Mommy, Smile!

by Smadar Shir

A mysterious disappearance sparks a painful investigation into the family’s past.

On a sunny afternoon, Maya, a couple's therapist who researches the secrets of memory, disappears. One moment she is on the beach, with her husband and three children, enjoying their holiday stay at her parents' kibbutz. When her son waves a camera at her, crying "Mommy, smile!", Maya suddenly feels a stab. She turns her back and walks away.

"Mommy will be right back," promises her husband to their three children, and to his older child from previous marriage, who surprisingly does not seem worried about Maya's disappearance to the sliest bit. By noon, whispers are heard in the guesthouse dining room that one of the guests has gone missing. Security officers are called to investigate, as fears and rumors spread. Was it kidnap? Was it suicide? Was she the 'happy woman' she appeared to be? What shadows lay pray behind her 'happy family'? Why does her husband refuse to involve the police?

The search reveals sides of Maya and her family, never exposed before. There, at the pastoral landscape of her childhood, the story drifts back to the Yom Kippur War, when the father Maya never knew was killed. The man who didn't want her, the man who said to her mother, "Everything will be fine, just smile."

˃˃˃ Family secrets unfold into a grasping drama, full of mystery and suspense. Suspense, emotion and insight are skillfully weaved in this contemporary drama, written by one of Israel’s finest authors.

Genres: Womens Fiction

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 3, 2016

Reviews

[Jessica Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are lots of places, that I don't want be. They bring about bad memories or bad things happened there, I can really relate to how Maya feels. Once you get into a situation like that, it feels like you are trapped, you try to be happy, but your head keeps spinning. When she gets into the situation she is in (I don't do spoilers) her life and those in it get put under a microscope. Will they find out something from her life that could help end it all? Read it and find out. I actually like it. It is fast pace and hard to keep up with at times, but once you get it straightened out, you can really enjoy the book.

I received this product in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion/review.

[Doreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Mommy Smile, but I didn't love it. My favorite thing about this book was the Yiddish phrases...which triggered happy memories of my childhood. The constant "flashbacks" were a bit confusing because the transitions to and from, weren't smoothly done. Determined to find out what happened, why Mia (without a Y) ended up in the hospital, what happened between her and Eran, I stuck it out until the end but it wasn't easy. I was glad Mia learned the truth of her mother's pregnancy although, again, hard to tell if she was hallucinating or actually having a conversation with her mother. But there was so many other things left me "scratching my head". Who found Mia and called the ambulance? What did Jonathan's being gay have to do with this story? And the ending would have been perfect and brought things full circle had Noam said "Mommy, Smile!" again.

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great

I liked the story but it wasn't one I felt I couldn't put down. I didn't feel like it was a full story. What was the memory thing? And what was the secret the husband was hiding?

[Kimberly C. Winslow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agonizing to get through!!

I usually like learning about different cultures and lifestyles. This book was so incredibly negative and gender biased that I really struggled to get through it! The husband was just a real piece of work that it was hard to find anything redeeming. She is a relationship therapist seriously? Not buying that one at all!!! Sorry but unless you want to read something harsh, negative, depressing that demeans a hard working selfless mother then pass this book by.

[MaryJane Rings · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it a little hard to decipher at times. The dialogue was well written but the fact that the family and the officers didn't start looking for Mia sooner was somewhat disconcerting. The story is interesting but can also be confusing. It depicts a Jewish family in crisis but isn't too different than the drama that many families face. I liked the story and the characters but felt it took to the end to really understand all of the issues.

[MJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be fair I really just couldn't get into this book. I was confused by the story line and didn't find the characters relateable. I gave up on it after a short time. Maybe someday I will be "mature" or "deep" enough to understand the nuances of this book and if that happens I will come back write a new review. For now I will leave it with the very cliché "it's not you, it's me"

[Tess Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A "feel good" read

A comfort read with a twist of drama, suspense and Jewish culture. A variety of different loves while all have unconditional love in common.