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Mother's Day
Staying with her parents at Beauwater Manor, a luxury hotel in the English countryside, is the happiest memory of Laura’s young life so far. She’s excited at the prospect of returning to the hotel a few years later, but in this riveting short story by Renée Knight, author of Disclaimer—a remarkable debut novel of psychological suspense —Laura will discover that even though some things about Beauwater Manor are familiar, others are very, very different from what she remembers....
- GenresShort StoriesMystery
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
43 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
Renée Knight
13 books558 followersRenée Knight worked for the BBC directing arts documentaries before turning to writing. She has had TV and film scripts commissioned by the BBC, Channel Four and Capital Films. In April 2013 she graduated from the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel’ course. She lives in London with her husband and two children. ~ Transworld Publishers
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 10, 2020
*happy mother's day!!! a day for floating reviews like they're in my amniotic sac!! blub blub!*
today is mother's day, which is like yom kippur or arbor day in the powerpoint presentation of "holidays in which i have no personal stake," but i figured i would read this short story in order to feel like a celebrant while you're all out buying last-minute bouquets and eating brunch.
i like to give authors their three-book due, so even though i did not like Disclaimer (where 'did not like' is me being very polite), i figured i would read this and see if she was better in the short story medium, with less room to make a mess of things.
and it's ... fine. if you're any kind of reader you will clock what is going on here pretty early, and it's a competent treatment of a done-to-death scenario, but even in this short story form, there are some lumps of the "well, if we accept this, then how much of this is ... this?" variety - where the author is so focused on the reveal, they neglect to clean up the loose ends.
it's like some kid crouched giggling under a table at a surprise party, anticipating the imminent shocked delight of the birthday girl so much that they don't even notice the house is on fire.
which is overly dramatic of me and i'm probably just jelly of all you people eating brunch.
so here: the story is fine - much better than Disclaimer, even though it's predictable and a bit sloppy.
now i go eat cold pizza.
come to my blog!
today is mother's day, which is like yom kippur or arbor day in the powerpoint presentation of "holidays in which i have no personal stake," but i figured i would read this short story in order to feel like a celebrant while you're all out buying last-minute bouquets and eating brunch.
i like to give authors their three-book due, so even though i did not like Disclaimer (where 'did not like' is me being very polite), i figured i would read this and see if she was better in the short story medium, with less room to make a mess of things.
and it's ... fine. if you're any kind of reader you will clock what is going on here pretty early, and it's a competent treatment of a done-to-death scenario, but even in this short story form, there are some lumps of the "well, if we accept this, then how much of this is ... this?" variety - where the author is so focused on the reveal, they neglect to clean up the loose ends.
it's like some kid crouched giggling under a table at a surprise party, anticipating the imminent shocked delight of the birthday girl so much that they don't even notice the house is on fire.
which is overly dramatic of me and i'm probably just jelly of all you people eating brunch.
so here: the story is fine - much better than Disclaimer, even though it's predictable and a bit sloppy.
now i go eat cold pizza.
come to my blog!
March 22, 2016
This is a terrifying story. Read it and see why.
January 31, 2016
If you have read Renee Knight’s debut, Disclaimer, you are aware, how brilliantly she crafts deep unsettling and chilling psychological suspense. Her first screenplay, ‘Mother’s Day’, made it onto the Brit List of best unproduced scripts (Great Cover).
MOTHER’S DAY is a short story; hypnotic, intriguing, and mysterious~ A disturbing look into the mind of a young girl. Atmospheric mind-bending psycho-suspense.
After a traumatic event, a young mind protects itself, with only memories of an earlier time. The way she wants to recall her mother. (readers are kept in the dark). Use your imagination. However, the way the author writes, the lines are blurred between fact and fiction. Fantasy versus reality. The complex human mind. Brilliant!
What do you do when you want to escape the ugly? Your mind takes you to your “happy place”.
Laura is now nine years old. Her fondest memories are of Beauwater Manor, a luxury hotel in the heart of the English countryside. Ah, the beauty, as she reviews her calendar from 2011… as she turns through each month—the photos, cards - the tranquil Manor House, a place to make memories --"that will stay with you forever". A children’s program, where there are crafts, art, and something for all ages. From winter to spring to summer. The beautiful gardens, the happy times. . .
Her mother had once told her the hotel was made from sandstone, the sort of house you might find in a children’s book, a place for adventures and fantasies, the perfect place for a girl like Laura whose imagination was so agile, she could take herself off into another world whenever she chose---a freedom. The envy of many an adult.
The sanctuary offered luxury and tranquility. She recalls those beautiful moments, the picnics, the three of them, a family. A dance at the beach, picnics, laughter, sunshine, warm memories.
Now, in the present, her father says it is time to go. It wasn’t a holiday but her mom says it will be fun, a wonderful idea--pack and get ready. They are returning to the beautiful place. She is excited.
However, when they arrive, this is not the hotel she remembered. It is dark. It is not like a hotel. A home away from home. The perfect place for children. She places her calendar in her room, and all the photos from years past. She is sure they will go to the beach tomorrow—her mum had promised a picnic.
The next day, this woman says no, not today. She looks out the window, her father is leaving. They say he will return. This does not look like the hotel she remembers. A blackness. Like a blank page waiting for someone to write on. Laura to fill its emptiness. It is raining today.
She would avoid the cracks in the pavement. Stay in the squares, it would be all right. She could not look back. If she looked back she would be trapped. Would the rain ever stop so they would be able to go for their picnic? Maybe she has gotten lost in another room of the hotel.
Laura recalls her mother before she became ugly. Before the illness. Her mother only wanted to sleep. She had seen this film before. She had wanted to feel the comfort of her other mother, not the sick one with the clump of hair.
She wanted to go to a happier place, to travel back in time to the Manor House she remembered. She needed to go back further. She would get out her calendar and photos. It is her game of hide and seek. The woman was waiting. The woman was seeking, she was hiding. She could slip away. A game. She had been five. Pretty, blonde, like her mother. They had been real guests in a real hotel. Not like now.
Every promise her mother had ever made was broken by this other mother. The weak mother, who did not smell right. Laura was always kept on the wrong side of a closed door and never invited in. She had given her mother a special gift for Mother’s Day. The card was laid beside her. All she wanted was to sleep. She had given her that.
She must not look back, like treading on the cracks in the pavement. Stay in the squares, then all would be ok. Laura turns back to the upper windows of the hotel; however, she was not there. She was free. She was five, back on the beach with her parents at Beauwater Manor. She could taste the picnic. A shame her father could not join them .. she had seen him drive away.
She knew she was safe. She had carved out her escape. Her clever hiding place.
(So Good)! Alluring. A creative promo, a free download Kindle e-book 32 page short story (teaser). A bonus, readers receive an excerpt from Disclaimer Chapter 1 (Spring 2013), Chapter 2 (Two Years Earlier), and Chapter 3 (Spring 2013).
Disclaimer will be available in Paperback, upcoming February 2, 2016.
If you have previously read the book, you may want to re-read. Highly recommend the short story, MOTHER’S DAY. Quite creative, and oh so mind-boggling. You have to read to discover, what happened to Laura.
MOTHER’S DAY is a short story; hypnotic, intriguing, and mysterious~ A disturbing look into the mind of a young girl. Atmospheric mind-bending psycho-suspense.
After a traumatic event, a young mind protects itself, with only memories of an earlier time. The way she wants to recall her mother. (readers are kept in the dark). Use your imagination. However, the way the author writes, the lines are blurred between fact and fiction. Fantasy versus reality. The complex human mind. Brilliant!
What do you do when you want to escape the ugly? Your mind takes you to your “happy place”.
Laura is now nine years old. Her fondest memories are of Beauwater Manor, a luxury hotel in the heart of the English countryside. Ah, the beauty, as she reviews her calendar from 2011… as she turns through each month—the photos, cards - the tranquil Manor House, a place to make memories --"that will stay with you forever". A children’s program, where there are crafts, art, and something for all ages. From winter to spring to summer. The beautiful gardens, the happy times. . .
Her mother had once told her the hotel was made from sandstone, the sort of house you might find in a children’s book, a place for adventures and fantasies, the perfect place for a girl like Laura whose imagination was so agile, she could take herself off into another world whenever she chose---a freedom. The envy of many an adult.
The sanctuary offered luxury and tranquility. She recalls those beautiful moments, the picnics, the three of them, a family. A dance at the beach, picnics, laughter, sunshine, warm memories.
Now, in the present, her father says it is time to go. It wasn’t a holiday but her mom says it will be fun, a wonderful idea--pack and get ready. They are returning to the beautiful place. She is excited.
However, when they arrive, this is not the hotel she remembered. It is dark. It is not like a hotel. A home away from home. The perfect place for children. She places her calendar in her room, and all the photos from years past. She is sure they will go to the beach tomorrow—her mum had promised a picnic.
The next day, this woman says no, not today. She looks out the window, her father is leaving. They say he will return. This does not look like the hotel she remembers. A blackness. Like a blank page waiting for someone to write on. Laura to fill its emptiness. It is raining today.
She would avoid the cracks in the pavement. Stay in the squares, it would be all right. She could not look back. If she looked back she would be trapped. Would the rain ever stop so they would be able to go for their picnic? Maybe she has gotten lost in another room of the hotel.
Laura recalls her mother before she became ugly. Before the illness. Her mother only wanted to sleep. She had seen this film before. She had wanted to feel the comfort of her other mother, not the sick one with the clump of hair.
She wanted to go to a happier place, to travel back in time to the Manor House she remembered. She needed to go back further. She would get out her calendar and photos. It is her game of hide and seek. The woman was waiting. The woman was seeking, she was hiding. She could slip away. A game. She had been five. Pretty, blonde, like her mother. They had been real guests in a real hotel. Not like now.
Every promise her mother had ever made was broken by this other mother. The weak mother, who did not smell right. Laura was always kept on the wrong side of a closed door and never invited in. She had given her mother a special gift for Mother’s Day. The card was laid beside her. All she wanted was to sleep. She had given her that.
She must not look back, like treading on the cracks in the pavement. Stay in the squares, then all would be ok. Laura turns back to the upper windows of the hotel; however, she was not there. She was free. She was five, back on the beach with her parents at Beauwater Manor. She could taste the picnic. A shame her father could not join them .. she had seen him drive away.
She knew she was safe. She had carved out her escape. Her clever hiding place.
(So Good)! Alluring. A creative promo, a free download Kindle e-book 32 page short story (teaser). A bonus, readers receive an excerpt from Disclaimer Chapter 1 (Spring 2013), Chapter 2 (Two Years Earlier), and Chapter 3 (Spring 2013).
Disclaimer will be available in Paperback, upcoming February 2, 2016.
If you have previously read the book, you may want to re-read. Highly recommend the short story, MOTHER’S DAY. Quite creative, and oh so mind-boggling. You have to read to discover, what happened to Laura.
May 7, 2024
Un cuento de suspenso que tiene al lector a la expectativa, aunque con un final un poco turbio pero interesante.
March 31, 2016
DISCLAIMER was one of my favorite books read last year, so I was excited to find this short story by the same author. At only 32 pages, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The story is told from the perspective of 9-year old Laura. Laura and her family return to a favorite holiday spot, only to find it’s not like she remembered. But, why? The author does a great job in building up suspense in a short amount of time, and the ending was not what I was expecting. A very good short story, well worth reading.
December 29, 2016
Confusing.. Honestly i read this story 4 or 5 times. The potential is there, I really wanted to understand it.. Maybe it's me?!? Maybe it's a really good story and my mind isn't complex enough to handle it?! I'm not sure. Because my mind couldn't keep up it was really hard to keep my mind from skipping parts and wandering elsewhere..
June 20, 2017
Different, Unique
A very different story told from a child's point of view about parents and hushed talks about the subjects that adults find hard to talk about with children. Very sad.
A very different story told from a child's point of view about parents and hushed talks about the subjects that adults find hard to talk about with children. Very sad.
March 1, 2021
Thank you, Renee Knight, for respecting your readers and letting them decipher the clues available to them. I loved the insight into Laura’s mind as I walked in her navy sandals. Her story is sad but never boring. Wish more writers wrote like this!
May 15, 2025
Short, yes, but not a story.
More like some thoughts thrown together to form an idea. Which fails. Like a bad Sixth Sense kind of an idea. But only 1 or 2 senses. Best not to waste your time.
More like some thoughts thrown together to form an idea. Which fails. Like a bad Sixth Sense kind of an idea. But only 1 or 2 senses. Best not to waste your time.
May 16, 2020
A very short and spooky little tale about a little girl in a hotel... Available for free on Amazon, if you want a chill.
April 20, 2023
I’m so confused. What the heck did I read? What happened? Can someone explain this to me? I don’t understand any of what I read. Worst read of 2023.
December 28, 2024
Weird. I only got this because it was a free, short kindle
January 18, 2025
An atmospheric, sad little story.
March 20, 2017
Buen cuento.
Sólo voy a decir "daaaamn".
Sólo voy a decir "daaaamn".
April 28, 2020
Este cuento, desde el inicio te da la sensación de misterio.
Laura se ve llegando al hotel Beauwater Manor, y disfrutando de sus estancias. Pero a medida que avanza te das cuenta que algunas cosas son extrañas.
El final es muy triste pues refugiarse en la imaginación puede ser peor que enfrentar la realidad.
Laura se ve llegando al hotel Beauwater Manor, y disfrutando de sus estancias. Pero a medida que avanza te das cuenta que algunas cosas son extrañas.
El final es muy triste pues refugiarse en la imaginación puede ser peor que enfrentar la realidad.
January 20, 2016
Mother’s Day by Renee Knight
What? Wait? Are you kidding me? I know this is a short story, but the words it does use tell a story I was not expecting. Laura goes to a hotel for a “getaway” with her parents. Her mother tells her she will take her to the beach “tomorrow”, always tomorrow. She sees her father drive away and knows he will be back later.
I was left thinking the father left the family. He dropped her mother and herself off at a hotel for a “getaway” and left them there. There is always talking with Laura on the wrong side of the door, maybe they argue and this is his way of getting out of the situation.
So not true. I was completely thrown off when the truth comes out. I’m still reeling. Wow! I may have to read this over two or three times to catch what I missed. I am sure there were clues along the way I missed.
I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a quick read that will end in a completely surprising way! Five stars
What? Wait? Are you kidding me? I know this is a short story, but the words it does use tell a story I was not expecting. Laura goes to a hotel for a “getaway” with her parents. Her mother tells her she will take her to the beach “tomorrow”, always tomorrow. She sees her father drive away and knows he will be back later.
I was left thinking the father left the family. He dropped her mother and herself off at a hotel for a “getaway” and left them there. There is always talking with Laura on the wrong side of the door, maybe they argue and this is his way of getting out of the situation.
So not true. I was completely thrown off when the truth comes out. I’m still reeling. Wow! I may have to read this over two or three times to catch what I missed. I am sure there were clues along the way I missed.
I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a quick read that will end in a completely surprising way! Five stars
May 9, 2016
Apropos reading for the drive home on Mother's Day. Great concept, but the execution was disappointing. It needed much more skill. I know it's meant to be the murky mental meanderings of a child, but it just came out confusing and flat, as if the writer assumed we knew what was going on, doing her own story a disservice by failing to build on the suspense leading to the twist. The denouement came too easily and it's never made clear enough where Laura actually is, even though Laura knows perfectly well where and why. Anyway, it's a short story, so there's not a lot of space to work here, but could have realized its potential better.
January 14, 2016
Well written, engaging, thought provoking.
Well worth the read. This story is an excellent example of how to show, not tell. The ending is a masterwork of revelation. I usually figure out where the author is headed, but this time I was pleasantly surprised. Though my time with little Laura was brief, she will linger in my imagination for quite some time. Great read.
Well worth the read. This story is an excellent example of how to show, not tell. The ending is a masterwork of revelation. I usually figure out where the author is headed, but this time I was pleasantly surprised. Though my time with little Laura was brief, she will linger in my imagination for quite some time. Great read.
January 17, 2016
Drifting
Needed more input at the start. You know they were going away, but,to me too much drifting ,till the end. You discover she's been took somewhere else. Then drops you flat.
Needed more input at the start. You know they were going away, but,to me too much drifting ,till the end. You discover she's been took somewhere else. Then drops you flat.
February 3, 2016
quite interesting. but it's a bit confusing since english is not my native language, so I need to re-read some parts to fully understand the story, and I'm not even sure if it's really what the writer meant. just guessing that 'that' is what it means..
January 14, 2016
Predictable story
Sad tale about a nine year girl with a vivid imagination and a desire to relive a more comfortable past.
Sad tale about a nine year girl with a vivid imagination and a desire to relive a more comfortable past.
January 27, 2016
3.5 Inside the mind of a 9-yo girl as she struggles to discern reality without guidance.
January 20, 2016
Very weird. Not sure I really got it. I think I did but I'm not sure.
January 30, 2016
Terrific creepy little nugget!
March 10, 2016
I don't even know where to start to tell you about this short story. I found it confusing and may need to look at it again since it does have some positive reviews.
February 15, 2016
It was okay--short and sweet. Poor young Laura.
February 13, 2016
It was an interesting short story read.
March 24, 2017
Beautifully written but I didn't find any purpose on the story, any real plot, anything to engage me...
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews