Mother Tongue

by Julie Mayhew

If you leave home, is your heart left behind?

Darya Ivanova is looking forward to September. She has looked after her little sister, Nika, since she was a baby. Now Nika is starting school. Maybe Darya can find a job with her own tidy desk. Perhaps even a boyfriend. But when an unimaginable tragedy strikes, Darya's life plans are fractured. Stalled. She is afraid. What if she never knows real love? What if she never finds somewhere she belongs?

If only she could get to Moscow. There, Darya could escape. There, she could become someone else . . .

'Magnificent' Independent on The Big Lie

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Grief, Historical, Russia, Historical Fiction

291 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2016

Reviews

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 100 pages were absolutely devastating, and I was't sure after my heart was broken and stamped on if I could even continue. 'Mother Tongue' is incredibly raw and powerful, and unlike any other YA book I've read.

[Hristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mother Tongue is a heartbreaking story inspired by The Beslan siege that happened in 2004. I was unfamiliar with this event before reading the book, however after I finished it I fell down a bit of a hole and read a whole lot.
This is a coming of age story about Darya, who survived the siege, but lost her little sister in it. I thought is was written well and that Mayhew managed to capture survivor's guilt and PTSD perfectly. The book had it's frustrating moments too, but I think it was intentional to show what dealing with mental illness really is like.
I think this is a wonderful read, definitely a roller coaster of emotion. I enjoyed it a lot.

*Copy received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
*Rating: 4/5 stars

[Shannon Miz · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight .


It's funny, in the last Julie Mayhew book I read (The Big Lie), I freaking loved the first half of the book. I'm talking five-stars, mind blown, all the feelings loved. And that is exactly what happened here. The beginning is awful and raw and I found myself wholly immersed. I will admit, it was hard for me to read (since I had my own kids, reading about kids dying guts me, but that isn't a complaint, I knew this going in of course!) so it took me some time, but I was hooked. Darya had practically raised Nika, as her mother was largely unable to due to mental illness. Darya feels like she not only lost a sister, but her whole purpose. And the family, as you can imagine, struggles to handle it too. It seems horrifyingly honest and when the media circus comes to town, terribly realistic.

This part of the story was well crafted and full of emotion. Darya trying to reach out to find where she would fit was of course believable. And her need to escape her small town to seek opportunity in Moscow made tons of sense. But this leads me to...

What I Didn't:

Here's the thing: the second half of the story wasn't necessarily even bad, it was just... different. A whole different tone, really. It became a lot more about Darya trying to navigate the big city, but I just wasn't as invested. I liked Darya, and I was rooting for her, but as the story turned from one about family and picking up the pieces after tragedy, I had trouble caring about Darya's new friend, or her crushes, or what have you. Which is perhaps unfair, but I simply didn't find this part of her journey compelling. It lacked the emotion of the first half. Where I had cared about Darya's grief, and her bond with her family, and even her trying to move on after the unthinkable, in this second half, I just felt... nothing, really.

Bottom Line: A stunning first half based on an unimaginable tragedy and a family trying to stay afloat, the second half was a bit underwhelming, especially by comparison.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a tragic story this is as it follows the life of Darya Pavlovna. Set in Russia Darya lives in Beslan, a young girl that has had to take on the tremendous responsibility of bringing up her little sister from the day she was born, yet Darya herself still yearns to be mothered. Conflicting and mixed up emotions run through her as she is forced into adulthood before her time.

When horrific events hit Beslan in 2004 Darya is left with a tremendous feeling of guilt and cannot seem to find any purpose in her life to stay in Beslan. The terrible hardships told in a town broken. The description of the weeks that followed were heart wrenching, the hope, the denial and the acceptance. Scenes that will stay with me now through Julie Mayhew's superb visual and heart breaking words. You just have to carry on reading though this is so compelling.

This novel makes you feel like you are stood at Darya's shoulder watching as events unfold, witnessing through her eyes and you just want to say this isn't your fault.

Darya travels to Moscow to find a new life, a new meaning but to say her life is troubled would be a gross understatement, as although forced through circumstances to be an adult in Beslan before her time, she is far from worldly wise for Moscow. Sometimes tragedy just seems to follow some people and they just don't seem to get a break or fit in no matter what they do.

This is a truly fascinating book that I simply could not put down. Keep reading when it ends or read first the list of Russian terms that you will find really useful and an explanation of how the children are named which is very interesting. A superb book that includes the real life event of Beslan. Excellent!

I wish to thank Netgalley and Bonnier Publishing Hot Key Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Teodora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is based on an actual event in Russia, the Beslan School siege of 2004 which makes it even more interesting.
I cannot say I remember much about the Beslan situation, but I do remember something on the news about it. What happened back then and what happened in this book connects in a horrific way.
I enjoyed the book because it seems like it is heart-written. It is the hand of someone who lives through those horrors, directly or indirectly and had a major impact on one's life.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really well written and very heartfelt, especially the portrayals of grief and survivor’s guilt. I would have liked more of a resolution for the main character’s struggle with feeling like she has lost a child rather than a sibling, but I suppose that isn’t resolved so easily in real life either.

Definitely an emotional rollercoaster, but I say if it made my heart ache then the author did a good job 👏

[Andrea Tomé · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

One of the best YAs I have ever read. This is such a triumph -- an exquisitely well written, thoroughly researched and utterly heart-breaking novel that everyone should read.

[Clair Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Julie Mayhew at a YA evening at Waterstones in Brighton along with 3 very other talented YA authors. I'd decided to only buy one book and chose Mother Tongue as it sounded the most unusual.
The story is set in Russia in 2004 and is told from the viewpoint of Darya, a teenager who is looking forward to September, when her little sister will be starting school. Darya has cared for Nika since she was born and is looking forward to starting her own life maybe get a job. A devastating tradegy unfolds (based on the true story of the school siege at Beslan) and everything gets turned on its head.
This is a beautifully written book in which we see the emotions of Darya, and how she, her family and her fellow townspeople deal with the aftermath. The descriptions of life in Russia are evocative and I spent the whole book rooting for Darya to find happiness or at least acceptance.

[Emily Wrayburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally posted on A Keyboard and an Open Mind 3 August 2019:

I was unfamiliar with the Beslan school massacre of 2004 until I read the summary of this book. I requested a copy because I wanted to know more, and I also thought this might be a book to really move me.

In the end, I was a bit disappointed. The writing style made me feel very disconnected from the main character, Darya, and what was going on in her life. I think this was probably a deliberate stylistic choice. For one, the idea of it is that the story has been translated from Darya’s Russian recount of the story. And secondly, she is heavily broken by the events that take place. But ultimately it meant I didn’t feel truly connected and when I wasn’t reading, I didn’t feel the need to pick up the book again (hence taking so long to finish).

Having said that, the writing is consistent and tight. It probably would appeal to other readers. The story doesn’t… really go anywhere? It is really about Darya as a character, rather than any plot, which is not my favourite style. The Beslan siege didn’t actually play that big a part in the story, either. I think the story could have progressed from any number of personal tragedies.

The story comes full circle in the end, which I think some readers will find satisfying, but I found it a bit pointless. Actually, “pointless” sounds a bit harsh, but I did sort of feel that I was back where I started.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my opinions, and all of the words below are my own.

3.5 stars
I'm not entirely sure what to say about this book. It is a heartwrenching story and full of lots of small and large disasters that people, unfortunately, have to face in the real world. However, I felt little to no connection to the main character. The writing was fine, it was a short and easy read, and as I said the story itself was quite well done. Yet it felt unremarkable, and not very memorable.

With all that said maybe I'm just the wrong audience for this book, or read it with the wrong mindset. It jumped between so many different things in the main characters life and yet none fully hit home for me, despite obviously being something that would for others. So I'm going to leave this review short, and say that I would recommend it to others but maybe those with more connection to the story.

[Paula Vince · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is based on an actual event in Russia, the Beslan School siege of 2004. Over 1000 hostages were taken in the terrorist attack, and many were killed. In this story, main character Darya Ivanova loses her cheerful little sister Nika, who was starting her first day of school.

The first half of this novel deals with ways in which different family members cope with their intense grief. Darya takes up smoking, distracts herself with housework and cooking, and longs to make a fresh start as an office worker or secretary in Moscow where she believes she might be able to shake off the pain. Her ambition is to 'sit at a desk in a good blouse and skirt, learn to type and have a glass pot with sharpened pencils.' Her younger brothers, Boris and Igor, respond to the tragedy with hostility toward the perpetrators, and heightened vigilance in case of more attacks. Their mother falls into heartbroken inertia. When they think they've dealt with the pain, they find that simple triggers have a way of returning it stronger than ever. This is all described with sensitive and heartbreaking detail.

Darya makes friendships with aid workers Zlata and Vitaliy. She develops a crush on Jonathan, a handsome journalist from New York who is teaching English to a group of young women. One day Jonathan offers Darya the chance to fulfill her dream of looking for work in Moscow. The second half of the book shows how she fares, and the results of his generous gesture. It has a 'City Mouse, Country Mouse' sort of feeling. Initially wide-eyed and eager to assimilate, Darya becomes disenchanted enough with her experience to consider returning home. (You have to read the book to find out whether or not she does.)

The people she meets include Viktoria, a street-wise girl who takes her under her wing, and Ekaterina, a young waitress who longs to leave Moscow to live in Venice, although she already possesses Darya's dream of living in Moscow. The irony of this is not lost on Darya.

The brief descriptions we get of lifestyles in Moscow whet our appetites to learn more. There are crowds on their way to Red Square and the Bolshoi, the Cathedral of the Assumption and the Kremlin. Julie Mayhew weaves great metaphors into her writing, such as likening the Hotel Alexander, where Darya is staying, to a living being with a heartbeat and veins. It's done with a subtlety that you could blink and miss, but gives the story great texture. I really liked her writing style.

The issue in the end isn't whether or not Darya should stay in the city or return home. That becomes irrelevant. Having the free choice to make that decision for herself is what the book is really all about. Darya realises that Viktoria paints bright, exciting pictures with her words, 'and her ambitions for me began to paper over mine.' She decides to think carefully about Jonathan's eventual offer too. Well-meaning though it is, she learns to ponder whether or not it will fit her deepest needs. Some readers may think that Darya hasn't experienced enough of the city to make such a definite resolution.

Another interesting questions she finds herself asking is whether or not she dismiss one specific chance of happiness, just because it's originally her father's choice and not her own. Although the package may not look appealing, there's a feeling that she's on the verge of getting rid of prejudice and deciding it might be just what she wants. I love that. So after the horrific event at the start, the book ends on a hopeful and positive note.

Although she was really only in it in person for a very short time, little Nika was one of the strongest characters of the story. She lives powerfully in Darya's reminiscences, memories, and the spontaneous dreams she has at night. They are a great blend of physical and personality attributes. We see a cheerful little girl who was always ready to embrace simple pleasures, and with her imagination, transform her drab surroundings into something wonderful. Darya even reflects, 'how perfect to be her. Funny and silly, yet focused and true.' A perfect tribute to her little sister.

I was given this novel to review for the Book Curator magazine for school libraries.
For more reviews, please visit my blog, http://vincereview.blogspot.com.au/

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initial thoughts: Mother Tongue is based on the Beslan school siege, and the aftermath. Needless to say, that made it a difficult book to read. Knowing that children were killed, thinking about the families left behind, recalling the despairing faces I saw on TV in 2004 made it all the more heart-breaking. The pain, however, does not compare to that of people who were there. That's why I'm glad that Julie Mayhew continued to wonder in her afterword if this was a story she should tell.

Was it her place to write this book? I don't have a concrete answer either, though I don't think that she sensationalised any aspect. That's an important factor that made me appreciate Mother Tongue. Mayhew focused on one person, Darya, and how she was affected — the post-traumatic stress disorder she was struck with when she lost a her sister, whom she had raised like her own daughter.

The pace felt a little dissonant, Darya's character introspective yet not always fully present. That slowed down my reading of Mother Tongue significantly. Usually that would've bothered me but given the subject matter, it seemed fitting.

[Michelle (Fluttering Butterflies) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was beautifully written and engaging, but I didn't connect emotionally to the story or characters.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a mentally unwell mother and an otherwise occupied father, for seven years teenager Darya has been the only caregiver of her little sister, Nika. By every definition of the word and the heart, Darya has been Nika’s mom. When early on in the story a tragedy occurs, Darya’s walloped by a mother’s level of grief, compounded by the fact that Darya herself is still very much a child.

There were times I found Darya frustrating, times when I became annoyed with her for not making better choices, and that wasn’t fair. The more I thought (and continue to think) about her, the more I understand that as much as I wanted Darya to respond differently in certain situations, to have a better read on certain people, the way she responds with her naivete and her desperation to be loved, her mimicking of behaviors in what she wears or how she acts with boys/men instead of questioning whether it’s right for her, it makes total sense for the character, not only are Darya’s feelings and actions coming from a bereft state, but while she was busy guiding her little sister in growing up, no one was doing the same for Darya.

Even though little Nika isn’t present for much of the book, the author does a fantastic job of establishing the love between these two sisters in the opening scenes they share as well as the small, specific details such as the heart balloon, the chopped bangs, the cereal bowl, and the stuffed animal.

Because of that sisterly/mother-child bond, because this is based in part on a real-life horrific event (the 2004 Breslan School Siege), and because it’s written chiefly with Darya’s emotions in mind, and her main emotion is grief, there’s an aching sense of loss throughout this book, it’s heartbreaking, occasionally though, there are uplifting moments, uplifting friendships, people who come into Darya’s life and genuinely care for her, who look out for her, so while this is a tremendously sad story, the book does have more to offer than that.

My feelings about the ending are tricky to convey without spoilers, but I’ll try to keep it vague. It was a lot like my frustrations with Darya, and how I put expectations on her that weren’t right for the character, same goes for the ending, I was momentarily disappointed with the way it didn’t feel like as much of a leap forward as I thought I wanted. Gradually, as I turned the last few pages, I came to appreciate the beauty in where Darya ends up, in the peace of mind and heart she finds there, and how achieving that peace was actually a whole lot more important in the grand scheme of things than the kind of surface achievement that I initially thought her ending needed.

Lastly, be sure to read the afterword as the author is candid about her concerns in writing a story when she isn’t of its culture. I thought her honesty about her mixed feelings were such an important thing to share with readers, and since it isn’t my culture or experience either, I appreciated finding out just how much care she put into research and getting the story as truthful as she possibly could.


I received this ARC through a giveaway.

[Annette Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mother Tongue by Julie Mayhew is an emotional and hard hitting book about grief and survival. It follows Darya, who at 18 is much older than her years. She has helped to raise her younger siblings since her mother essentially shut down after the birth of her last child, Nika who is just about to start school. This will be a new beginning for both Darya and Nika, and Darya dreams of moving to Moscow and becoming someone, getting a job in an office and being able to wear the kinds of clothes that would look ridiculous in the small town she comes from. Nika is excited to finally be a big girl,and skips to the school carrying balloons and the traditional gift for her new teacher. It is the last time the two girls will see each other. The school in question is in Beslan and later that day it was attacked by armed Islamic militants. For three days the hostage situation went on, the children and teachers trapped inside, until the Russian security forces eventually stormed the building. The tragic situation resulted in the deaths of 334 people including 186 children, In this fictionalized account Nika is one of the children tragically killed, and while the shock is enough to rouse her mother from her stupor, the loss is also devastating to Darya. and the two women deal with that grief in very different ways which soon puts them at odds with each other. The entire town in reeling in grief and heartbreak. and soon becomes the focal point of global media. An American journalist strikes up a friendship with Darya and helps her to move to Moscow, but the small town girl is not cut out for city life and soon finds herself caught up in the dangerous underbelly of the city , but her grief and guilt convince her it is all she deserves.
Basing a book on such a huge tragedy takes a lot of guts and even the author herself admits that she had reservations about telling this story, but it is clear that she had gone to great lengths to be both accurate and respectful , while at the same time doing her best to portray the absolute devastation and desolation experienced in the community after the siege. Have no doubts about it , this book will break your heart, but it is one that is sure to stay with you long after you turn the final page.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can remember how shocked I was back in 2004 at the news of a school that became overrun by terrorists and the end of that siege resulting in the death of several youngsters. While that is the setting and the starting point for this YA novel, the author chooses not to explore the violence and terrorism so much as the effects it had on those left behind. The protagonist, Darya Pavlovna, is 18 and has essentially reared her young sister, Nika, after her mother became mired in depression and was unable to function. Darya dreams of leaving her small Russian town for a more exciting life in Moscow, where she envisions herself working in an office. She's certainly smart and well read enough to do well in college or in a future career, but she doesn't know how to get where she thinks she wants to go. After Nika dies in the violence, Darya meets a journalist, Jonathan Bruck, who is in town to cover the story. He starts teaching Darya and some of the other women some English phrases, and she starts to have romantic feelings for her. They are not requited, but he does offer her assistance in her plans to move to Moscow. But Moscow is a huge city, somewhat unfriendly, and when she stumbles upon someone who might be able to help her find a job, Darya has no idea that Valeria, her new friend, is not to be trusted. Parts of this story are simply heart-wrenching as the author explores love, loss, betrayal, and forgiveness, but other parts will restore readers' faith in humanity as Darya meets many individuals who want to help her. I'm not sure I understood the reasons behind the ending, but the author certainly touched my heart. I would imagine that many readers will want to learn more about the tragedy on which the story is based. The details included in here one Darya arrives in Moscow and then starts saving the hotel pencils and other materials truly show readers just how unworldly someone like Daria is and how easy it would be for someone to take advantage of her.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was just okay. I read the blurb and had high expectations that I didn't feel were really met by the time I reached the end of the book.
The first several chapters were absolutely engrossing, devastating, and incredibly powerful. I do wish that Mayhew had taken the decision to delve deeper into what was only referred to as "Chechen conflict" as I honestly had no idea what she was referring to (though I love that this meant I went away and researched the Beslan School Siege and then Russia/Chechen wars as I had no knowledge of any of it). However I do understand the decision as to not divert too fully from the plot, but I do think it would have given a deeper understanding to how truly atrocious the attack was with the "reasoning" behind it.

The only mild spoiler that I'll give is that, at first, I found myself annoyed at the prospect of Darya going back home instead of staying in Moscow to try the new job Johnathan had found for her instead of just leaving on the back of her terrible experience (or lack there of) that she'd had so far of the Capital City. She spent almost the whole book trying to get away, it literally forms the plot and then.... nothing. However, as the story evolved of her returning home, I can now only see the possible future of her being back home; it's what she needed.

[Rachel Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I only have a vague memory of the crisis in Beslan taking place so it was interesting to read a novel about it, although really this is a coming-of-age novel which discusses what childhood and adulthood are, and the effects of trauma. The infamous event itself actually takes up very little of the book.

I began by finding Darya quite a frustrating character. She blamed herself for a lot of things that it was clear were not her fault (survivor's guilt?) and I was sad that none of the sympathetic characters told her "This was not your fault." The quite detached voice at times made other characters' behaviour seem odd and upsetting (particularly her mother's, and Jonathan's). I actually found myself distrusting most of the characters myself, almost as though to protect Darya as she seemed to have very little way to protect herself. However the story, and Darya's odyssey to Moscow, did eventually draw me in, even if I couldn't believe how naive she was!

The emotional journey Darya went on, and her ability to forgive and love despite disappointment and grief, was very moving and I'm glad I read this book.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Candlewick Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Mother Tongue. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Mother Tongue is a fictional account of the Beslan school siege in 2004, where Russian separatists held a school population hostage and killed over 300. This is the story of eighteen year old Darya, a young woman who brought her little sister to school that fateful day.

Mother Tongue chronicles the family's struggles in the aftermath, though the focus is on Darya. The book feels like it begins with a few pages missing, as there is not a lot of context given in the actual story. The pain, anguish, anxiety, and terror of not knowing what is happening is clearly felt at the beginning, but most of the book evokes little or no emotion. The author may have been trying to keep the reader off balance, mimicking the feelings of the townspeople, but it does not come through successfully. After the siege, as the police investigate, there is an opportunity for explanation that is squandered. I appreciate the fact that the author allows for some discovery on the reader's part, but not enough is told to make the whole story come to fruition. For these reasons, I hesitate to recommend Mother Tongue to other readers.

[lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Darya Ivanova is an eighteen-year-old girl who takes care of her seven-year-old sister Nika. Her mother never comes out of her bed since Nika has been born.

On the first school day of Nika something terrible happens. Nika doesn't survive. To Darya this is devestating as if her child died. Even though her mother never cared for Nika she suddenly needs to grieve as a mother. Darya can't hold on at home any longer, so she leaves to Moscow with some help of Jonathan (the American journalist Darya has a cruch on). In Moscow she comes to stand with a lot of challenges and the challenge of being her true self.

I liked how her homeculture and how she dealt with it was shaped. However it annoyed me that such a smart girl could be so naïve. Her grieving process over Nika really touched me and it angered me that her mother wasn't being a mother to her. I learned from this book that sometimes you need to go through a dark time before finding the light again.

If you like books with a lot of family drama and developing of the characters I recommend it. You shouldn't read it for the plot because the plot isn't so exciting.

[Jill Rey · Rating 2 out of 5]

When youngest sibling, Nika, is killed in a terrorist attack on the first day of school, Dasha is lost. She has lost her purpose after years of caring for her youngest sister. Trying to find comfort and love again this is a coming of age novel in the hardest sense.

Mother Tongue is a foreign story of sadness, loss and rising again. However, as a born and raised middle-class American I felt lost in the Russian references, settings and familiarity. Often books set in foreign lands, such as Exit West, A Place for Us or The Pearl That Broke Its Shell provide a balance between detail and landscape that allows “outsiders” to connect to the story without feeling lost or severed from the storyline. Unfortunately this book lacked that “connectedness,” as the balance in the descriptions and experiences was lacking for the general reader.

*A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Candlewick Press. All opinions are my own.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grief is a monster in its own right, and here we explore all the various responses to that complicated process. In the wake of a terrorist attack (details of the hows and whys are pretty fuzzy - this could be any kind of school shooting or similar event), the victims’ relatives must wait to hear if their loved ones have survived, they must deal with funerals and memorials, some emerge from mental illness, others channel their feelings into violence, and Darya finds she must leave her home to find a new purpose.

I thought Darya’s arc was heartbreaking, but pretty realistic. Grieving her sister, who she’s raised as a daughter for seven years, Darya struggles in her hometown. She latches on to the idea that traveling to Moscow will act as a fresh start, but she quickly gets in over her head. I’m glad she ends up back home, even though it felt like everything there was sucking the life out of her for a while.

Terrorism, death, sex.

[Philip S Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with the Blackwell's Teen Fiction Reading Group in Oxford, and enjoyed it. I remember the news of the real-life tragedy in Beslan in September 2004, and so the story has an added poignancy. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Darya, not just because of her grief, but also because she was so lonely and misunderstood. No one seemed to notice that the loss of Nika affected her most of all, and that wasn't fair. I completely understood her desire to get away, thinking that Moscow held the promise for a new start and a better life. There was something of the Parable of the Prodigal Son in this story, that Darya needed to reach rock bottom before she could come to her senses and realise what home might hold for her. In short, this is a well-written, touching book about a journey through grief to acceptance.

[Sally Flint · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book to read and a well-written interpretation of the consequences of a real event - the Beslen shooting in Russia in 2004. The author's account of why she went ahead and wrote a fictionalised version of a real incident is interesting to read and gives validity to her exploration of the topic. The exploration of the main character and her loss and suffering is well portrayed; we care what happens to her. However, because of this, I found the ending very disappointing - say no more! Other relationships were less well developed and seemed peripheral to the main events, but leaving it that way kind of makes sense in terms of the context of the overall book. I read this to see if it would sit well in our libraries 'Worldwide Fiction' section of the library. It does work there, but I think is better placed as a regular social issues or family book.

[Isla-Grace Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother Tongue is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful novel about loss and identity and I love it a lot. The premise seems almost too disappointing, you push through pages and pages of darkness for the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimmer of hope that dwindles in the final pages of the book. At its worst, Julia Mayhew’s writing is too pessimistic, but it works. This book taught me about a tragedy I had no idea existed in a country I know hardly anything about, but Mayhew wrote our eighteen-year-old protagonist’s words so realistically and raw, I was crying about it even when I wasn’t reading. So, if you can stomach an almost depressingly dark novel, read this. It’s really very good.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting when I started reading, but a well-written (though pretty damn depressing) story. I should probably give it 4 stars, but it was so sad. Even with the ending. Maybe even because of the ending, since that’s the part that didn’t ring as true.

If you’re interested in reading, don’t let my review stop you; it’s a solid read. I’m just not going to go out of my way to recommend it to anyone, either.

[Caity · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heavy book. While the setting is clear and well done there are many elements of the story that are so universal. The journeys of the characters and how they face what has happened and what will happen moving forward is so real and raw. Overall the book packs such an emotional punch.

[flowers6 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A truly devastating novel about loss, identity and grief. I wasn't too familiar with the crisis in Beslan, but I appreciate that the novel was thoroughly researched. And that the author was respectful with such a sensitive topic.

[Shannon Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-5 stars.

Gorgeously written YA novel, focusing on trauma, grief, what it means to be a family, and home. I will write a longer review soon.

Meanwhile, I'll say this: this book is something special.

[Jordan St. Stier · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read that is vaguely reminiscent of Breslov and Sandy Hook in the beginning that gives way to a rather predictable 'fallen woman' story that makes rather little sense.