Natural Disaster

by Lisa Owens

One perfect day. A million catastrophes.

For weeks, she has been saying it will be their special day. One last, perfect day with her children before she returns to work after maternity leave.

What's the worst that can happen?

Unfolding across 24 hours, Natural Disaster is a propulsive, darkly funny and sharply observed novel about the absurd, frustrating, hilarious, precarious, bittersweet, sometimes astonishing challenge - literal, existential - of being a woman, a mother, a wife, a person for one single, entire day.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction, Adult

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 25, 2026

Reviews

[❀ Tia ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

| ARC REVIEW |

For weeks she has counted down to this day — the final day of maternity leave. This is the day that has to be perfect. The day that will be perfect, because she has it all meticulously planned out. And everything in motherhood always goes to plan... right?

Natural Disaster not only accurately portrays motherhood in all its chaotic and overwhelming glory, but also does a fantastic job of normalising the aspects that some parents are often too embarrassed to talk about.

To me, motherhood is the gift that keeps on giving: unconditional love, the overwhelming sense of pride you get when you look at your children, but also the anxiety, the guilt, and the isolation that often ensues. All of which I feel to various degrees throughout the day.

However, this book took me by the shoulders, shook me hard and shouted "it's not you, it's all of us! This is MOTHERHOOD! And you're doing a damn good job!"

I truly felt that this book was holding my hand whilst I read it. The way Lisa Owens was able to write about the messy aspects of being a mother in such a raw, authentic and quite frankly hilarious manner was remarkable! I laughed, I teared up, and I felt seen.

My only criticism (if you can even call it that) is that I really wish this book was longer! I didn't want my lovely, comforting hand hold through motherhood's chaos to end. 

Once this book is published, you can bet that I will be recommending it to the women in my "mother and baby" group, as well as anyone else I know who is in the throes of motherhood.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Owens and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Virago for gifting this eBook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

❀ Tia ❀

[Liz]

This is a difficult review for me to write as I felt I am too old to read about the coal face of motherhood, and times have changed so much since my time that I noticed that I couldn’t relate to the narrator. In fact, I found her very annoying, disorganised, overthinking, and too sensitive. Perhaps that’s how mothers are nowadays, with the internet and social media at their fingertips, ready to make them feel so inadequate.
But I did really enjoy the story, even with these reservations, though I sided with her mother re child rearing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

[Vansa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think all of us know the feeling that we’re running the Red Queen’s Race everyday. This book perfectly captures that feeling-you can try your best, but daily life and tiny events can all still conspire against you, one little thing at a time, till even your relaxation needs to be perfectly planned, but can still falter with the execution, in the most banal yet unexpected way. A mother with 2 young children, on her last day of maternity leave, decides to spend a day with them, giving them ‘quality time’, letting the day unfurl while she makes the most of being able to give them undivided attention. What could possibly go wrong? As mice know and men seem to forget, things don’t turn out in quite the halcyon way she expects, and the writing is both poignant and hilarious, in turns, in its interrogation of women trying to have it all. While the book is set over that one day, you get flashbacks to her meet-cute with her husband, her career, her first pregnancy and how it went, her relationship with her parents-all sprinkled throughout, in an unobtrusive way, the way the mind and memory work. You still get a full, rich picture of all these characters though, without them even actually getting many pages for each, and I wonder how many times the author wrote and rewrote these to make it seem so effortless. I also absolutely loved her relationship with her husband-like the protagonist, I tend to harbour resentment and think of myself as carrying the burden of housework but as multiple arguments have proved to me, that’s not really the entire picture because I’ve also refused offers of help multiple times!
It’s really well-etched and easy to relate to, even for someone like me who doesn’t have children and normally isn’t at all interested in narratives like this, because they’re always so badly written-I usually don’t have much patience for narratives about privileged white women whingeing about their lack of time and all their various troubles after choosing to have multiple children , while being aware of all the responsibility that brings. The absolute worst offenders in this genre to me, are ‘Consider yourself kissed’ by Jessica Stanley, and ‘ Sorrow and bliss’ by Meg Mason, astoundingly solipsistic and self-important books that somehow got great reviews. I started this book fully expecting it to be as awful as the others but this isn’t like the others at all. The writing is much more incisive, and the writer doesn’t set up what seem like terrible problems only for them to be resolved very easily( ‘Sorrow and bliss’, for instance, is all about the protagonist’s supposedly devastating mental health issues, which are breezily resolved with one diagnosis, that we are conveniently not told about, when that’s not how diagnoses for mental health conditions work, not ones described the way the book does-it’s not a stomach ulcer! In CYK, the protagonist does not want to live with her partner anymore, and conveniently has a rich friend whose house she can live in, while continuing to complain about how oppressed she is.) I have adopted an attitude of superciliousness because of these silly books where the women never seem to lack for great childcare options when that's the Holy Grail for mothers, and dismissed these characters as choosing these problems. This book however, with its very real problems ( like never finding a thermometer when you need one!), made me rethink my lack of empathy-should women choose not to have children because the logistics are difficult for them, instead of their partners also chipping in to plan out their circumstances? Is it silly of women to want both financial independence and motherhood? Surely not, particularly in circumstances that should be easier than for many other far less fortunate people, and this still doesn't invalidate their difficulties.
I loved this book so much that it’s gone on my ‘books I will risk a migraine for’-I get terrible, day-ruining migraines if I sleep even 10 minutes beyond my usual bedtime, so if a book makes me stay up to finish it, it deserves a special place! Read this, if you’re a woman, a mother, a person in this world.

[Adrian Dooley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok Im obviously not the demographic this book is aimed at so I will try to be measured with my opinions.

A book based on the final day of a mother’s maternity leave after having a second child, she wants to have a special last day with her children and do lots of stuff they love to mark the day. Of course things dont go according to plan as she struggles with the everyday problems of motherhood and this is apparently observed and told in a humorous and insightful way.

Sounds ok so far but… the story (if you can call it that) is wafer thin with not a lot happening apart from them going out of the house a couple of times and then to the hospital. I mean there is barely a short story here never mind a novel.

Also the characters were just irritating and totally lacking any real substance. The mother was an incredibly weak and immature character who annoyed the hell out of me throughout and is married to a vain shallow man. As for the children well at least the baby wasnt annoying as he had little to say (well nothing really, hes a baby) but the toddler was next level annoying. Spoiled and indulged by his mother who didnt want to upset him etc etc.

Its a whole lot of nothing where nothing happens and we get a rinse and repeat of the mothers inane and uninteresting musings.

I started off this review trying to be mindful that I probably am not the demographic for this book and so wanted to go gently on it but as I type this review I just become more and more aware of how much the book irritated me and I didnt enjoy any of it.

There are much more positive reviews out there so hopefully Im an outlier but for me this was poor. Really really poor.


Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes a Mum’s last day before she goes back to work with her two children and her attempts to make it memorable. She manages to fit a lot into one day. I had a sinking feeling as I read it, thinking I did not like the protagonist, then I thought actually I recognise some of this. I’m in my menopause now and am angry, assertive and maintain my boundaries. As I read the book it reminded me of the hazy feeling when my son was young, sleep deprived and desperately trying to be a good Mum. I never went as far as trying to make memories, probably because I only had 5 months off and I guess there was some envy of the characters wealth which impacted my enjoyment.
I am not scoring it a 5 because I would not read it again and yet the book is well written and feels like a detailed character study of a specific time in a woman’s life. It reminded me of Motherland, a Uk tv show. I didn’t find it as laugh out loud, although I did laugh at times, but again I wonder if it’s just not my time of life.
I would recommend to friends who have just had babies or have little ones.
There was a few points that I did cry so I do think the author has written a story that is meaningful with characters that feel very real with an emotional connection to the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for my consideration, this is all my own rambling, honest and personal opinion

[Maddie Grigg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel centres around one day in the life of a young mother of two - not just any old day but her last day before going back to her job following maternity leave. Our heroine decides to make it a special day for the children - precocious Felix, aged four, and his baby brother, Rudy. However, all is not sweetness and light and the day deteriorates almost as soon as it starts, especially as she finds a female 'item' in her husband's bag which is not hers.
She battles through the day alone, because he is working away, and everything seems to go wrong. She wants it to be a lovely day for both of her children but reality strikes over and over again.
Some very funny scenes in this novel, especially the struggles in a corner shop with a double buggy and storytime in the local library.
The book will appeal to all parents - especially to mothers of children who were born close together but are now perhaps a bit older and don't require the constant supervision and stimulation needed for younger ones. I think if you have children of this age, the frustration and difficulties could be too raw and just hit home too hard.
Well written, funny, with a likeable central character who bears the guilt of working mothers everywhere and trying to do the right thing for her children.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance review copy of this novel.

[Jackie Murrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young mum determines to spend the last day of her maternity leave having a wonderful time with her two young boys, rather than, as her friends suggest, taking a break at a spa. Of course, as the day involves an ambitious itinerary with a toddler and a baby, things do not go at all to plan. I felt a flash of recognition on every page of this hilarious but also heartfelt book as everything from the weather to the unmanageable buggy to the events schedule at the library conspires to derail the fun. Owens captures that feeling of both desperately loving your children but needing to spend time doing something other than childcare, especially when they never seem to both want to do her activities at the same time and seem to reject all her efforts in “the round-the-clock immersive theatre that is parenthood.” That feeling of not being successful as either a working or a stay at home mum, and feeling guilt about both, has been covered elsewhere, but this beautifully written novel examines all the layers of that- how it affects the marriage, how a second baby steals time from the older one, how you can alternate between wonder at the beauty and genius of your children to questioning if you should have ever become a mother in the first place. This mother’s kaleidoscope of emotions totally rang true to me, which made it a book to savour.

[Cosywithblaise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natural Disaster by Lisa Owens follows a mother navigating the emotional and physical upheaval of early motherhood, where love and resentment often sit side by side. It is an intimate portrait of survival, identity, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when everything feels overwhelming. The book offers a raw, unfiltered look into motherhood, exploring mothers’ guilt, the constant juggling act of managing day to day life, and the struggle to hold onto some form of yourself whilst slowly getting lost in it all. What makes it so refreshing is its honesty and its willingness to show motherhood from the perspective of someone who does not seemingly have it all together. It captures the raw reality of never quite feeling enough, of questioning yourself constantly, and of trying to strike a balance while simply attempting to remain sane, making it deeply validating and painfully relatable to mothers im sure!

[Becky Carty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very unlike anything I’ve read before, and I LOVED it. I have never read anything so real, or related so much to a character in a book before.

The story follows our main character, a mom of 2 who is due to return from her maternity leave the following day. She wants her last day of leave to be special but, as is often the case with young children, things don’t go to plan. The text was beautifully written and had me hooked right from the very beginning. It felt like the experiences of the character were validating my own feelings and experiences of motherhood: the conflicting emotions, the deep love but also the exhaustion and frustration.
I will be recommending this book to all of my mom friends!

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last day of maternity leave was going to be special- a day of special memories with two young children...but things don't go to plan

Set over a single day, this is a story that combines so many emotions and observations of contemporary motherhood- the eternal juggling act of being a mother and a career person. The dichotomy that never seems to provide a truthful balance.

The first half of the book is a never ending series of relatable and familiar to many events that could go wrong and do go wrong with the accompanying tantrums and guilt- trying to be the "responsibly astute parent " and maintain supposed "middle class/professional " rigidity in not giving into certain easy paths to assuage tears and moods of young children and maternal guilt.

The second half takes a different path when all plans are thrown into disarray. The multiple juggling acts and considerations especially when the husband/partner is overseas on business.

Lisa Owens has written a clever novel and will instantly be recognisable to many parents.It is the inner dialogue of the main character that keeps this from slipping into a parody and becomes a deeper exploration on modern motherhood. The different approaches between mother and daughter are certainly worthy of reflection- each generation with its own methods of childcare.

Wryly observed and full of bittersweet moments... just don't read it the day before finishing maternity( or even paternity) leave !!

This is one sit or couple of days read as you are pulled into the events. 3.5 out of 5

Thank you to Virago and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Quotes: "There was also her husband, when he was around, though it sometimes felt he was more satellite than an integral part of the system."

"She does feel sorry for her mother, objectively a success in the eyes of the state- all four children are respectable functioning members of society - yet she is routinely criticised for her parenting methods by this very same competently raised daughters. You just cannot win!

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My children are all grown up now, so grown up that they don't live at home even and yet this narration of a single day juggling small children with disastrous results was so well written that I felt as if I were right back there at the coalface of parenting. That bone deep exhaustion that colours everything that you would have once found manageable or funny but which now seems like something that has been sent to test you and find you wanting. That constant shift between thinking your children are the most perfect beings ever to have been born and wanting to tie them to a railing and run screaming into the night. The pull between your adult and child self, your old self and your new job as mum is beautifully observed. It's a moment.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natural Disaster follows a mum’s last day of maternity leave. Not a great deal happens plot wise, which in my opinion is exactly why it works.
Instead, it offers a sharp, intimate insight into the strange oxymoron of motherhood, and the way everything can feel monumental and mundane at the same time. The novel puts language to emotions and thoughts that are often hard to articulate or even admit. Reading it six months after returning to work, I found it relatable and unexpectedly validating. This is a book I’ll be recommending to mum friends for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lisa Owens, and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrator of this novel is determined to make her last day of maternity leave with her two children special. Single-parenting while her husband is away for work, her day goes completely off the hinges, in an absurd yet absolutely possible-with-kids fashion, culminating in the ER wearing a full-body frog suit. Parents will delight in reading this, happy it is not them in these situations. This is a short novel to read in a sitting or two that brilliantly highlights so many of the difficulties of parenting during early childhood. Laugh out loud hilarious and relatable. This will be one I enjoy re-reading.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most enjoyable and relatable book I have read in a very long time. As a woman, I was sooo empathetic to the main character as she navigates a simple day in the life of herself - husband is away for work, feeling a little suspicious about him, chaotic kids, a return to work the next day. I laughed, I rolled my eyes, I groaned. This book made me feel so much better about what I always rant over - the load a woman carries in everyday life. So enjoyable and funny! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possible spoilers

4.5 ⭐


This was a one sit read for me.
It's so relatable, right from the beginning when you have a perfect idea, and the kids scupper it by waking up too early.
Having small kids is chaotic, and tiring, and a constant battle with negotiations you won't always win.
I think this book shows the reality of it, but with added humour.
The second half of the book takes a more serious tone, but doesn't drop in it's relatability, or likeableness.
Very very enjoyable.


Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy.

[Mags Schofield · Rating 3 out of 5]

A day in the life of a mother with two children.
Sods law says that if it can happen, it will, and does happen.
Nothing really new here. I'm sure every mother has been here before, and I have to say, that a lot of this is down to a huge a mount of disorganisation and lack of planning. Or rather, bad planning. A day is planned, but logistically, it's never going to work. One bad decision compounds another, and so the day goes on. The result is a hospital ward, a Bluey pillow and a frog onesy. - oh and an unclaimed tampon.
Being a mother, wife, daughter and employee is a real juggling act.

[Laura O · Rating 3 out of 5]

Endlessly relatable - at times full paragraphs felt like vignettes from my own life. Because of the close proximity to the story, it wasn't really an enjoyable time for me. I have a four year old and a two year old, I am in the thick of it still, and whilst I loved feeling so seen it sometimes felt too close to home.
Very well written, and I would definitely recommend it to others, perhaps those whose children are slightly older though?

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group for this ARC

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mother of two young children has plans for spending her final day of maternity leave by having a fun-filled day with her offspring. Of course nothing goes according to plan (welcome to motherhood) and her day with the children is described in great detail.
Apologies – it’s not my type of novel – I seem to be missing the fun that many reviewers have discovered in this book.

I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Chelsea Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*

Natural Disaster occurs in one day following a mother as she tries to have a perfect day with her children before she goes back to work after her maternity leave. She wants this day to be perfect so asks her four year old son, Felix what he wants to do. They decide to go swimming but the day doesn’t go as planned and it’s one disaster after another.

I really enjoyed this and I think this is the perfect length. It’s very impressive how Lisa Owens managed to write such a powerful story in only 208 pages. I instantly connected to these characters and Felix in particular is such a funny and cute child. I don’t have children but I think this is a realistic portrayal of how motherhood can be. There are a lot of conversations in this on what it means to be a mother and how mothers feel guilt over working instead of being stay at home mothers. The writing was good and this was very compelling. It had some funny moments but also a lot of heart. I will be recommending this and this needs to be on everyone’s anticipated books for 2026.

[Row · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for the proof.

A brilliant stifling hilarious heartbreaking book about motherhood. Maybe not one to read overnight as you’re kept awake by your newborn…

[Sarah Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute full review to follow

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanting to make the last day of maternity leave special was a good way of exploring the pressures of motherhood.

The first half seemed like an extended critique of gentle parenting that felt frustrating at times, but the second half took a different direction.

The different ways mothers are treated by the public, partners, employers, shopkeepers, other mothers and of course their own children all had their spaces to be examined.

I don’t think this was saying that much that is unexpected and is mainly a way to watch someone have a chaotic day or be glad your life doesn’t give you days like this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Virago for the arc

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this romp through the last day of a young mother's second maternity leave. She was trying to make the day absolutely perfect for her two young children, and ended up having a day that just didn't go to plan! I expected more disasters to be honest - the challenges she faced seemed to be the kind of challenges any young mother could face, just all at once.

It was an enjoyable read if slightly out of my normal reading genres.

My thanks go to Lisa Owens, Virago and NetGalley for this ARC in response for an honest review.