A Short Road to Longbrook

by Bethan Roberts

'A tangled tale of maternal inheritance... A must' PATRICK GALE, author of Notes from an Exhibition

A tender story of mothers, daughters and breaking family patterns, from the author of bestseller My Policeman which became the hit film starring Harry Styles

When Winnie is happy, Lillian is happy, too.

It’s the mid-1960s and Lillian Wells is a clever teenager with a daring pixie cut, tangerine mini-dress and new boyfriend, Jim, who works at the brewery. Even better, he lives across the road, so she’s never far from her bee-hived, high-heeled single mother Winnie, who is prone to attacks of the nerves. But Lillian harbours secret dreams of going to art school in London. When she gets in, how will she tell her mother – and Jim – that she’s leaving Abingdon – and them?

Forty years later, Lillian’s own daughter Rachel is heading off to university, but Lillian is not sure either of them are ready. She sees herself and Winnie in Rachel, who is ambitious and intelligent, but also prone to nervous habits. As Lillian tries to bite her tongue about Rachel’s symptoms, she is reminded of what everyone in Abingdon used to It’s a short road to Longbrook… the local institution for the mentally ill. Lillian knows this is all too true, but in a family where secrets run through generations like the rushing waters of the local river, can she bring herself to break the cycle and tell Rachel the truth about her past?

‘Roberts is an exceptionally tender and empathetic writer’ GRAZIA
'Profoundly moving and utterly comepelling' JAKE ARNOTT, author of The Long Firm

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2026

About the author

Bethan Roberts was born in Abingdon. Her first novel 'The Pools' was published in 2007 and won a Jerwood/Arvon Young Writers’ Award. Her second novel 'The Good Plain Cook', published in 2008, was serialized on BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime and was chosen as one of Time Out’s books of the year. 'My Policeman' was published by Chatto and Windus in February 2012 and was selected as that year's City Read for Brighton. Her latest novel, 'Mother Island', is longlisted for the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize. She also writes short stories (in 2006 she was awarded the Olive Cook short story prize by the Society of Authors) and drama for BBC Radio 4. Bethan has worked as a television documentary researcher, writer and assistant producer, and has taught Creative Writing at Chichester University and Goldsmiths College, London. She lives in Brighton with her family.

Reviews

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely heartfelt book that became increasingly hard to put down as it progressed. Told over several decades from the sixties it is an insightful tale of mother daughter relationships and how episodes of mental health crisis can impact familial feelings. The characters all have their flaws but are well meaning and totally believable as well as relatable particularly as they grow up in the sixties. It is tenderly written and totally absorbing.

[Helen Haythornthwaite · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I absolutely adored this one! It’s such a beautifully written piece of literary/ historical fiction - a family saga which spans the decades from the 1960s to the 2000s.

It’s an intricately-woven story which explores the relationship between two mothers and their daughters. In 1965, we meet Winnie and her daughter, Lillian, while in 2005 we meet Lillian as a mother with her daughter, Rachel.

It’s mainly a character-driven novel which gives us a deep insight into these mother-daughter relationships from which, initially, the fathers are conspicuously absent. In 1965, we see Lillian’s dreams put on hold as she struggles with looking after her mentally unstable mother while wanting to pursue the career path she has chosen for herself.

In 2005, Lillian worries that her daughter is showing similar traits to her mother, and seems to be making matters worse, rather than better, with her own neuroses. The narrative does mainly focus on Lillian, both in her role as daughter and mother. She’s a complex character: moulded by her mother, saddened by grief, forever searching for answers, and a victim of circumstances too.

The novel also explores the relationships which Winnie and Lillian have with men, but the over-riding premise is their struggle with mental health and wellbeing. It’s not always easy to read, but the author has written about this with empathy - and even though there’s a lot of frustration and regret, there are glimmers of hope that Lillian and her daughter will find a way through.

I was totally riveted to this family’s story, and found it such an intriguing read. I could quite happily have spent more time in their company.

With many thanks to the publisher for sending me a proof of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deals with mental health across a family saga and follows different Menderes going through different passages in time. Particularly liked the unfolding childhood period of Lillian growing up.