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The Hill
After her mother is sentenced to life in a hilltop prison, Suzanna vows to return to the hill forever. An unexpectedly funny and deeply moving novel about the many ways we punish and return to each other.
Suzanna Klein was a baby when her mother got up early one morning to rob a bank with a group of fellow radicals. Now, every Saturday, Suzanna lines up at the prison gates among the other children, each dressed as if for celebration. Inside there is a nursery and a cemetery; there are watchful guards and distractable nuns; there are women counting down to release and women like Suzanna’s mother, who will never be released.
At home, Suzanna is raised by her grandmother, who is entirely unforgiving of her daughter’s crime and refuses to visit the prison. Surrounding Suzanna are her grandmother’s friends, who know one another from their years in the Communist Party and still spend extended cocktail hours debating the Hitler-Stalin pact. Though these women once insisted on changing the world, they are torn between teaching Suzanna how the world works and shielding her from it.
Suzanna vows to return to the prison forever but her mother wants her to be free. Harriet Clark’s The Hill is an incandescent novel of a child growing up between worlds, the last of three generations whose fates have been tied to punishment. It is the tale of a family broken apart by the desire for change, told with irreverent wisdom and visionary force. The Hill brings new music to American fiction.
Suzanna Klein was a baby when her mother got up early one morning to rob a bank with a group of fellow radicals. Now, every Saturday, Suzanna lines up at the prison gates among the other children, each dressed as if for celebration. Inside there is a nursery and a cemetery; there are watchful guards and distractable nuns; there are women counting down to release and women like Suzanna’s mother, who will never be released.
At home, Suzanna is raised by her grandmother, who is entirely unforgiving of her daughter’s crime and refuses to visit the prison. Surrounding Suzanna are her grandmother’s friends, who know one another from their years in the Communist Party and still spend extended cocktail hours debating the Hitler-Stalin pact. Though these women once insisted on changing the world, they are torn between teaching Suzanna how the world works and shielding her from it.
Suzanna vows to return to the prison forever but her mother wants her to be free. Harriet Clark’s The Hill is an incandescent novel of a child growing up between worlds, the last of three generations whose fates have been tied to punishment. It is the tale of a family broken apart by the desire for change, told with irreverent wisdom and visionary force. The Hill brings new music to American fiction.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2026
56 people are currently reading
3244 people want to read
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May 4, 2026before reading this book, my perspective is that having a bank robber parent sounds pretty cool. i'll let you know if that changes
May 2, 2026
A deeply moving exploration of a mother-daughter bond severed by a single, radical decision. Because I listened to the audio format, it took me a little while to fully grasp the premise, but once I settled into the rhythm, I was drawn in.
This is a quiet, somber read that follows Suzanna’s life from a young age growing up with her grandparents through her eventual independence, all while she remains tethered to her mother in prison. The story asks tough questions about the choices parents make and the lives children are left to lead. This is one that lingers.
This is a quiet, somber read that follows Suzanna’s life from a young age growing up with her grandparents through her eventual independence, all while she remains tethered to her mother in prison. The story asks tough questions about the choices parents make and the lives children are left to lead. This is one that lingers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A truly breathtaking debut, filled with sublime prose and interior depth. Yes, it is based on Clark's experiences; no, that's not what makes it good or interesting (though knowing it does add another experiential layer).
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*
The Hill follows Suzanna Klein as a child as she lives with her grandparents because her mother is in prison. Suzanna was only a baby when her mother robbed a bank with a group of radicals and now, every Saturday, Suzanna visits her mother in prison. Suzanna’s mother will never be released and when Suzanna’s grandfather dies it is up to her grandmother to raise her. Suzanna’s grandmother will not visit her daughter in prison and she is a difficult woman to be around. Suzanna is surrounded by her grandmother’s friends who know each other from their years in the communist party. Suzanna’s mother wants Suzanna to be free but Suzanna finds herself drawn to the prison and her mother.
I really enjoyed reading this novel and I appreciate the story as a whole. It was easy to understand Suzanna and this book is really just about her and how she lives her life despite her circumstances. Suzanna’s grandmother wasn’t the nicest character but there were some sweet moments that I liked. I don’t really have much to say about this book because you really just have to read this story and appreciate it in its entirety. The author’s note at the end also makes you appreciate this story more and recognise its importance.
Favourite Quote - “Do you want me to watch you walk to the train?” my grandmother asked on the first day of the new school year. She was still in bed and I assumed she would, if anything, watch me through the window. But when I walked out of the building, crossed the street, and looked up, there she was on the terrace. Her housecoat gave her the solid folded look of a hero. I waved so that she knew which figure was me. Then I walked the three blocks to the train—she was there on the terrace each time I looked back—and it was only when I walked down the stairs into the dark of the subway that my grandmother disappeared and the whole world closed in around me.
The Hill follows Suzanna Klein as a child as she lives with her grandparents because her mother is in prison. Suzanna was only a baby when her mother robbed a bank with a group of radicals and now, every Saturday, Suzanna visits her mother in prison. Suzanna’s mother will never be released and when Suzanna’s grandfather dies it is up to her grandmother to raise her. Suzanna’s grandmother will not visit her daughter in prison and she is a difficult woman to be around. Suzanna is surrounded by her grandmother’s friends who know each other from their years in the communist party. Suzanna’s mother wants Suzanna to be free but Suzanna finds herself drawn to the prison and her mother.
I really enjoyed reading this novel and I appreciate the story as a whole. It was easy to understand Suzanna and this book is really just about her and how she lives her life despite her circumstances. Suzanna’s grandmother wasn’t the nicest character but there were some sweet moments that I liked. I don’t really have much to say about this book because you really just have to read this story and appreciate it in its entirety. The author’s note at the end also makes you appreciate this story more and recognise its importance.
Favourite Quote - “Do you want me to watch you walk to the train?” my grandmother asked on the first day of the new school year. She was still in bed and I assumed she would, if anything, watch me through the window. But when I walked out of the building, crossed the street, and looked up, there she was on the terrace. Her housecoat gave her the solid folded look of a hero. I waved so that she knew which figure was me. Then I walked the three blocks to the train—she was there on the terrace each time I looked back—and it was only when I walked down the stairs into the dark of the subway that my grandmother disappeared and the whole world closed in around me.
May 8, 2026
3🌟 This is a different kind of coming of age story. Suzanna’s mother is in prison for robbing a bank. Susanna lives with her grandmother. All of this makes for somewhat of a melancholy read. The grandmother and the mother hate each other and 15 year old Suzanna is trying navigate through the best she can. None of it made sense to me. None of the characters were likable. All of it seemed super chaotic and never really resonated with me. I honestly don’t get the cover. Maybe it’s me and this is way over my head.🤷🏼♀️ NetGalley and Macmillan Audio provided me with the ALC.
April 21, 2026
A gorgeous novel following a girl whose mother is in prison and who lives with her mother’s mother (her grandmother). We follow our narrator from her early childhood into her early adolescence and we get a really honest look into generational trauma between the three women. There are moments the story is a bit more abstract and other moments it feels more grounded. It reminded me of Deborah Levy a little bit.
Out May 5th!
Out May 5th!
May 6, 2026
I literally cried while reading this book and had goosebumps throughout.We follow the main character from childhood into her teenage years, and her experiences, along with the family dynamics surrounding her, are incredibly powerful. Although her circumstances are often harsh and heartbreaking, they are portrayed beautifully. What makes the story especially compelling is seeing how she responds to those circumstances and how her experiences shape both her identity and her future.The depiction of prison life is particularly striking, especially because it is shown through the eyes of a child and within the context of a mother–daughter relationship. As the story progresses, we also see how changes within the prison system and broader governmental structures affect not only the main character but everyone around her. It’s an important perspective that deserves far more attention.
This was an emotionally difficult read. The family dynamics make it even more painful at times, and there were many moments that genuinely broke my heart.
Still, I loved it deeply, and I’m grateful that the ending offered at least a small sense of comfort after such an emotional journey.
This was an emotionally difficult read. The family dynamics make it even more painful at times, and there were many moments that genuinely broke my heart.
Still, I loved it deeply, and I’m grateful that the ending offered at least a small sense of comfort after such an emotional journey.
March 15, 2026
The WOW factor is high here! No matter your life experiences,
this debut novel will keep this book glued to your heart and
hands to the last word. It's the book that has you questioning
your entire life and the choices you've made, while arranging
and rearranging your feelings, repeatedly.
This is the book that transcends genre and will grab everyone.
My thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the softcopy used
for review purposes.
this debut novel will keep this book glued to your heart and
hands to the last word. It's the book that has you questioning
your entire life and the choices you've made, while arranging
and rearranging your feelings, repeatedly.
This is the book that transcends genre and will grab everyone.
My thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the softcopy used
for review purposes.
March 24, 2026
This story follows a young girl growing up with a mother who is in prison for life. She lives in New York with her difficult grandmother, who is entirely unforgiving of her daughters crime, and every Saturday climbs the hill to visit her mother.
The prose and writing is truly beautiful, and I felt was quite unique. I enjoyed the exploration of seeing your parent once a week, and I enjoyed reading about the prison system - at one point her mother gets to be part of a training programme for guide dogs and I found that part so interesting. It was definitely a touching story, especially knowing the author is drawing from her own experiences with an incarcerated mother.
However, I struggled to be engaged with this. I’m trying to work out exactly why, but whenever I put it down, i had to force myself to pick it back up, and I wasn’t driven to keep reading. The writing does leave you with some gaps to fill in yourself, which maybe I struggled with. I didn’t find myself very connected to any of the characters, aside from maybe the mother, and therefore in a story that is deeply introspective rather than plot heavy, it was hard for me to truly enjoy reading it.
I’m definitely in the minority here, as I’ve seen a lot of glowing reviews, so if you are drawn to this premise I wouldn’t let my experience put you off!
Thanks to FSG and netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The prose and writing is truly beautiful, and I felt was quite unique. I enjoyed the exploration of seeing your parent once a week, and I enjoyed reading about the prison system - at one point her mother gets to be part of a training programme for guide dogs and I found that part so interesting. It was definitely a touching story, especially knowing the author is drawing from her own experiences with an incarcerated mother.
However, I struggled to be engaged with this. I’m trying to work out exactly why, but whenever I put it down, i had to force myself to pick it back up, and I wasn’t driven to keep reading. The writing does leave you with some gaps to fill in yourself, which maybe I struggled with. I didn’t find myself very connected to any of the characters, aside from maybe the mother, and therefore in a story that is deeply introspective rather than plot heavy, it was hard for me to truly enjoy reading it.
I’m definitely in the minority here, as I’ve seen a lot of glowing reviews, so if you are drawn to this premise I wouldn’t let my experience put you off!
Thanks to FSG and netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 7, 2026
I set this aside a couple of weeks ago (I loved the language, but was having trouble getting into it), and when I returned to it this weekend, I flew through it. I absolutely loved it.
A quirky, tender coming-of-age story with an off-kilter blend of humor and heartache. Suzanna’s world is defined by routine — eighteen years of weekly visits to her mother in prison — and the creeping uncertainty of what comes next.
Wholly original, but also reminded me of FIGHT NIGHT by Miriam Toews and HOW TO ORDER THE UNIVERSE by Maria Jose Ferrada — with, if you could describe the color of a book, a touch of the bittersweet hue of Little Miss Sunshine?
Wow. I can’t wait for people to get their hands on this.
A quirky, tender coming-of-age story with an off-kilter blend of humor and heartache. Suzanna’s world is defined by routine — eighteen years of weekly visits to her mother in prison — and the creeping uncertainty of what comes next.
Wholly original, but also reminded me of FIGHT NIGHT by Miriam Toews and HOW TO ORDER THE UNIVERSE by Maria Jose Ferrada — with, if you could describe the color of a book, a touch of the bittersweet hue of Little Miss Sunshine?
Wow. I can’t wait for people to get their hands on this.
May 7, 2026
HER MOTHER’S SENTENCE. HER OWN STORY.
A "hushed" and mythic excavation of family loyalty.
Twenty years of visits. One life-changing descent.
Harriet Clark’s stunning debut, The Hill, is a profoundly hushed and incandescent look at the weight of family loyalty. Inspired by the author’s own life, it follows a daughter who has spent twenty years visiting her mother in a hilltop prison.
Intro Summary:
Suzanna Klein's mother is imprisoned for a radical political crime, and she spends her youth navigating the rigid world of the "hilltop" prison and her grandmother's cold New York apartment.
Highlights/Characters:
The complex generational tension between Suzanna, her unrepentant mother, and her sharp-edged grandmother.
Contrast:
The contrast between the three generations of women—the unrepentant mother, the judgmental grandmother, and Suzanna trying to carve out a life from their rubble. The "nursery and cemetery" imagery inside the prison gates is particularly striking.
"A story caught between the hushed, heavy grounds of a hilltop prison and a home still haunted by the ghosts of 1970s radicalism."
Key Themes & Symbolism
~The Hill as Sisyphus
~Political Fallout
~Inherited Punishment
The Heavy Lifting of Family Secrets.
"A stunning exploration of what we inherit from our parents’ radical choices. Harriet Clark proves that some prisons don't have walls—they have family ties."
Themes:
The primary themes of The Hill revolve around the emotional and social wreckage left in the wake of radical political action. Generational trauma and the afterlife of radicalism and the weight of an inherited past.
Vibe:
"Tenderly Kafkaesque and deeply distilled. This is the 'afterlife' of a crime rather than the crime itself. It’s the mythic, Sisyphean effort of a weekly prison climb, contrasted with a domestic atmosphere of brittle wit and heavy, unspoken grudges."
Setting:
The setting is a duality of two 'prisons.' The story lives in the threshold between these two worlds—the ritual of the Saturday ascent and the heavy, silent car rides that follow.
THE PRISON WE CARRY WITHIN.
"A dispassionate, wry, and radically hopeful coming-of-age."
Writing/Narrative:
Clark’s prose is distilled and dispassionate, finding devastating beauty in the quietest moments yet deeply moving. A masterclass in restraint. It’s not about the crime, but the long, atmospheric 'afterlife' of a life sentence.
"Quiet, clear-eyed, and radically hopeful." It carries the same immersive, atmospheric weight as the finest character-driven literary fiction —where the suspense isn't in a ticking clock, but in the slow, masterful unfolding of a daughter’s search for her own identity beyond the bars of her mother’s past.
Narrator Audiobook
Maggie Thompson perfectly captures the 'slightly spooky' attentiveness of a girl growing up in the shadow of a life sentence. The dynamics between the three generations of women are brittle and witty, captured with masterful restraint.
Her grounded narration perfectly honors the story’s clear-eyed exploration of loyalty and resilience. A must-listen for anyone who loves their suspense wrapped in beautiful, dispassionate prose.
My thoughts:
"Lady Bird meets The Emigrants." It’s a "new kind of coming-of-age novel" that is quiet, lustrous, and deeply philosophical.
This isn't a fast-paced thriller; it’s a masterclass in literary fiction (my favorite genre). It’s quiet, observant, and occasionally wry—reminding me so much of the emotional depth I loved in Kin and the sharp resilience of the women in The Calamity Club.
"Why You Should Read:"
Recs:
Since I appreciate literary fiction with depth and "literary suspense" that avoids standard thriller tropes, here are several titles that mirror the themes of The Hill.
"Fans of The Calamity Club will appreciate the resilience of the women in this story, while readers of Elizabeth Strout will love the quiet, observant way the ending unfolds. It’s a book that stays with you long after the final chapter, much like The God of the Woods or An American Marriage."
~The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
~Kin and An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
~Everything Has Happened and Such a Pretty Girl by T. Greenwood
~The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
~The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
~The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for graciously providing an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. #MacAudio2026.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 5, 2026
May Newsletter
May 2026 Must-Read Books
Best Debut
A "hushed" and mythic excavation of family loyalty.
Twenty years of visits. One life-changing descent.
Harriet Clark’s stunning debut, The Hill, is a profoundly hushed and incandescent look at the weight of family loyalty. Inspired by the author’s own life, it follows a daughter who has spent twenty years visiting her mother in a hilltop prison.
Intro Summary:
Suzanna Klein's mother is imprisoned for a radical political crime, and she spends her youth navigating the rigid world of the "hilltop" prison and her grandmother's cold New York apartment.
Highlights/Characters:
The complex generational tension between Suzanna, her unrepentant mother, and her sharp-edged grandmother.
Character Dynamics: Three Generations of Women
~Suzanna (The Observer):
Slightly spooky attentiveness. A vow to stay tethered to her mother forever.
~The Grandmother (Sylvie):
Brittle and vengeful. Refusal to visit the prison and her biting wit.
~The Mother (Helen):
Mystical equanimity in prison and a desire for Suzanna to be free and leave the hill behind.
Contrast:
The contrast between the three generations of women—the unrepentant mother, the judgmental grandmother, and Suzanna trying to carve out a life from their rubble. The "nursery and cemetery" imagery inside the prison gates is particularly striking.
"A story caught between the hushed, heavy grounds of a hilltop prison and a home still haunted by the ghosts of 1970s radicalism."
Key Themes & Symbolism
~The Hill as Sisyphus
~Political Fallout
~Inherited Punishment
The Heavy Lifting of Family Secrets.
"A stunning exploration of what we inherit from our parents’ radical choices. Harriet Clark proves that some prisons don't have walls—they have family ties."
Themes:
The primary themes of The Hill revolve around the emotional and social wreckage left in the wake of radical political action. Generational trauma and the afterlife of radicalism and the weight of an inherited past.
Vibe:
"Tenderly Kafkaesque and deeply distilled. This is the 'afterlife' of a crime rather than the crime itself. It’s the mythic, Sisyphean effort of a weekly prison climb, contrasted with a domestic atmosphere of brittle wit and heavy, unspoken grudges."
Setting:
The setting is a duality of two 'prisons.' The story lives in the threshold between these two worlds—the ritual of the Saturday ascent and the heavy, silent car rides that follow.
~There is the Hill, a steep, Sisyphean climb to a fortress of institutionalized punishment where intimacy is staged and time stands still.
~Then there is the Upper West Side, a hushed time capsule of 1970s radicalism where the air is sharp with a grandmother’s unyielding judgment.
THE PRISON WE CARRY WITHIN.
"A dispassionate, wry, and radically hopeful coming-of-age."
Writing/Narrative:
Clark’s prose is distilled and dispassionate, finding devastating beauty in the quietest moments yet deeply moving. A masterclass in restraint. It’s not about the crime, but the long, atmospheric 'afterlife' of a life sentence.
"Quiet, clear-eyed, and radically hopeful." It carries the same immersive, atmospheric weight as the finest character-driven literary fiction —where the suspense isn't in a ticking clock, but in the slow, masterful unfolding of a daughter’s search for her own identity beyond the bars of her mother’s past.
Narrator Audiobook
Maggie Thompson perfectly captures the 'slightly spooky' attentiveness of a girl growing up in the shadow of a life sentence. The dynamics between the three generations of women are brittle and witty, captured with masterful restraint.
Her grounded narration perfectly honors the story’s clear-eyed exploration of loyalty and resilience. A must-listen for anyone who loves their suspense wrapped in beautiful, dispassionate prose.
My thoughts:
"Lady Bird meets The Emigrants." It’s a "new kind of coming-of-age novel" that is quiet, lustrous, and deeply philosophical.
This isn't a fast-paced thriller; it’s a masterclass in literary fiction (my favorite genre). It’s quiet, observant, and occasionally wry—reminding me so much of the emotional depth I loved in Kin and the sharp resilience of the women in The Calamity Club.
"Why You Should Read:"
~The Style:
A "distilled" and "hushed" literary experience. It’s for readers who want sensory precision and a clear-eyed look at family secrets—think Elizabeth Strout meets Tayari Jones and T. Greenwood.
~The Vibe: It’s "tenderly Kafkaesque."
You’ll get the heavy reality of a prison setting balanced with a wry, deadpan wit that feels as sharp as the characters in The Calamity Club.
~Inspiration:
While The Hill is a work of fiction, it is deeply rooted in Harriet Clark’s actual childhood as the daughter of Judith "Judy" Clark, a former radical activist and member of the Weather Underground.
The Takeaway:
We don't just inherit our parents' features; we inherit their punishments and their unfulfilled dreams. A "radically hopeful" lesson on empathy.
Recs:
Since I appreciate literary fiction with depth and "literary suspense" that avoids standard thriller tropes, here are several titles that mirror the themes of The Hill.
"Fans of The Calamity Club will appreciate the resilience of the women in this story, while readers of Elizabeth Strout will love the quiet, observant way the ending unfolds. It’s a book that stays with you long after the final chapter, much like The God of the Woods or An American Marriage."
~The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
~Kin and An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
~Everything Has Happened and Such a Pretty Girl by T. Greenwood
~The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
~The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
~The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for graciously providing an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. #MacAudio2026.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 5, 2026
May Newsletter
May 2026 Must-Read Books
Best Debut
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book took over my whole house and relationship. For those like me, unfamiliar with 'essential' philosophical texts: allow this remarkable debut novel to suck you into Camus's absurdism.
My struggle with some passages early in this book made me experience enough friction and doubt to consult my boyfriend (am I crazy, or dumb, or...?) and boy, am I glad I did. He couldn't stop reading them over and over, intrigued and drawn in despite sharing my same doubt and confusion. It was reading the epigraph that clarified his attraction to the text: he wasn't imagining things, the work reminded him of Camus. Of The Stranger specifically. And thus began my first conscious venture into the absurd.
Where at first I saw artful prose leaving me at times oddly stranded or confused, the gaps were ultimately filled by profound philosophical exploration. A somber scene describing an absurd incident of neglect reveals itself to be an exercise: "for someone's benefit I performed the waiting in a box one might do if not left behind, if waiting in a box was one's own choice." Through Suzanna's striking and reflective narration, detailing her journey through childhood as her mother serves a life sentence in prison, The Hill deals with perceptions and experiences of freedom and choice.
"Can you tell me something that will stop me being so saddened by the grandma's behavior?" is the one thing I asked my partner after we spent an hour on mutual ramblings, and I found it myself eventually. Where ordinarily I dig into every emotion with my claws fully extended, on my second attempt to read this text I let that go and looked for a deeper meaning. How hilariously paradoxical and ironic, seeking meaning in an absurdist text to soothe my discomfort. I started noticing grandma's many contradictions and instances of hypocrisy being pointed out, spotted a Macbeth quote, still unable to ignore the bleak darkness and cruelty of heart but now at least able to see value in its depiction from a distance.
Barely a quarter of the way into this book I was struck by the realization that I needed to both educate and distance myself to find enough meaning to overcome the pain I felt reading about Suzanna's experiences with grandma. What does that tell us? All the philosophizing, knowledge gathering and emotional detachement I required to rise above the disquiet experienced by a young child. Clark does an excellent job confronting the reader with matters that can feel so beyond comprehension they will leave you talking in circles and paradoxes, and she does it in prose both artful and skillful, making you feel things you may sometimes barely locate let alone articulate or understand, constantly wondering if we're missing things, as if we ourselves were as small and bewildered as little Suzanna.
A book that lends itself to rereads, discussions, picking apart, sitting with it, coasting by and diving back in, that will send a keen reader on dozens of explorations if they allow it to. I can say with certainty that I am far from grasping everything it has to offer, and that I will not stop here and now. From the direct invocation of Camus's writing to hints at Miłosz's poetry, I feel I was gifted a trove of profound connections a bright mind laid out for all to discover and experience. "Even the acknowledgments are beautiful" is what I called across the room with teary eyes as I ended my first read, definitely not my last. 5 full stars from me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My struggle with some passages early in this book made me experience enough friction and doubt to consult my boyfriend (am I crazy, or dumb, or...?) and boy, am I glad I did. He couldn't stop reading them over and over, intrigued and drawn in despite sharing my same doubt and confusion. It was reading the epigraph that clarified his attraction to the text: he wasn't imagining things, the work reminded him of Camus. Of The Stranger specifically. And thus began my first conscious venture into the absurd.
Where at first I saw artful prose leaving me at times oddly stranded or confused, the gaps were ultimately filled by profound philosophical exploration. A somber scene describing an absurd incident of neglect reveals itself to be an exercise: "for someone's benefit I performed the waiting in a box one might do if not left behind, if waiting in a box was one's own choice." Through Suzanna's striking and reflective narration, detailing her journey through childhood as her mother serves a life sentence in prison, The Hill deals with perceptions and experiences of freedom and choice.
"Can you tell me something that will stop me being so saddened by the grandma's behavior?" is the one thing I asked my partner after we spent an hour on mutual ramblings, and I found it myself eventually. Where ordinarily I dig into every emotion with my claws fully extended, on my second attempt to read this text I let that go and looked for a deeper meaning. How hilariously paradoxical and ironic, seeking meaning in an absurdist text to soothe my discomfort. I started noticing grandma's many contradictions and instances of hypocrisy being pointed out, spotted a Macbeth quote, still unable to ignore the bleak darkness and cruelty of heart but now at least able to see value in its depiction from a distance.
Barely a quarter of the way into this book I was struck by the realization that I needed to both educate and distance myself to find enough meaning to overcome the pain I felt reading about Suzanna's experiences with grandma. What does that tell us? All the philosophizing, knowledge gathering and emotional detachement I required to rise above the disquiet experienced by a young child. Clark does an excellent job confronting the reader with matters that can feel so beyond comprehension they will leave you talking in circles and paradoxes, and she does it in prose both artful and skillful, making you feel things you may sometimes barely locate let alone articulate or understand, constantly wondering if we're missing things, as if we ourselves were as small and bewildered as little Suzanna.
A book that lends itself to rereads, discussions, picking apart, sitting with it, coasting by and diving back in, that will send a keen reader on dozens of explorations if they allow it to. I can say with certainty that I am far from grasping everything it has to offer, and that I will not stop here and now. From the direct invocation of Camus's writing to hints at Miłosz's poetry, I feel I was gifted a trove of profound connections a bright mind laid out for all to discover and experience. "Even the acknowledgments are beautiful" is what I called across the room with teary eyes as I ended my first read, definitely not my last. 5 full stars from me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This devastatingly sad coming-of-age debut is told by a now young adult Suzanna Klein, a girl whose mother has been sentenced to life in prison for being the get-away driver in a bank robbery gone wrong that killed one of the guards. Her Mom, a dedicated Communist revolutionary at the time according to Suzanne’s grandfather, felt that she was on a misguided mission to steal form the rich and give to the poor. Suzanna, just a baby at the time, ends up being raised by her maternal grandparents who are Jewish World War II survivors, and who are not truly up to task.
Each week in her early childhood, Suzanna went with her grandfather to visit her mother who was serving her time in a women’s prison on a large hill outside New York City. She has cascading memories of these visits, the strange bond of dependency she develops around spending awkward time with her Mom, and a vow she makes to herself to always ascend the hill to visit her. Suzanne’s grandfather dies she she is nine. She’s left with her stern, stubborn, punitive grandmother who refuses to take Suzanne to visit her no-good mother, who she blames for the early death of her husband,. A nun volunteering at the prison resumes the visits, picking Suzanna up each week with other kids visiting their incarcerated Moms.
Suzanna does little introspection about either her grandmother or her Mom, surprisingly has no inward flashes of deep anger or resentment, but instead half-checked out of her life floats along tethered to each deeply flawed women. Her grandmother tries to accelerate Suzanna’s growing up, including by having her skip seventh grade, in pursuit of her own freedom. But Suzanna herself has little interest in growing up, even as her grandmother declines toward death, and instead just focuses on keeping the status quo.
Ultimately, Suzanne finds herself in an internal prison of her own making, as emotionally incarcerated as her Mom is physically. It makes a distressing but deeply memorable coming of age story. Even if Suzanne refuses to, it’s hard as a reader not to hold both her mother and grandmother in deep contempt.
Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Each week in her early childhood, Suzanna went with her grandfather to visit her mother who was serving her time in a women’s prison on a large hill outside New York City. She has cascading memories of these visits, the strange bond of dependency she develops around spending awkward time with her Mom, and a vow she makes to herself to always ascend the hill to visit her. Suzanne’s grandfather dies she she is nine. She’s left with her stern, stubborn, punitive grandmother who refuses to take Suzanne to visit her no-good mother, who she blames for the early death of her husband,. A nun volunteering at the prison resumes the visits, picking Suzanna up each week with other kids visiting their incarcerated Moms.
Suzanna does little introspection about either her grandmother or her Mom, surprisingly has no inward flashes of deep anger or resentment, but instead half-checked out of her life floats along tethered to each deeply flawed women. Her grandmother tries to accelerate Suzanna’s growing up, including by having her skip seventh grade, in pursuit of her own freedom. But Suzanna herself has little interest in growing up, even as her grandmother declines toward death, and instead just focuses on keeping the status quo.
Ultimately, Suzanne finds herself in an internal prison of her own making, as emotionally incarcerated as her Mom is physically. It makes a distressing but deeply memorable coming of age story. Even if Suzanne refuses to, it’s hard as a reader not to hold both her mother and grandmother in deep contempt.
Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I listened to The Hill by Harriet Clark on audio, and this is one of those stories that’s hard to fully explain—it’s more something you sit with.
The entire premise is simple, but the weight of it isn’t. Imagine growing up going to visit your mother in prison every single week—and not knowing anything different. Not as a traumatic event that happened later, but as part of your normal childhood. That’s Suzanna’s life. There’s no dramatic shift into this reality. It just… is.
What stood out to me most is how quietly this story unfolds. There’s no big emotional push or over-explaining. Suzanna doesn’t spend the book trying to make sense of everything in a loud way. She adapts. She moves through it. And because of that, it feels incredibly real.
At home, things aren’t much softer. Her grandmother is strict, cold at times, and completely shuts out her own daughter. So Suzanna is constantly caught between two very different worlds—one where her mother exists in this contained, controlled environment, and one where she’s essentially erased.
That dynamic is where the story really lives.
This isn’t a plot-driven book. It’s not something you pick up for twists or fast pacing. It’s about watching a child grow up in an emotionally complicated space and seeing how that shapes who she becomes. There were moments that felt a little distant or even slightly abstract, but it actually fits the tone. You’re not being told how to feel—you’re just witnessing it.
The audiobook was a great way to take this one in. The narration stayed steady and calm, which matched the story perfectly. It made it easy to settle into, even when the subject matter felt heavier.
Overall, I really liked this one. It’s thoughtful, a little unsettling in a quiet way, and definitely lingers after you finish. Not a book I’d hand to everyone, but if you like slower, character-driven stories that explore family dynamics and what it means to grow up in less-than-ideal circumstances, this is worth the read.
It’s the kind of story that doesn’t try too hard—but still ends up saying a lot.
The entire premise is simple, but the weight of it isn’t. Imagine growing up going to visit your mother in prison every single week—and not knowing anything different. Not as a traumatic event that happened later, but as part of your normal childhood. That’s Suzanna’s life. There’s no dramatic shift into this reality. It just… is.
What stood out to me most is how quietly this story unfolds. There’s no big emotional push or over-explaining. Suzanna doesn’t spend the book trying to make sense of everything in a loud way. She adapts. She moves through it. And because of that, it feels incredibly real.
At home, things aren’t much softer. Her grandmother is strict, cold at times, and completely shuts out her own daughter. So Suzanna is constantly caught between two very different worlds—one where her mother exists in this contained, controlled environment, and one where she’s essentially erased.
That dynamic is where the story really lives.
This isn’t a plot-driven book. It’s not something you pick up for twists or fast pacing. It’s about watching a child grow up in an emotionally complicated space and seeing how that shapes who she becomes. There were moments that felt a little distant or even slightly abstract, but it actually fits the tone. You’re not being told how to feel—you’re just witnessing it.
The audiobook was a great way to take this one in. The narration stayed steady and calm, which matched the story perfectly. It made it easy to settle into, even when the subject matter felt heavier.
Overall, I really liked this one. It’s thoughtful, a little unsettling in a quiet way, and definitely lingers after you finish. Not a book I’d hand to everyone, but if you like slower, character-driven stories that explore family dynamics and what it means to grow up in less-than-ideal circumstances, this is worth the read.
It’s the kind of story that doesn’t try too hard—but still ends up saying a lot.
May 6, 2026
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review! #MacAudio2026
Suzanna Klein feels tethered to her mother’s past. When Suzanna was a baby, her mom attempted to rob a bank with some other radicals but was arrested and imprisoned. Suzanna’s entire childhood was filled with weekly visits to the prison along with other children of the incarcerated. She is raised by her grandmother who can’t accept her daughter’s crimes and refuses to visit the prison. Suzanna is caught in a limbo between the morality of her grandmother and her mother’s crimes; three generations of women whose lives have been tied to punishment.
I’ll admit, I was greatly intrigued by this book’s premise. The spin of “the last of three generations whose fates have been tied to punishment” had such high potential, and I’m just not quite sure it landed for me personally. My heart aches for Suzanna and the fates of other children whose families are incarcerated, but it seems like the book made the prison industrial complex more… whimsical? The prose itself is beautiful, the themes are unique, but I personally struggled to remain engaged. That was no fault of the narrator, Maggie Thompson, who captured the three generations of women so well in her narration. She turned the devastating prose into a devastatingly beautiful audiobook narration, but the story wasn’t landing for me. The book is short enough that I’ll consider giving it a reread to see if/how my opinion changes from there.
Reviewed as part of an #ARC from #NetGalley.
Read this book if you:
👵 were raised by your grandparents
🐊 have ever questioned if young people move to Florida?
👩🏻⚖️ grew up watching Judge Judy
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
Suzanna Klein feels tethered to her mother’s past. When Suzanna was a baby, her mom attempted to rob a bank with some other radicals but was arrested and imprisoned. Suzanna’s entire childhood was filled with weekly visits to the prison along with other children of the incarcerated. She is raised by her grandmother who can’t accept her daughter’s crimes and refuses to visit the prison. Suzanna is caught in a limbo between the morality of her grandmother and her mother’s crimes; three generations of women whose lives have been tied to punishment.
I’ll admit, I was greatly intrigued by this book’s premise. The spin of “the last of three generations whose fates have been tied to punishment” had such high potential, and I’m just not quite sure it landed for me personally. My heart aches for Suzanna and the fates of other children whose families are incarcerated, but it seems like the book made the prison industrial complex more… whimsical? The prose itself is beautiful, the themes are unique, but I personally struggled to remain engaged. That was no fault of the narrator, Maggie Thompson, who captured the three generations of women so well in her narration. She turned the devastating prose into a devastatingly beautiful audiobook narration, but the story wasn’t landing for me. The book is short enough that I’ll consider giving it a reread to see if/how my opinion changes from there.
Reviewed as part of an #ARC from #NetGalley.
Read this book if you:
👵 were raised by your grandparents
🐊 have ever questioned if young people move to Florida?
👩🏻⚖️ grew up watching Judge Judy
Follow me on Instagram for more book reviews!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
*I work at Monkey Wrench Books in Morgantown, WV, and we received an Advanced Readers Copy*
I picked up this novel out of our advanced readers pile with 0 expectations, and It left me beside myself in its emotional depth, and a deep desire to sit with the author and discuss what it means to come home, to return again and again, as a heroic virtue, an act of bravery, a chosen destiny.
In every way this book touches on the ways a child rallies against time, against change, and how the truth of the world is often a slow unfolding. I really enjoyed how Suzanna never forces the truth, never reads the mothers letter, never pries or inquires, but rather takes in information like she is a shore the ocean of truth is lapping against. It is not a traditional protagonist perspective. Is she aware the truth is intangible, inaccessible, and thus functionally useless in the face of her own desires to be comforted, held, and have place?
My mother is currently dying. While not in a prison, she is stuck on her hospice bed, in her house, and it's been this way for years. I am young, and while after I graduated college, I find myself climbing the "hill", every day. I have stayed in my hometown, I have chosen to stay, despite others urging and befuddlement. In this way, this novel, and particular the ending, hit it like a brick. Even if we stay, they go. If they stay, we go. It is the final destiny of all to leave or be left. If not, you are doomed!
What a fantastic book that was so totally unexpected. I hope Harriet writes and publishes for many more years to come. It is rare to have such a fresh breath of a protagonist. By the end I cared for her deeply, I am sad to leave her still in the novel, while I continue to climb the hill.
I picked up this novel out of our advanced readers pile with 0 expectations, and It left me beside myself in its emotional depth, and a deep desire to sit with the author and discuss what it means to come home, to return again and again, as a heroic virtue, an act of bravery, a chosen destiny.
In every way this book touches on the ways a child rallies against time, against change, and how the truth of the world is often a slow unfolding. I really enjoyed how Suzanna never forces the truth, never reads the mothers letter, never pries or inquires, but rather takes in information like she is a shore the ocean of truth is lapping against. It is not a traditional protagonist perspective. Is she aware the truth is intangible, inaccessible, and thus functionally useless in the face of her own desires to be comforted, held, and have place?
My mother is currently dying. While not in a prison, she is stuck on her hospice bed, in her house, and it's been this way for years. I am young, and while after I graduated college, I find myself climbing the "hill", every day. I have stayed in my hometown, I have chosen to stay, despite others urging and befuddlement. In this way, this novel, and particular the ending, hit it like a brick. Even if we stay, they go. If they stay, we go. It is the final destiny of all to leave or be left. If not, you are doomed!
What a fantastic book that was so totally unexpected. I hope Harriet writes and publishes for many more years to come. It is rare to have such a fresh breath of a protagonist. By the end I cared for her deeply, I am sad to leave her still in the novel, while I continue to climb the hill.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3 stars
This is a quick read that centers on the ways in which our families and generations past shape us. I didn't quite feel the magic that many reviewers highlight, but I did enjoy this slice of Suzanna's experience.
Early in the novel, Suzanna - a child - visits her mother, who is in prison. It's clear that her mother is an unusual character, and I enjoyed the way information rolled out of her over time. Because Suzanna is so young, and because she is caught between a number of unique characters, her grasp of her mother's actions and what that means for her relationship with her mother evolves over time, too. This is also interesting to observe. Grandma steals the show, though. Suzanna's grandmother is a pivotal figure in her experience and she is also a pretty unsympathetic character. It's fascinating to watch how Suzanna is shaped by her, and I loved the way her friends attempted to manage her.
Clearly, it's the character interactions and development that got me here, but I was not moved by this plot in the ways I anticipated upon arrival.
This is a quiet and thought provoking work, and I'll be curious to see the directions this author takes next.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This is a quick read that centers on the ways in which our families and generations past shape us. I didn't quite feel the magic that many reviewers highlight, but I did enjoy this slice of Suzanna's experience.
Early in the novel, Suzanna - a child - visits her mother, who is in prison. It's clear that her mother is an unusual character, and I enjoyed the way information rolled out of her over time. Because Suzanna is so young, and because she is caught between a number of unique characters, her grasp of her mother's actions and what that means for her relationship with her mother evolves over time, too. This is also interesting to observe. Grandma steals the show, though. Suzanna's grandmother is a pivotal figure in her experience and she is also a pretty unsympathetic character. It's fascinating to watch how Suzanna is shaped by her, and I loved the way her friends attempted to manage her.
Clearly, it's the character interactions and development that got me here, but I was not moved by this plot in the ways I anticipated upon arrival.
This is a quiet and thought provoking work, and I'll be curious to see the directions this author takes next.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Farrar, Straus & Giroux for gifting me an audio ARC of this debut novel by Harriet Clark, narrated by Maggie Thompson. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!
When Suzanne was a baby, her mother was sentenced to life in prison for her part in bank robbery that left a security guard dead. Since then, she has lived with her grandparents, and her grandfather faithfully takes Suzanne to the prison every weekend. Her grandmother refuses to go or have any contact with her daughter. When her grandfather dies, Suzanne's life revolves around her solitary visits to her mom with help from a volunteer nun and her grandmother's friends who circle around her, all who seem to be separated from their children as well.
This is a haunting, beautifully written coming-of-age story, and it will break your heart. Suzanne finds herself caught in two different worlds - one where she gets to spend time with her mother, and one where her mother doesn't exist. Basically, Suzanne is left on her own and her life stagnates, as her grandmother's health worsens. The narration of this novel was perfect - it's a slow, steady narration that fits perfectly with this slow, character-driven, introspective novel. This book will make you think about how parental decisions affect their children's lives.
When Suzanne was a baby, her mother was sentenced to life in prison for her part in bank robbery that left a security guard dead. Since then, she has lived with her grandparents, and her grandfather faithfully takes Suzanne to the prison every weekend. Her grandmother refuses to go or have any contact with her daughter. When her grandfather dies, Suzanne's life revolves around her solitary visits to her mom with help from a volunteer nun and her grandmother's friends who circle around her, all who seem to be separated from their children as well.
This is a haunting, beautifully written coming-of-age story, and it will break your heart. Suzanne finds herself caught in two different worlds - one where she gets to spend time with her mother, and one where her mother doesn't exist. Basically, Suzanne is left on her own and her life stagnates, as her grandmother's health worsens. The narration of this novel was perfect - it's a slow, steady narration that fits perfectly with this slow, character-driven, introspective novel. This book will make you think about how parental decisions affect their children's lives.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Suzanna narrates her coming of age story in which she is being reluctantly raised by her grandmother after her mother was sentenced to life in prison when she was a baby. Suzanna climbs The Hill once a week, every week, to visit her mother. The jailing of her mother for being the getaway driver in a Robin Hood-type crime where a murder happened isn’t some traumatic event that happens to Suzanna; it is simply the way things have always been for her. Life lived in this state of existence is weird for Suzanna in a lot of ways, not the least of which is where she should direct her preteen angst and eye rolling that every girl has for a certain number of years.
There is genius here and I am reflecting that in my rating. There is humor here, but it is written in the absurdist style and that is always great for me until it is exhausting. The dialogue composed strictly of a bunch of sarcastic one-liners worthy of their own rimshots negatively affects my enjoyment and I am also reflecting that in my rating. Overall, I did like it but did not love it. 3.25 stars
Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Harriet Clark (authors), and Edelweiss for a digital review copy of The Hill. Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.
There is genius here and I am reflecting that in my rating. There is humor here, but it is written in the absurdist style and that is always great for me until it is exhausting. The dialogue composed strictly of a bunch of sarcastic one-liners worthy of their own rimshots negatively affects my enjoyment and I am also reflecting that in my rating. Overall, I did like it but did not love it. 3.25 stars
Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Harriet Clark (authors), and Edelweiss for a digital review copy of The Hill. Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
“I hope this grief stays with me because it’s all the unexpressed love that I didn’t get to tell her” - Andrew Garfield
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC, this was a devastating coming of age story centered around three women fighting generational trauma, imprisonment, love, and forgiveness. At times this was hilarious, and funny with so much emotional depth. The imprisonment of her mother left not only her imprisoned for her crimes, but her daughters mental imprisonment of having to commute to keep that relationship and connection. But it also left the imprisonment of her grandparents who had to take custody, when it seemed they wanted to cut ties with their own daughter. The letters about took me out, and this book going into detail on the absurd but sad commentary on incarcerated women and their rehabilitation hurt. The sad part was waiting for Suzanna to break her own chains and to actually live her own life for herself. (Find her own horse)
“What is grief if not love persevering?”-WandaVision
Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook, thank you for allowing me to listen. I literally listened to this in one sitting.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC, this was a devastating coming of age story centered around three women fighting generational trauma, imprisonment, love, and forgiveness. At times this was hilarious, and funny with so much emotional depth. The imprisonment of her mother left not only her imprisoned for her crimes, but her daughters mental imprisonment of having to commute to keep that relationship and connection. But it also left the imprisonment of her grandparents who had to take custody, when it seemed they wanted to cut ties with their own daughter. The letters about took me out, and this book going into detail on the absurd but sad commentary on incarcerated women and their rehabilitation hurt. The sad part was waiting for Suzanna to break her own chains and to actually live her own life for herself. (Find her own horse)
“What is grief if not love persevering?”-WandaVision
Overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook, thank you for allowing me to listen. I literally listened to this in one sitting.
May 9, 2026
The Hill brings us Suzanna Klein, who has never known life without her mum being in prison following a bank robbery when she was a baby. Every Saturday she, along with hoards of other children, line up to see their mums in prison. Suzanna grows up knowing that her mum will never be released and as her mum gets further and further away from the outside world (due to time, lack of awareness, and Suzanna just growing up), her own independence pushes through.
The audiobook allowed us to be fully immersed in Suzannas growth as the relationship with both she/her mum and her mum/her grandmother ebb and flow throughout the course of the book. Suzannas grandmother is a stoic woman who refuses to visit her daughter in prison but has agreed to raise her daughter.
This was a different sort of coming-of-age story and I was invested very early on. The family dynamics were really interesting and the visuals of the prison as told and interpreted through the eyes of a child were really well done.
The Hill is due to be published May 5, 2026 and I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my review.
The audiobook allowed us to be fully immersed in Suzannas growth as the relationship with both she/her mum and her mum/her grandmother ebb and flow throughout the course of the book. Suzannas grandmother is a stoic woman who refuses to visit her daughter in prison but has agreed to raise her daughter.
This was a different sort of coming-of-age story and I was invested very early on. The family dynamics were really interesting and the visuals of the prison as told and interpreted through the eyes of a child were really well done.
The Hill is due to be published May 5, 2026 and I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Wow, this is truly what real literary fiction is all about. How do I describe this book? The blurb is almost deceiving, it’s about so much and so little at the same time. This is largely a story about a girl growing up with a mother who is in prison for life. We get beautiful prose about only seeing your parent once a week, the commitment of showing up, how your relationships with everyone is different when this is your life. There’s also some subtly absurdist comments from characters, some strange imagery. The prose will sometimes leave you filling in the gaps, which I found to be very engaging. This book is not punchy, and yet things are happening all the time. It reminded me of the show orange is the new black but from the outside of prison. I was really really touched by this story, I feel like I learned about prisons (service dog trainings and nursery programs). I really admire the author for putting a story like this out in the world. I was surprisingly brought to tears at the end. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really wanted to connect with The Hill, especially because the premise following Suzanna, her incarcerated mother, and the grandmother raising her has so much emotional weight and potential for layered storytelling. The dynamics between the women, and even within the broader community, are thoughtfully explored and undeniably complex. That said, I found myself struggling to stay engaged. For a story that leans heavily into grief, distance, and generational tension, I needed a stronger emotional anchor and I just never fully felt it. I didn’t become attached to the characters in a way that made me invested in their outcomes, which made the already somber tone feel heavier rather than moving. Instead of being pulled into the story, I often felt like I was observing it from a distance. Because of that, the book read more as consistently bleak than emotionally impactful for me. While I can absolutely appreciate what the author was trying to do and think others may find it deeply resonant, it ultimately didn’t land in the way I had hoped.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
At the top of the hill is the prison where Suzanna’s mother is serving a life sentence. Suzanna lives with her grandmother, and she climbs up the hill to visit her mother once a week.
Just knowing that, this sounded to me like this would be an emotional, heavy, and thought-provoking read. And it definitely makes you think. What is intriguing to me, is recognizing that Suzanna really doesn’t know any different. Her mother made a decision, and so this is their life. Her grandmother is not exactly understanding, nor is she really warm and grandmotherly. These are interesting dynamics to sort through.
Part of why I love character-driven novels is the opportunity to try on someone else’s experiences and emotions for a bit, but for some reason this one felt more like I stayed outside looking in. Still entertaining, but not quite as engaging for me as my favorites.
I enjoyed the audiobook narration, and would recommend this if you’re looking for something fresh and unique.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
Just knowing that, this sounded to me like this would be an emotional, heavy, and thought-provoking read. And it definitely makes you think. What is intriguing to me, is recognizing that Suzanna really doesn’t know any different. Her mother made a decision, and so this is their life. Her grandmother is not exactly understanding, nor is she really warm and grandmotherly. These are interesting dynamics to sort through.
Part of why I love character-driven novels is the opportunity to try on someone else’s experiences and emotions for a bit, but for some reason this one felt more like I stayed outside looking in. Still entertaining, but not quite as engaging for me as my favorites.
I enjoyed the audiobook narration, and would recommend this if you’re looking for something fresh and unique.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.
May 5, 2026
THE HILL is a peak inside the thoughts of Suzanna, the daughter of an incarcerated mother who will never exit the prison system. Suzanna lives with her grandparents who discuss topics in very circuitous ways, leaving her with considerable confusion about pretty much everything. Is her mother basically good but somehow enacted a singular act of terror? Is anything her grandmother tells her true or is it imagined? Why does her grandfather never explain what they do as they drive around? Suzanna is tied to these 3 relatives in a toxic dance whose only escape is death. Her lack of information or explanation leaves her tied to her mother, through regular visits, rather than exploring any life for herself.I’m not sure how to explain this plot except to say, catastrophic events can turn fragile families into a toxic brew. This is a challenging book emotionally. I received my copy from the publisher through Netgalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a little outside my usual reading lane, but I’m glad I requested it! It’s also a pretty quick listen (under 7 hours for me at 1.5x)
The narration by Maggie Thompson was solid, especially for a story like this that leans more character-driven and introspective. I feel like this would’ve been a tough listen with the wrong narrator, but she kept me engaged the whole time. Definitely someone I’ll be looking out for again.
For the story…this follows Suzanne and really focuses on generational women and how the way we’re raised shapes who we become. It’s not super plot-heavy, more of a quiet, character-driven story that makes you sit and think as you go. I appreciated that it didn’t feel overly emotional or dragged out. You’re just… in her life, watching it unfold. I’ll definitely check the author out again!
The narration by Maggie Thompson was solid, especially for a story like this that leans more character-driven and introspective. I feel like this would’ve been a tough listen with the wrong narrator, but she kept me engaged the whole time. Definitely someone I’ll be looking out for again.
For the story…this follows Suzanne and really focuses on generational women and how the way we’re raised shapes who we become. It’s not super plot-heavy, more of a quiet, character-driven story that makes you sit and think as you go. I appreciated that it didn’t feel overly emotional or dragged out. You’re just… in her life, watching it unfold. I’ll definitely check the author out again!
May 5, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Maggie Thompson does a great job narrating this story.
Suzanna is raised by her grandparents and spends Saturdays going to the prison to visit her mother, who made the unfortunate choice to rob a bank with some radical friends. When Suzanna's grandfather dies, Suzanna quickly realizes that her grandmother, who cannot forgive Suzanna's mother, will not join her in the prison visits or much else in life outside the house.
While I enjoy coming of age stories and thought the premise of a child growing up visiting her mother in prison was bound to be an interesting read, I found that the story fell flat for me. Between the repetition of the writing and the lack of emotion from the characters, the story just seems to drag for the majority of the book. 2.5 rounded up.
Suzanna is raised by her grandparents and spends Saturdays going to the prison to visit her mother, who made the unfortunate choice to rob a bank with some radical friends. When Suzanna's grandfather dies, Suzanna quickly realizes that her grandmother, who cannot forgive Suzanna's mother, will not join her in the prison visits or much else in life outside the house.
While I enjoy coming of age stories and thought the premise of a child growing up visiting her mother in prison was bound to be an interesting read, I found that the story fell flat for me. Between the repetition of the writing and the lack of emotion from the characters, the story just seems to drag for the majority of the book. 2.5 rounded up.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I enjoyed the narration and the way that this book was written, it was largely from the perspective of a child as she grows up, living with her grandparents while her mother is incarcerated. It's a heavy story, but I thought the story was told in an interesting way. I definitely felt the heaviness of this one, seeing into the life of three generations of women/girls and what challenges they have had to face or are currently facing. Overall, I would recommend this read. As mentioned, I listened to the audio and I think the narrator did a really good job of keeping this book (that is not particularly plot driven) engaging.
Thank you so much for this ALC in exchange for honest feedback, NetGalley and MacMillan Audio!
Thank you so much for this ALC in exchange for honest feedback, NetGalley and MacMillan Audio!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook. We meet teenage Suzanna as her grandfather is taking her to visit her mother in jail. Her mother was part of a radical group that robbed a bank when Suzanna was just a baby. Her grandfather takes her every week, but he won’t speak to his incarcerated daughter. When her grandfather dies, Suzanna must find another way to get to the prison, because her grandmother doesn’t talk to her daughter and refuses to drive Suzanna. The book lives in this uneasy triangle where Suzanna is trying to get through the week, while her family keeps pushing her to think about who she wants to be in the future.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley, Harriet Clark & Macmillan Audio for this e-arc!
The writing style made me think a lot about ‘I Who Have Never Known Men’ & how this might’ve been the life before the bunkers. The devil is in the details for this one—What did Suzanna’s mom go to jail for? What revolutionary activity? Why is her grandma STILL driving? Those were the questions that kept me interested.
I did not particularly care for Suzanna’s day-to-day, but it was those that brought me to everyone around her. .
My own great-grandmother was unbearably like Suzannas, my Nana so much like Suzannas mother. Every character was well developed--even without knowing so much about them.
The writing style made me think a lot about ‘I Who Have Never Known Men’ & how this might’ve been the life before the bunkers. The devil is in the details for this one—What did Suzanna’s mom go to jail for? What revolutionary activity? Why is her grandma STILL driving? Those were the questions that kept me interested.
I did not particularly care for Suzanna’s day-to-day, but it was those that brought me to everyone around her. .
My own great-grandmother was unbearably like Suzannas, my Nana so much like Suzannas mother. Every character was well developed--even without knowing so much about them.
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