairly destructive.
Having struggled with my mental health after having my daughter, I found myself remembering some of those feelings whilst reading this, which is perhaps why it resonated so strongly with me.
As well as the downward spiral which our main character, Liz, finds herself in trying to raise a difficult daughter by herself, there is also a great amount of intrigue and mystery surrounding the father and his past in the small town they are now living in, which had me on the edge of my seat (bed technically).
Those who love some oldies between the pages will not be disappointed either as there’s a wonderful cast of elderly characters who take great pleasure in Liz’s ballet classes, and who may just hold the answers to her questions...
Dark, gritty and uncomfortable at times, this is a beautifully written story of a mother fighting to keep it together for the sake of her daughter, when all the odds feel stacked against her. I couldn’t recommend it more highly!
This book is outstanding - it’s the first book which I’ve read in one sitting in sooo long. I just couldn’t bear to stop reading!
At its heart, this is a story of motherhood and loss, but tackled in a way which I haven’t seen before - it’s an unflinching look at the way mental health and parenting can collide to create something fairly destructive.
Having struggled with my mental health after having my daughter, I found myself remembering some of those feelings whilst reading this, which is perhaps why it resonated so strongly with me.
As well as the downward spiral which our main character, Liz, finds herself in trying to raise a difficult daughter by herself, there is also a great amount of intrigue and mystery surrounding the father and his past in the small town they are now living in, which had me on the edge of my seat (bed technically).
Those who love some oldies between the pages will not be disappointed either as there’s a wonderful cast of elderly characters who take great pleasure in Liz’s ballet classes, and who may just hold the answers to her questions...
Dark, gritty and uncomfortable at times, this is a beautifully written story of a mother fighting to keep it together for the sake of her daughter, when all the odds feel stacked against her. I couldn’t recommend it more highly!
January 31, 2021
Cat Step is a powerful story of motherhood, grief and complex relationships played out in a small town where everyone knows each other’s business and the gossips are quick to judge
.
Liz struggles with motherhood in general but particularly in the isolated situation that she currently finds herself in. She is grieving for lost loved ones but also for her previous life as a glamorous dancer on a cruise ship, she loved her exciting job but it came to an end when she found herself accidentally pregnant
.
The story highlights how motherhood doesn’t come naturally to everyone, it’s exhausting and lonely and particularly for Liz as a single mother. She’s has to try and earn a living in the few hours that Emily is in nursery and it was so sad to read as she finds it increasingly difficult to cope with no support and as such her mental health suffers
.
I was completely drawn in to Liz’s story, and parts of it really resonated with me, as I was brought up by a single mother and so I know how tough it is and the thought of social services becoming involved with your child must be terrifying
.
The author creates a great deal of suspense in this quiet story as Liz tries to pick up the pieces of her life and I was captivated from beginning to end
.
October 25, 2020
Wow, this is a compulsive gripping read, I picked it up just to read the first chapter and just couldn’t put it down, I was hooked.
Liz made a split moments decision to leave her daughter strapped into her car seat asleep whilst she dashed into the shop to grab a couple of essential bits of shopping. Emily hadn’t been well all afternoon and they had run out of milk and bread. Of course there were no spaces right near the door where she would have been able to see the car. But when she came out of the store a youth was running away and a crowd of people were standing round her car. It seemed the youth had smashed the passenger side window to try and steal Liz’s phone which she had left on the seat. Emily was still fast asleep in the back of the car. But now the police had been called and Liz was reported to social services.
They had only just arrived in Lennoxtown a small town outside of Scotland. They had previously been living with Liz’s mum but she felt it was time they started out on their own. She was staying temporarily at her partners Nans house, she had passed away and the house needed clearing and decorating ready to go on the market. Finances were tight, but Liz was just about managing. The last time she had visited Lennoxtown had been the last holiday her and Robbie had had before Emily was born, they had gone to see Robbie’s Nan to tell her they were expecting.
Liz managed to get a job teaching ballet in a sheltered housing facility, with a great group of characters. It’s here that Liz meets June who seems to be the person who pushes the other residents to give the dancing a go. But it’s only later that Liz learns that Robbie used to hang out with June’s son, how well did she really know Robbie? And how well does she really know herself?
As things start to go from bad to worse we see Liz struggling to keep everything going, with the threat of losing her daughter.
If you have children or have raised children we all know there are hundreds of books out there guiding you, but your child is different unique, I have raised four children and what worked for one would not necessarily work for the other, parenting is a tough job and you just do the best you can and hope they turn out ok.
This is a compassionate look at motherhood, judgements made, guilt, forever questioning whether you are doing the right thing for your child. The characters are real, relatable, three dimensional, a story that really makes you think. I absolutely loved it.
A 5⭐️ read I would like to thank #deadinkbooks for an ARC of this book.
Liz made a split moments decision to leave her daughter strapped into her car seat asleep whilst she dashed into the shop to grab a couple of essential bits of shopping. Emily hadn’t been well all afternoon and they had run out of milk and bread. Of course there were no spaces right near the door where she would have been able to see the car. But when she came out of the store a youth was running away and a crowd of people were standing round her car. It seemed the youth had smashed the passenger side window to try and steal Liz’s phone which she had left on the seat. Emily was still fast asleep in the back of the car. But now the police had been called and Liz was reported to social services.
They had only just arrived in Lennoxtown a small town outside of Scotland. They had previously been living with Liz’s mum but she felt it was time they started out on their own. She was staying temporarily at her partners Nans house, she had passed away and the house needed clearing and decorating ready to go on the market. Finances were tight, but Liz was just about managing. The last time she had visited Lennoxtown had been the last holiday her and Robbie had had before Emily was born, they had gone to see Robbie’s Nan to tell her they were expecting.
Liz managed to get a job teaching ballet in a sheltered housing facility, with a great group of characters. It’s here that Liz meets June who seems to be the person who pushes the other residents to give the dancing a go. But it’s only later that Liz learns that Robbie used to hang out with June’s son, how well did she really know Robbie? And how well does she really know herself?
As things start to go from bad to worse we see Liz struggling to keep everything going, with the threat of losing her daughter.
If you have children or have raised children we all know there are hundreds of books out there guiding you, but your child is different unique, I have raised four children and what worked for one would not necessarily work for the other, parenting is a tough job and you just do the best you can and hope they turn out ok.
This is a compassionate look at motherhood, judgements made, guilt, forever questioning whether you are doing the right thing for your child. The characters are real, relatable, three dimensional, a story that really makes you think. I absolutely loved it.
A 5⭐️ read I would like to thank #deadinkbooks for an ARC of this book.
January 27, 2023
Very intimate novel that kept me interested from page one, starting with a single misjudgement and building to a crescendo. An interesting take on outsiderism, motherhood, grief, woman unhinged and how the public perception can impact our lives in so many ways. I love that she was rekindling her passion for dance, and who it allowed her to be, independent of her identity as a mother. I also appreciated that she developed a complex but important friendship with one of her elderly dance students. The pacing and storytelling were great and I enjoyed picturing the moments of sun shining on the Scottish hills and the warm moments between mother and child. I will definitely keep an eye out for more of her work in the future.
September 12, 2023
A beautifully written and realistic family drama. Intriguing story with empathetic characterisation that makes you think about the meaning of family and care. A consise and worthwhile read. Recommend this and Alison Irvine's other work.
February 7, 2024
Very average
November 27, 2020
Cat Step begins with the dramatic incident outlined in the blurb: the narrator leaves her young daughter unsupervised in the car while she pops into the shop, and a chain of events is set in motion. As a plot device, I am a massive fan of the seemingly innocuous moment that reveals itself to be a hinge on which the story pivots – when it is done well, as it is here, it is simultaneously satisfying and unnerving. In making a snap decision, one which I think any parent will understand, even if they wouldn’t do it themselves, Liz lays herself open to the very worst sort of criticism and scrutiny. The question of whether or not we are fit to be parents is agonising enough when it swirls privately in our own anxious, sleep-deprived minds: when it becomes a matter of public reckoning, it must be horrific.
The first person narrative allows Irvine to fully explore the complexities of the mother-child relationship, and the way frustration can turn to love and back again in an instant is brilliantly depicted. It reminded me a lot of Lydia Kiesling’s novel, The Golden State, which I read earlier this year – both books isolate the mothers in a new environment, allowing for an intense focus on that key relationship and what it means for the women’s identities. Both Kiesling and Irvine do important work in laying bare some of the more uncomfortable truths of parenthood, and it is refreshing to see such honesty and insight in fiction – too often the intricacies of parenting are glossed over as not interesting enough to be part of the story. Cat Step captures not only the emotions of motherhood, but also the physicality, the practicality, the mental load that mothers carry, so that even in the midst of a crisis, Liz worries about getting to nursery in time for pick up; even when she feels as if she is falling apart, she must still attend to the day-to-day business of caring for her child. It is powerful and very well done.
The writing style is equally impressive. Sparse, spare prose, not a word wasted, with sharp dialogue which cuts to the heart of the story: this is a masterclass in taut story-telling. It feels as if the author has taken a specific stopped moment in time and stretched it out, cleverly weaving in strands from the past and glimmers of the future. For me, I was less interested in the uncovering of Robbie’s secrets than I was in watching Liz’s story unfold, although I liked the narrative drive that Robbie’s past provided. Liz is such a complex and fascinating character: watching her push and push when she knows she ought to stop and walk away makes for gripping reading.
This novel is a brave, honest, unflinching look at parenting, at grief, at the imperfect but necessary nature of human connections. It is skilfully written, utterly absorbing, sprinkled with unique touches like the references to dance and the beautiful descriptions of the light on the Campsie Fells. I was captivated by this book, and I am in awe of Alison Irvine’s assured, strong voice. I am really looking forward to reading more by this author.
The first person narrative allows Irvine to fully explore the complexities of the mother-child relationship, and the way frustration can turn to love and back again in an instant is brilliantly depicted. It reminded me a lot of Lydia Kiesling’s novel, The Golden State, which I read earlier this year – both books isolate the mothers in a new environment, allowing for an intense focus on that key relationship and what it means for the women’s identities. Both Kiesling and Irvine do important work in laying bare some of the more uncomfortable truths of parenthood, and it is refreshing to see such honesty and insight in fiction – too often the intricacies of parenting are glossed over as not interesting enough to be part of the story. Cat Step captures not only the emotions of motherhood, but also the physicality, the practicality, the mental load that mothers carry, so that even in the midst of a crisis, Liz worries about getting to nursery in time for pick up; even when she feels as if she is falling apart, she must still attend to the day-to-day business of caring for her child. It is powerful and very well done.
The writing style is equally impressive. Sparse, spare prose, not a word wasted, with sharp dialogue which cuts to the heart of the story: this is a masterclass in taut story-telling. It feels as if the author has taken a specific stopped moment in time and stretched it out, cleverly weaving in strands from the past and glimmers of the future. For me, I was less interested in the uncovering of Robbie’s secrets than I was in watching Liz’s story unfold, although I liked the narrative drive that Robbie’s past provided. Liz is such a complex and fascinating character: watching her push and push when she knows she ought to stop and walk away makes for gripping reading.
This novel is a brave, honest, unflinching look at parenting, at grief, at the imperfect but necessary nature of human connections. It is skilfully written, utterly absorbing, sprinkled with unique touches like the references to dance and the beautiful descriptions of the light on the Campsie Fells. I was captivated by this book, and I am in awe of Alison Irvine’s assured, strong voice. I am really looking forward to reading more by this author.
November 17, 2020
It was just one mistake. Her daughter was fast asleep and feeling ill so what harm could there be in nipping into the shop for just five minutes to pick up some fish fingers. It was just one mistake, but in a community where everyone knows each other and news travels fast, the social workers and police were the least of her worries.
To give her mother some much needed space, and to get a house ready for selling, Liz ups everything and moves to Lennoxtown in Scotland with her four-year-old daughter Emily. The house is owned by the grandmother of Emily’s dad, a man whose past is shrouded in mystery. However, this is a novel grounded in reality; Liz struggles with raising a daughter by herself, a daughter who is struggling to settle into this temporary living and is very clingy. But is she doing what is best by her child in these circumstances? I’m not a mother so I cannot judge her behaviour. But can anyone? Surely a mother knows what is best for their child. Liz seems to think so as the judgement of the community becomes too much and she finds it hard accepting help from those who offer. But when everything seems to be crashing down around her, all Liz can try and do is keep it up for the sake of her young daughter.
One unexpected part of the narrative that I loved was the use of dance. Liz takes on a temporary job at a sheltered housing facility teaching ballet to the elderly residents there. I have done ballet for pretty much my entire life but this is the first novel I’ve read that incorporates it so well into the narrative and uses terms so explicitly. It was a glorious moment when I realised that even the title is a play on a ballet term.
Cat Step is a powerful story about how motherhood is affected by so many circumstances such as loss, mental health, and class, and how destructive this can be for all involved. What comes out of this is a truly gripping yet quite uncomfortable story of the unravelling events of motherhood. A claustrophobic and fast-paced read, one I would truly recommend.
PS. Can we please just appreciate this cover for a minute! Luke Bird, you smashed it.
To give her mother some much needed space, and to get a house ready for selling, Liz ups everything and moves to Lennoxtown in Scotland with her four-year-old daughter Emily. The house is owned by the grandmother of Emily’s dad, a man whose past is shrouded in mystery. However, this is a novel grounded in reality; Liz struggles with raising a daughter by herself, a daughter who is struggling to settle into this temporary living and is very clingy. But is she doing what is best by her child in these circumstances? I’m not a mother so I cannot judge her behaviour. But can anyone? Surely a mother knows what is best for their child. Liz seems to think so as the judgement of the community becomes too much and she finds it hard accepting help from those who offer. But when everything seems to be crashing down around her, all Liz can try and do is keep it up for the sake of her young daughter.
One unexpected part of the narrative that I loved was the use of dance. Liz takes on a temporary job at a sheltered housing facility teaching ballet to the elderly residents there. I have done ballet for pretty much my entire life but this is the first novel I’ve read that incorporates it so well into the narrative and uses terms so explicitly. It was a glorious moment when I realised that even the title is a play on a ballet term.
Cat Step is a powerful story about how motherhood is affected by so many circumstances such as loss, mental health, and class, and how destructive this can be for all involved. What comes out of this is a truly gripping yet quite uncomfortable story of the unravelling events of motherhood. A claustrophobic and fast-paced read, one I would truly recommend.
PS. Can we please just appreciate this cover for a minute! Luke Bird, you smashed it.
November 7, 2020
Cat Step is a gripping novel about how things can fall apart under pressure, after a single mother leaves her daughter alone in the car whilst she nips into the shop. Liz moves to Lennoxtown in Scotland with her four-year-old daughter Emily, to get a house ready for sale and give her mother—who they'd been living with—a break. She's sure this can be a fresh start for them, but after an incident outside the Co-op, it seems everyone is in their business, and it's not easy to go back to being unknown.
The book draws you in from the opening pages, in distinctive prose, as it unfolds Liz's perspective and the incident with leaving Emily in the car that sparks off the narrative. I wasn't quite sure why I was gripped so quickly from the start, but I was, and I read most of the book in one evening. The way people judge Liz, and the difficulty she has in improving circumstances once things start to go less well, feels very realistic, and Cat Step is a really interesting exploration of how motherhood intersects with other things, like mental health, community, and class. Judgement and advice are particularly notable, like Liz's instinctive disdain for how she is offered advice and support in a patronising or forceful way, like being told she should go to parental support group.
This is literary fiction with a thriller-like need to read on and a moving look at a character trying to keep things from falling apart. The narrative isn't trying to be sensational, but is sparse and almost claustrophobic in the ways Liz becomes trapped, making it an ideal one for sitting down with and reading all at once.
The book draws you in from the opening pages, in distinctive prose, as it unfolds Liz's perspective and the incident with leaving Emily in the car that sparks off the narrative. I wasn't quite sure why I was gripped so quickly from the start, but I was, and I read most of the book in one evening. The way people judge Liz, and the difficulty she has in improving circumstances once things start to go less well, feels very realistic, and Cat Step is a really interesting exploration of how motherhood intersects with other things, like mental health, community, and class. Judgement and advice are particularly notable, like Liz's instinctive disdain for how she is offered advice and support in a patronising or forceful way, like being told she should go to parental support group.
This is literary fiction with a thriller-like need to read on and a moving look at a character trying to keep things from falling apart. The narrative isn't trying to be sensational, but is sparse and almost claustrophobic in the ways Liz becomes trapped, making it an ideal one for sitting down with and reading all at once.
November 15, 2020
Cat Step was not the book that I was expecting it to be; I guess I came to the novel with a preconceived notion of what was going to happen from the tease of the blurb. I was expecting something big and dramatic, for Liz's choice to leave her daughter in the car alone to cause something awful to happen. I thought this was the set-up to her child going missing, and the terror and heartbreak that would bring. But I was wrong. Instead, Cat Step is a much more grounded novel, one that looks at a very ordinary and recognisable life, one that many people will be able to find a connection with, something familiar to their own life.
The book follows Liz, who has left her life living with her mother in London to travel to Lennoxtown, a small town in Scotland. Taking her four year old daughter Emily with her, Liz has gone to clear out the flat of her late partners grandmother, who passed away recently. Clearing a home and getting it ready to be sold on is hard enough, but when you've got a four-year-old to look after too, it begins to get a bit much for the single mother.
When Emily falls ill with tonsillitis Liz does her best to carry on, as well as taking care of her sick daughter. All she does is make one tiny mistake in judgement, and things begin to unravel for her. Taking Emily to go get some much needed groceries, she leaves the sleeping child alone in the car as she dashes in to get what she needs. Unfortunately, this is the day a thief chooses to break into her car to steal her phone. The break-in leads to the police being called, and when they discover that Emily was left alone in the car Liz is reported to social services.
Now Liz has to try to keep her life together as she remains isolated, hundreds of miles from her only family, with a child that doesn't always make her life easy, and social services watching her every move. In the middle of all of this, Liz is desperate to find people who might have known her late partner Robbie, to learn more about the man she lost; but not everything she learns about him is a good as she hopes.
Liz has an incredibly difficult journey in Cat Step, and it's a book that really hammers home the stress and difficulty of being a parent, especially a single parent. Liz spends most of the book isolated, with her daughter being her only companion for much of the time. Other than a handful of pensioners she spends time with to teach dance most everyone she meets in her time at Lennoxtown is someone that she comes to see as an adversary. They're judging her, they're questioning her parenting skills, and they want to take her daughter away from her.
It's no surprise that Liz's mental health takes a heavy hit over the course of the novel, and the threads have already begun to unravel at the very start of the book. This isn't just through being in a new, isolating place, but we learn over the course of the story that Liz has had to deal with some awful tragedy when she lost her partner, and that that loss still haunts her almost five years later. The book speaks as much about the effect that grief can have upon a person as much as it does the trials of being an isolated mother, and these two issues are ultimately what leads Liz down a dark path.
Cat Step shows readers that loss and grief are something that in some cases doesn't just pass, but becomes a huge part of someone's life, colouring every part of their existence. It can cause you to want to live in that happier past, to struggle to make new connection, and can prevent you from living your life to the fullest. This is why when Liz learns that Robbie had some skeletons in his closet, some pretty damn bad ones, it begins to break her world. The man she loved and lost was the brightest spark in her life, someone who devoted themselves to her, who supported her dreams and made a family with her; the idea that he wasn't perfect is too much for her, especially as he's not around for her to talk about it with him. She's left grappling two conflicting ideas of Robbie, ones that she feels can't exist in the same person.
I saw this idea of duality a lot in the book, with a number of characters seeming to make dramatic shifts in their personalities and attitudes towards Liz. This, of course, could have been very much skewed by the perspective of a woman who's mental health is slowly deteriorating, but it could also fit in with the idea that some people can hold vastly opposing facets. The loving husband could have a criminal past, a man who did awful things and beat his mother can feel shame and seek forgiveness whilst trying to be a good father, a strong independent woman can fall to pieces where their child is concerned, and a kindly new boyfriend could be a cheat. The book likes to remind the reader that people aren't defined by one simple characteristic, that they're complex, and often flawed. Liz sees this in others during her time at Lennoxtown, and even shows it in herself as a devoted mother who some could see as a neglectful or even cruel parent.
Cat Step was simpler in its story than I was expecting, but had a lot more depth too. It took a very ordinary person going through a very ordinary life and used that to show the difficulties and complexities of life. It reminded the reader that everything you do can be seen in different ways, that one persons hero is another's villain, and that perhaps we should all take the time to consider things more carefully before we make snap decisions about people.
The book follows Liz, who has left her life living with her mother in London to travel to Lennoxtown, a small town in Scotland. Taking her four year old daughter Emily with her, Liz has gone to clear out the flat of her late partners grandmother, who passed away recently. Clearing a home and getting it ready to be sold on is hard enough, but when you've got a four-year-old to look after too, it begins to get a bit much for the single mother.
When Emily falls ill with tonsillitis Liz does her best to carry on, as well as taking care of her sick daughter. All she does is make one tiny mistake in judgement, and things begin to unravel for her. Taking Emily to go get some much needed groceries, she leaves the sleeping child alone in the car as she dashes in to get what she needs. Unfortunately, this is the day a thief chooses to break into her car to steal her phone. The break-in leads to the police being called, and when they discover that Emily was left alone in the car Liz is reported to social services.
Now Liz has to try to keep her life together as she remains isolated, hundreds of miles from her only family, with a child that doesn't always make her life easy, and social services watching her every move. In the middle of all of this, Liz is desperate to find people who might have known her late partner Robbie, to learn more about the man she lost; but not everything she learns about him is a good as she hopes.
Liz has an incredibly difficult journey in Cat Step, and it's a book that really hammers home the stress and difficulty of being a parent, especially a single parent. Liz spends most of the book isolated, with her daughter being her only companion for much of the time. Other than a handful of pensioners she spends time with to teach dance most everyone she meets in her time at Lennoxtown is someone that she comes to see as an adversary. They're judging her, they're questioning her parenting skills, and they want to take her daughter away from her.
It's no surprise that Liz's mental health takes a heavy hit over the course of the novel, and the threads have already begun to unravel at the very start of the book. This isn't just through being in a new, isolating place, but we learn over the course of the story that Liz has had to deal with some awful tragedy when she lost her partner, and that that loss still haunts her almost five years later. The book speaks as much about the effect that grief can have upon a person as much as it does the trials of being an isolated mother, and these two issues are ultimately what leads Liz down a dark path.
Cat Step shows readers that loss and grief are something that in some cases doesn't just pass, but becomes a huge part of someone's life, colouring every part of their existence. It can cause you to want to live in that happier past, to struggle to make new connection, and can prevent you from living your life to the fullest. This is why when Liz learns that Robbie had some skeletons in his closet, some pretty damn bad ones, it begins to break her world. The man she loved and lost was the brightest spark in her life, someone who devoted themselves to her, who supported her dreams and made a family with her; the idea that he wasn't perfect is too much for her, especially as he's not around for her to talk about it with him. She's left grappling two conflicting ideas of Robbie, ones that she feels can't exist in the same person.
I saw this idea of duality a lot in the book, with a number of characters seeming to make dramatic shifts in their personalities and attitudes towards Liz. This, of course, could have been very much skewed by the perspective of a woman who's mental health is slowly deteriorating, but it could also fit in with the idea that some people can hold vastly opposing facets. The loving husband could have a criminal past, a man who did awful things and beat his mother can feel shame and seek forgiveness whilst trying to be a good father, a strong independent woman can fall to pieces where their child is concerned, and a kindly new boyfriend could be a cheat. The book likes to remind the reader that people aren't defined by one simple characteristic, that they're complex, and often flawed. Liz sees this in others during her time at Lennoxtown, and even shows it in herself as a devoted mother who some could see as a neglectful or even cruel parent.
Cat Step was simpler in its story than I was expecting, but had a lot more depth too. It took a very ordinary person going through a very ordinary life and used that to show the difficulties and complexities of life. It reminded the reader that everything you do can be seen in different ways, that one persons hero is another's villain, and that perhaps we should all take the time to consider things more carefully before we make snap decisions about people.
December 4, 2023
3.5
Landing in audiobook land
I’m a beginner audiobooker with ADD leanings, so I was looking for something short and thrilling. Plus, damn, the book title led me to dream that maybe the main character had a cool cat…maybe one with an irresistible swaggy stroll? Dream on, because not short, no feline, no thrills. Instead, it was a drama about a frazzled single mom and her sometimes difficult kid. At first I was furious with myself: I have at least 150 books on my Read Super Soon list, and what do I do? I pick up an unknown, unvetted book! Luckily, the book was decent.
This is another example of a bad blurb, one that misled. I always only read the first line or two of a blurb (so I don’t hit spoilers), and these lines made it sound like it would be a grab-you-by-your nervous-system thriller. In fact, one friend thought I was very brave to read it, it sounded so dire and upsetting. Okay, so yes, it opens with a thrilling setup, but in a minute I realized it wasn’t going to do a lot of thrilling. Disaster was averted (and I should be happy about that, lol), but thrills were averted, too.
So what’s up with the title? Turns out a cat step is a ballet move. The main character, mom Liz, teaches ballet to old fogies at a Senior Center, which, face it, is a very unlikely scenario for a bunch of naturally unsteady folks. Shouldn’t she be teaching chair yoga instead? (I’m not putting down old people, since I’m one myself, but I would never sign up for ballet in a million years. It hurts my old bod just thinking about it!) There are entirely too many details about the cat steps, and it bored me. There were specific dance-move instructions, which sounded like those Xerox copies that show and tell how to do physical-therapy exercises. Hearing about the people in the class was fine (and it turns out, one character from class has a big role in the story), but I couldn’t care less about tippy-toe tricks and tutus. This is my only complaint about the book. Other than TMI about dance moves, the book moves right along and held my interest.
Liz has moved to a small Scottish town with her 4-year-old daughter, Emily. Emily can be a super pain, but nothing really out of the ordinary. Liz does something stupid and ends up with social services breathing down her neck. Was her act deserving of such scrutiny? Is she truly a bad mom? The book really made me examine motherhood and the trials of being a single mom, and my sympathy for them grew. Liz is so likable, so earnest and honest, you end up on her side and feeling sorry for her. The story is also about grief, loneliness, and what comes with the territory if you’re a mom: guilt, exhaustion, frustration, and love.
The book is well written and I enjoyed it. It showed a very realistic mom-kid relationship, and it isn’t syrupy or too cutesy. I do think it will appeal the most to moms—there’s much to relate to. There’s lots of drama, but not over-the-top. Believable emotion that transferred to this reader.
It really got me thinking about how people get ostracized, sometimes unfairly, and the anguish that causes. And you see how the system, with its rules and red tape, can spiral out of control and become destructive. We see how people jump on the band wagon, and how a witch-trial mentality can develop.
The narrator is fantastic. Lol, I can’t believe I get to talk narrators—I’m now a certified audiobook listener, yahoo! Anyway, this book was so well read, I just loved hearing the narrator’s voice. The British accent did me in, for one. It was perfection. I actually can still hear her voice.
So my random book grab paid off. Except for the dance step parts, I had fun listening to it. Seems like my ADD is finally letting me hear something other than my loud brain. I think I’m getting the hang of audiobooks, but the jury is still out.
Landing in audiobook land
I’m a beginner audiobooker with ADD leanings, so I was looking for something short and thrilling. Plus, damn, the book title led me to dream that maybe the main character had a cool cat…maybe one with an irresistible swaggy stroll? Dream on, because not short, no feline, no thrills. Instead, it was a drama about a frazzled single mom and her sometimes difficult kid. At first I was furious with myself: I have at least 150 books on my Read Super Soon list, and what do I do? I pick up an unknown, unvetted book! Luckily, the book was decent.
This is another example of a bad blurb, one that misled. I always only read the first line or two of a blurb (so I don’t hit spoilers), and these lines made it sound like it would be a grab-you-by-your nervous-system thriller. In fact, one friend thought I was very brave to read it, it sounded so dire and upsetting. Okay, so yes, it opens with a thrilling setup, but in a minute I realized it wasn’t going to do a lot of thrilling. Disaster was averted (and I should be happy about that, lol), but thrills were averted, too.
So what’s up with the title? Turns out a cat step is a ballet move. The main character, mom Liz, teaches ballet to old fogies at a Senior Center, which, face it, is a very unlikely scenario for a bunch of naturally unsteady folks. Shouldn’t she be teaching chair yoga instead? (I’m not putting down old people, since I’m one myself, but I would never sign up for ballet in a million years. It hurts my old bod just thinking about it!) There are entirely too many details about the cat steps, and it bored me. There were specific dance-move instructions, which sounded like those Xerox copies that show and tell how to do physical-therapy exercises. Hearing about the people in the class was fine (and it turns out, one character from class has a big role in the story), but I couldn’t care less about tippy-toe tricks and tutus. This is my only complaint about the book. Other than TMI about dance moves, the book moves right along and held my interest.
Liz has moved to a small Scottish town with her 4-year-old daughter, Emily. Emily can be a super pain, but nothing really out of the ordinary. Liz does something stupid and ends up with social services breathing down her neck. Was her act deserving of such scrutiny? Is she truly a bad mom? The book really made me examine motherhood and the trials of being a single mom, and my sympathy for them grew. Liz is so likable, so earnest and honest, you end up on her side and feeling sorry for her. The story is also about grief, loneliness, and what comes with the territory if you’re a mom: guilt, exhaustion, frustration, and love.
The book is well written and I enjoyed it. It showed a very realistic mom-kid relationship, and it isn’t syrupy or too cutesy. I do think it will appeal the most to moms—there’s much to relate to. There’s lots of drama, but not over-the-top. Believable emotion that transferred to this reader.
It really got me thinking about how people get ostracized, sometimes unfairly, and the anguish that causes. And you see how the system, with its rules and red tape, can spiral out of control and become destructive. We see how people jump on the band wagon, and how a witch-trial mentality can develop.
The narrator is fantastic. Lol, I can’t believe I get to talk narrators—I’m now a certified audiobook listener, yahoo! Anyway, this book was so well read, I just loved hearing the narrator’s voice. The British accent did me in, for one. It was perfection. I actually can still hear her voice.
So my random book grab paid off. Except for the dance step parts, I had fun listening to it. Seems like my ADD is finally letting me hear something other than my loud brain. I think I’m getting the hang of audiobooks, but the jury is still out.
October 30, 2020
I found this tale to be compelling from the get go.
Split into two parts, Liz (who is the protagonist) tells the story of how herself and her daughter Emily came to be in Lennoxtown and the events that eventually lead up to them leaving this place that they never quite call home.
Shrouded in mystery, the book begins with Liz making the mistake of leaving her daughter in the car whilst she makes a speedy trip to the shop. Where many wouldn't get caught, Liz not only gets reprimanded for this lack of judgement as well becoming the victim of someone attempting to break into her car.
Wrong place wrong time? Perhaps.
But this one seemingly small mistake paves the way for other pressing events that lead Liz down a darker path than she intended to take.
Staying temporarily at her now deceased partners Nan's house, who unfortunately has also passed away. Liz has stepped in to clear the house and supervise decorating so that it can be put on the market. As the reader I understood the inferences throughout.
This is a single mum trying her best to do the right thing for her family. Stress levels are high with finances tight and Emily - her daughter - being quite an attached child. However Liz is managing, or so she thinks but to those looking in they can see the struggle.
Whilst there, Liz successfully attains a temporary job teaching ballet in a sheltered housing facility. It’s here that Liz meets June, who quickly became my favourite character with her no nonsense attitude. Later on it’s revealed that Robbie, Emily's father, used to hang out with June’s son. That piece of information alone doesn't seem highly significant, but it opens up a can of worms about how well Liz really knew Robbie?
One lie has spiralled into many.
Now Liz isn't just questioning her ability to be a mum, she's wondering what in her life is real and what's not.
Cat Step from the out set seems like a fairly simple story but as I progressed through it, it became so much more.
This is a tale of motherhood, of that overwhelming feeling of guilt that I'm sure all of us who are parents can relate to. What is the right thing to do? Who has the right to say anything, to give their input? I think what this novel highlights is society's need to judge and advise at any given moment.
We are so quick to forget that everyone has their own story to tell, each child and adult are unique and we cannot be aware of their circumstances and what leads to the decisions they make. Cat Step shows us just how haunting those judgements can be and the consequences of such harsh thinking.
After reading this book, I feel like we could all do with taking a step back and being a little kinder, both to ourselves and others as we never truly know what someone else has been through or is going through at any given moment.
Split into two parts, Liz (who is the protagonist) tells the story of how herself and her daughter Emily came to be in Lennoxtown and the events that eventually lead up to them leaving this place that they never quite call home.
Shrouded in mystery, the book begins with Liz making the mistake of leaving her daughter in the car whilst she makes a speedy trip to the shop. Where many wouldn't get caught, Liz not only gets reprimanded for this lack of judgement as well becoming the victim of someone attempting to break into her car.
Wrong place wrong time? Perhaps.
But this one seemingly small mistake paves the way for other pressing events that lead Liz down a darker path than she intended to take.
Staying temporarily at her now deceased partners Nan's house, who unfortunately has also passed away. Liz has stepped in to clear the house and supervise decorating so that it can be put on the market. As the reader I understood the inferences throughout.
This is a single mum trying her best to do the right thing for her family. Stress levels are high with finances tight and Emily - her daughter - being quite an attached child. However Liz is managing, or so she thinks but to those looking in they can see the struggle.
Whilst there, Liz successfully attains a temporary job teaching ballet in a sheltered housing facility. It’s here that Liz meets June, who quickly became my favourite character with her no nonsense attitude. Later on it’s revealed that Robbie, Emily's father, used to hang out with June’s son. That piece of information alone doesn't seem highly significant, but it opens up a can of worms about how well Liz really knew Robbie?
One lie has spiralled into many.
Now Liz isn't just questioning her ability to be a mum, she's wondering what in her life is real and what's not.
Cat Step from the out set seems like a fairly simple story but as I progressed through it, it became so much more.
This is a tale of motherhood, of that overwhelming feeling of guilt that I'm sure all of us who are parents can relate to. What is the right thing to do? Who has the right to say anything, to give their input? I think what this novel highlights is society's need to judge and advise at any given moment.
We are so quick to forget that everyone has their own story to tell, each child and adult are unique and we cannot be aware of their circumstances and what leads to the decisions they make. Cat Step shows us just how haunting those judgements can be and the consequences of such harsh thinking.
After reading this book, I feel like we could all do with taking a step back and being a little kinder, both to ourselves and others as we never truly know what someone else has been through or is going through at any given moment.
November 19, 2020
Liz has moved to Lennoxtown with her daughter after the death of her husband to sell her mother-in-laws house. She takes a trip to the shop and leaves Emily sleeping in the backseat to then return 5 minutes later to onlookers surrounding her car as a man has tried to steal her phone, Emily still asleep. The police and social workers are involved but surely as her mother Liz knows what's best. Liz begins to struggle as her neighbours doubt her and her husbands past resurfaces. A lapse of judgement and everything becomes unbearable for Liz.
Cat Step is the expectations we have of mothers as Irvine crafts a compassionate novel of a mother's love despite the world doubting her. There were many bittersweet moments in this novel especially during the dance classes as Irvine weaves between past and present, cleverly building a tense plot which leaves us wondering till the very end.
Liz isn't a perfect mother and she feels guilty because of this she's taken on all this responsibility and is trying to juggle everything as a single parent as well as dealing with trauma and loss. At times it was difficult to read as when Liz tried to discipline her daughter she was too harsh but it was clear she was trying her best, not only was Liz fighting against everyone else she was also struggling herself but she always had Emily's best interests at heart.
Cat Step is the expectations we have of mothers as Irvine crafts a compassionate novel of a mother's love despite the world doubting her. There were many bittersweet moments in this novel especially during the dance classes as Irvine weaves between past and present, cleverly building a tense plot which leaves us wondering till the very end.
Liz isn't a perfect mother and she feels guilty because of this she's taken on all this responsibility and is trying to juggle everything as a single parent as well as dealing with trauma and loss. At times it was difficult to read as when Liz tried to discipline her daughter she was too harsh but it was clear she was trying her best, not only was Liz fighting against everyone else she was also struggling herself but she always had Emily's best interests at heart.
October 11, 2022
I had planned to read this novel last year (2021) but the unavailability of books from indie presses based out of India makes it almost impossible to access wonders one would never have discovered had it not been for audiobooks! Even though I am mostly into physical books for fiction, I have recently made myself friendly to digital formats like audiobooks because why let myself be limited by structural constraints (in this apparently globalised world)! Anyway, let's get to this book. Cat Step follows the story of Liz and her daughter, Emily. Over the holidays, Liz has come to a small town in Scotland with her daughter to sell, her husband, Robbie's ancestral house. But on the very first day, things begin to go haywire. She left her ailing daughter in car to get groceries and when she's out, the locals are around her car where her daughter is asleep and they have called the police. In a town where she knows nobody, she has suddenly become the subject of gossip for leaving a child unattended in a car. Child-care organisations are breathing down her neck and are concerned about Liz's role as a mother. And there, in this very unknown town, Liz is confronting not only her relation with this alien community but also her husband's past. Greenacre's narration of Irvine's novel is stupendous! From the very first chapter, the writing immerses the reader in the life of the protagonist and those around her. The cold, eerie setting of the story sets the stage for a rightful exploration of motherhood, local community politics, love, family and bureaucratic control of childhood in the UK. I listened to the book over a month (almost), not listening to it for days and then finishing hours of the book in one day. Not for a second, I was lost when I returned to the novel because Irvine's powerful, emotionally provocative sketch of Liz never left me. I was with Liz all along. I was with Liz when she was fighting the social services, training elderly people ballet, building a friendship with June (one of her elderly students), going back to the time she met Robbie, had her daughter Emily. I am still wondering why is this book not being read widely. It has all the qualities of being a perfect literary fiction of a woman making sense of her troubled life in a small town dead-set against her. I hope Irvine writes more because I am waiting for what else she has to offer and I hope more people read this!
January 6, 2021
Thank you to Jordan at @deadinkbooks for my copy of this book!
Liz and her four year old daughter Emily have temporarily moved to a small town in Scotland. At the local co-op Liz makes the decision to leave her daughter sleeping in the car whilst she pops into the shops for a few moments..and this one choice sets off a chain reaction of events.
Cat Step is a book that looks at the good and the bad of small town life, the judgement that society can place on mothers and how easy it is for people to be caught in a spiral.
I thought that Liz was a really interesting character - I didn't always like her - her decisions often made the situation worse for herself but at the same time there is no denying that she is doing what she thinks is best for her daughter.
Some of my favourite moments in the book are when she teaches dance classes at a local retirement village - in a way she finds solace in doing something that she knows she is good at and in this you learn most about her.
What Irvine's writing really manages to do is show the relationship between mother and child with no judgement placed on it. This book is a reminder that everyone is dealing with things that we don't know and there are no simple answers as to whether people's actions are right or wrong.
Liz and her four year old daughter Emily have temporarily moved to a small town in Scotland. At the local co-op Liz makes the decision to leave her daughter sleeping in the car whilst she pops into the shops for a few moments..and this one choice sets off a chain reaction of events.
Cat Step is a book that looks at the good and the bad of small town life, the judgement that society can place on mothers and how easy it is for people to be caught in a spiral.
I thought that Liz was a really interesting character - I didn't always like her - her decisions often made the situation worse for herself but at the same time there is no denying that she is doing what she thinks is best for her daughter.
Some of my favourite moments in the book are when she teaches dance classes at a local retirement village - in a way she finds solace in doing something that she knows she is good at and in this you learn most about her.
What Irvine's writing really manages to do is show the relationship between mother and child with no judgement placed on it. This book is a reminder that everyone is dealing with things that we don't know and there are no simple answers as to whether people's actions are right or wrong.
November 23, 2020
I had no idea what to expect but it got me from the first chapter.
Liz temporarily moves to Lennoxtown with her daughter Emily, who can be a difficult child at times. You could say Liz is running away from her demons… but you could also say she is running towards them. She leaves an unwell Emily asleep in the car for a short time to go into a shop not long after they arrive in their new home and things begin to spiral out of control. She didn’t leave Emily for long, but this event is the catalyst for a number of lies, truths, and betrayals which quietly build to one of the tensest climaxes I’ve read in a long time.
It is written simply and therefore so much more effective because of it. I’m no ballerina but still appreciated the relevance of the ballet terms, and how they were interwoven into the prose. I’m not a mother, but still appreciated the difficulties Liz faced bringing up her daughter. I was able to relate and stay connected with her, demonstrating how universal and thought provoking Cat Step is.
Liz temporarily moves to Lennoxtown with her daughter Emily, who can be a difficult child at times. You could say Liz is running away from her demons… but you could also say she is running towards them. She leaves an unwell Emily asleep in the car for a short time to go into a shop not long after they arrive in their new home and things begin to spiral out of control. She didn’t leave Emily for long, but this event is the catalyst for a number of lies, truths, and betrayals which quietly build to one of the tensest climaxes I’ve read in a long time.
It is written simply and therefore so much more effective because of it. I’m no ballerina but still appreciated the relevance of the ballet terms, and how they were interwoven into the prose. I’m not a mother, but still appreciated the difficulties Liz faced bringing up her daughter. I was able to relate and stay connected with her, demonstrating how universal and thought provoking Cat Step is.
December 15, 2020
Originally published here: https://joyfulantidotes.com/2020/12/0...
This was a deeply enthralling book without the hustle and bustle of your typical drama. As the blurb states, it only takes one mistake to unravel everything. The reader is faced with this mistake right at the beginning of the book. The joy of turning each page stems from the need to know how everything turns out in the end.
I can’t say that I loved Liz as a character but I became invested enough that I wanted to know her story. Although the book mentions that Liz takes antidepressants just once, I really felt that Cat Step is ultimately the story of a woman trying to overcome a heavy burden and make the most of what life has left her. I actually would have liked the author to go more into Liz’s mental health as that is a topic of interest to me, but it was not something that was gapingly missing from the story, if that makes sense.
In fact, when I think about it, I quite liked how the author lets the reader make up their own mind about things: Liz’s mental health, her relationship with her daughter, her reason for being in Scotland. There was no commentary about Liz’s decisions just plain fact, leaving the reader to that what they will with it.
I read an article recently that stated there is no space for quiet books in 2020. People want escapism. I don’t think this is true. Cat Step was an enjoyable read for me, and I’m sure many others will agree.
This was a deeply enthralling book without the hustle and bustle of your typical drama. As the blurb states, it only takes one mistake to unravel everything. The reader is faced with this mistake right at the beginning of the book. The joy of turning each page stems from the need to know how everything turns out in the end.
I can’t say that I loved Liz as a character but I became invested enough that I wanted to know her story. Although the book mentions that Liz takes antidepressants just once, I really felt that Cat Step is ultimately the story of a woman trying to overcome a heavy burden and make the most of what life has left her. I actually would have liked the author to go more into Liz’s mental health as that is a topic of interest to me, but it was not something that was gapingly missing from the story, if that makes sense.
In fact, when I think about it, I quite liked how the author lets the reader make up their own mind about things: Liz’s mental health, her relationship with her daughter, her reason for being in Scotland. There was no commentary about Liz’s decisions just plain fact, leaving the reader to that what they will with it.
I read an article recently that stated there is no space for quiet books in 2020. People want escapism. I don’t think this is true. Cat Step was an enjoyable read for me, and I’m sure many others will agree.
November 24, 2020
This was a magnetic read centering on the claustrophobia of motherhood, survival, grief and how close to the edge life can take us. An error leads Liz, our protagonist into a downward spiral of public scrutiny and judgement. I was sucked in as the story just screamed "There but for the grace of God...." We are all a mass of contradictions and can be the good and/or bad guy from differing perspectives
I loved how the backstory developed through conversation and happenstance rather than description. The narrative was enhanced by its paucity set in the big sky landscape of a small Scottish town and its past.
Whilst ballet is the link between past and present, I found this thread the weak link creating segues that I found too unlikely. I found that the ballet terms, despite relevance to Liz's career as a dancer, forced the denouement onwards and felt overly deliberate.
I enjoyed this small scale approach of huge issues handled with maximum punch, tension from beginning to end.
I loved how the backstory developed through conversation and happenstance rather than description. The narrative was enhanced by its paucity set in the big sky landscape of a small Scottish town and its past.
Whilst ballet is the link between past and present, I found this thread the weak link creating segues that I found too unlikely. I found that the ballet terms, despite relevance to Liz's career as a dancer, forced the denouement onwards and felt overly deliberate.
I enjoyed this small scale approach of huge issues handled with maximum punch, tension from beginning to end.
December 26, 2020
Thank you to @jordtaylorjones and @deadinkbooks for the #gifted copy. 🖤 Sometimes one mistake is all it takes to unravel everything 🖤
Liz is drifting in life. Unemployed and living with her mum in London, she decides to take her 4 year old daughter to visit her partner's home town of Lennoxtown in Scotland. But this brings up secrets from the past and takes her away from her support network. One bad decision makes her spiral out of control.
I have to admit I thought the "bad decision" was going to be worse, with tragic consequences. So it was a pleasant surprise to see something much more subtle that is visited throughout the book. It's very emotional and voices the expectations of mother hood. A stark and honest portrayal. What if you don't know what you're doing? And Liz is constantly feeling the judgement of others.
Liz isn't necessarily a likeable character, but I loved finding out her back story which is so different to where she is now, that I did feel sorry for her. She should have been a top dancer in Paris, but now she is struggling mentally and physically as a single mum. It's a stark reminder of how quickly things can change. An interesting and enjoyable read.
Liz is drifting in life. Unemployed and living with her mum in London, she decides to take her 4 year old daughter to visit her partner's home town of Lennoxtown in Scotland. But this brings up secrets from the past and takes her away from her support network. One bad decision makes her spiral out of control.
I have to admit I thought the "bad decision" was going to be worse, with tragic consequences. So it was a pleasant surprise to see something much more subtle that is visited throughout the book. It's very emotional and voices the expectations of mother hood. A stark and honest portrayal. What if you don't know what you're doing? And Liz is constantly feeling the judgement of others.
Liz isn't necessarily a likeable character, but I loved finding out her back story which is so different to where she is now, that I did feel sorry for her. She should have been a top dancer in Paris, but now she is struggling mentally and physically as a single mum. It's a stark reminder of how quickly things can change. An interesting and enjoyable read.
February 26, 2021
I wasn't too sure why I first picked it up. And then I knew. I don't read a lot of women writers but contemporary fiction has more good women writers than men. Its just the way it is and I suppose against most odds.
From a simple start the story develops. That moment many of us have been through. You know you shouldn't but weighing up the odds you do... and you wonder when it all blows up in your face and goes wrong. She was only alone for 5 minutes and she was sleeping in the car seat. And it builds from there. The very best thing about the book is that the voices are all right. Bang on. Correct. The time. The feel. They're exactly right. And the contexts are right. It didn't go the way I thought and in fact built to a dramatic climax I didn't see coming.
Read it at one go. You'll want to.
From a simple start the story develops. That moment many of us have been through. You know you shouldn't but weighing up the odds you do... and you wonder when it all blows up in your face and goes wrong. She was only alone for 5 minutes and she was sleeping in the car seat. And it builds from there. The very best thing about the book is that the voices are all right. Bang on. Correct. The time. The feel. They're exactly right. And the contexts are right. It didn't go the way I thought and in fact built to a dramatic climax I didn't see coming.
Read it at one go. You'll want to.
December 4, 2020
Absorbing, honest, brilliant sparks of insight and humour.
Wonderfully understated writing interwoven with the warmth and humour of Scots. This made me think about not just the conflicts of motherhood, but about family, home and community and how easy it is to step into that territory that every parent must dread: intervention.
Alison Irving’s writing is authentic and honest. The connection of people to place is looked at from different angles. What is most touching is those long established community ties and how some folk are happy to celebrate the small gifts in life they have, rather than the continually striving for change and ‘improvement’.
I was totally absorbed from the beginning and didn’t put down until it was done. More please Alison!
Wonderfully understated writing interwoven with the warmth and humour of Scots. This made me think about not just the conflicts of motherhood, but about family, home and community and how easy it is to step into that territory that every parent must dread: intervention.
Alison Irving’s writing is authentic and honest. The connection of people to place is looked at from different angles. What is most touching is those long established community ties and how some folk are happy to celebrate the small gifts in life they have, rather than the continually striving for change and ‘improvement’.
I was totally absorbed from the beginning and didn’t put down until it was done. More please Alison!
April 4, 2021
My heart was pounding pretty much the entire way through this book. As a mother of a 4 year old and an ex dancer I found it so easy to relate to Liz, even if she isn't the most likeable character. She isn't the best parent in the world but it's clear she loves her daughter and I really empathised with her parenting difficulties.
July 25, 2021
Loved the characters in this book, Robbie especially feels very real even though the essence of his character is told through the rose-tinted glasses of his widow. Obviously, there's a lot of sadness to the story but it has a lot of interesting turns in it that make you feel like you saw it coming and feel more empathy for the main character, Liz.
September 4, 2023
Nice easy to read confident writing style, but the subject matter wasn’t for me. I have zero interest in the whining and troubles of a single mom. Presumably the reader was supposed to feel empathy for her but I’m childfree and it’s just tiresome hearing mombies whine about something they themselves got into. Urgh.
January 17, 2021
Better than I expected - how such small acts can have such impact. The difficulties of a single mother bringing up her child alone whilst dealing with her own grief rings true; as does the "interference" from the authorities.
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