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The Mother Fault
Mim’s husband is missing. No one knows where Ben is, but everyone wants to find him – especially The Department. And they should know, the all-seeing government body has fitted the entire population with a universal tracking chip to keep them ‘safe’.
But suddenly Ben can’t be tracked. And Mim is questioned, made to surrender her passport and threatened with the unthinkable – her two children being taken into care at the notorious BestLife.
Cornered, Mim risks everything to go on the run to find her husband – and a part of herself, long gone, that is brave enough to tackle the journey ahead.
From the stark backroads of the Australian outback to a terrifying sea voyage, Mim is forced to shuck off who she was – mother, daughter, wife, sister – and become the woman she needs to be to save her family and herself.
But suddenly Ben can’t be tracked. And Mim is questioned, made to surrender her passport and threatened with the unthinkable – her two children being taken into care at the notorious BestLife.
Cornered, Mim risks everything to go on the run to find her husband – and a part of herself, long gone, that is brave enough to tackle the journey ahead.
From the stark backroads of the Australian outback to a terrifying sea voyage, Mim is forced to shuck off who she was – mother, daughter, wife, sister – and become the woman she needs to be to save her family and herself.
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2020
109 people are currently reading
2468 people want to read
About the author
Kate Mildenhall
5 books196 followersKate Mildenhall is the author of Skylarking (2016) The Mother Fault (2020) and The Hummingbird Effect ((2023). She lives in Hurstbridge on Wurundjeri lands, with her partner and two children.
Skylarking was longlisted for Debut Fiction in The Indie Book Awards 2017, and the 2017 Voss Literary Award. The Mother Fault was longlisted for the 2021 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year and shortlisted for the 2021 Aurealis Science Fiction Novel of the Year. The Hummingbird Effect is due for release August 2nd 2023.
With friend and author Katherine Collette, Kate co-hosts The First Time Podcast – conversations with Australian writers – a podcast now in its sixth season.
Kate is currently undertaking her PhD in creative writing at RMIT. She can be found on Instagram at @kmildenhall and Twitter @katemildenhall.
Skylarking was longlisted for Debut Fiction in The Indie Book Awards 2017, and the 2017 Voss Literary Award. The Mother Fault was longlisted for the 2021 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year and shortlisted for the 2021 Aurealis Science Fiction Novel of the Year. The Hummingbird Effect is due for release August 2nd 2023.
With friend and author Katherine Collette, Kate co-hosts The First Time Podcast – conversations with Australian writers – a podcast now in its sixth season.
Kate is currently undertaking her PhD in creative writing at RMIT. She can be found on Instagram at @kmildenhall and Twitter @katemildenhall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 566 reviews
September 12, 2020
It is dystopian, it is beautifully written, it is a thriller. All things I love so why was I not totally engaged by this book?
Maybe it was because I found the main character, Mim, totally unrelatable. Some of her choices were just plain wrong. More likely it was the constant flashbacks which were of value at first in helping to set the scene, but later popped up at very inopportune moments and killed the tension stone dead. All I know is that something kept stopping me from being involved in the story.
I really enjoyed this author's first book, Skylarking. This one not so much.
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Maybe it was because I found the main character, Mim, totally unrelatable. Some of her choices were just plain wrong. More likely it was the constant flashbacks which were of value at first in helping to set the scene, but later popped up at very inopportune moments and killed the tension stone dead. All I know is that something kept stopping me from being involved in the story.
I really enjoyed this author's first book, Skylarking. This one not so much.
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
December 23, 2020
This novel is set Australia in the future where the impact of climate change has been brutal as is the political control of ‘One Party for One Nation’ via such actions as chipping people and with Omni the ever watching eye. Think Third Reich and you’re not far wrong especially as The Best Life camps have one way in and none out. When Miriam (Mim) Elliot gets a phone call to say her husband Ben is missing from The Golden Arc mine in Indonesia what follows is a tense race against authority and time to save herself, her children Essie, 11, and Sam, 6 and to try to get to Ben.
There are parts of the book that are really good. The smothering control of the one party state is grim, scary and devastating in its impact and loss of personal freedom as people are constantly surveilled. The insidious threat of Best Life is chilling and unsettling. The excellent dystopian climate change descriptions via the wildlife and the landscape are a stark apocalyptic warning and really stand out. In terms of characters those that seem to be the best fleshed out are the children, they feel so real and easy to picture. This could be deliberate on the part of the author given the title of the book. Mim’s strong minded actions seem impetuous but her desire to protect her children in a world which lacks personal freedom maybe understandable. The ending is really good with excitement, tension and plenty of suspense and leaves you wondering which I like as it fits with the world as Mim knows it.
My reservations of the book lie in the sections where the characters are on a boat from Darwin to Indonesia as they are drawn out and I lose some interest and some of Mims actions here make little sense when you reflect on why she is making the dangerous trip.
Overall though, this is a chilling glimpse into an all too believable future in terms of climate change. I like the strength of Mim’s protective maternal instincts and I enjoyed most of her story.
With thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins, Harper Fiction for the widget for an honest review.
There are parts of the book that are really good. The smothering control of the one party state is grim, scary and devastating in its impact and loss of personal freedom as people are constantly surveilled. The insidious threat of Best Life is chilling and unsettling. The excellent dystopian climate change descriptions via the wildlife and the landscape are a stark apocalyptic warning and really stand out. In terms of characters those that seem to be the best fleshed out are the children, they feel so real and easy to picture. This could be deliberate on the part of the author given the title of the book. Mim’s strong minded actions seem impetuous but her desire to protect her children in a world which lacks personal freedom maybe understandable. The ending is really good with excitement, tension and plenty of suspense and leaves you wondering which I like as it fits with the world as Mim knows it.
My reservations of the book lie in the sections where the characters are on a boat from Darwin to Indonesia as they are drawn out and I lose some interest and some of Mims actions here make little sense when you reflect on why she is making the dangerous trip.
Overall though, this is a chilling glimpse into an all too believable future in terms of climate change. I like the strength of Mim’s protective maternal instincts and I enjoyed most of her story.
With thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins, Harper Fiction for the widget for an honest review.
January 4, 2021
CW:
Well, there were brilliant elements in here but unfortunately they didn't add up to anything great for me.
I'll set the scene for you. A woman fighting to keep her children safe in a dystopian world where her husband has disappeared. She embarks on a perilous journey, evading authorities at every turn, and then sets sail across treacherous oceans to find her husband. Sounds good right!
So why didn't I enjoy this?
It started off by establishing a frighteningly feasible dystopia where everyone is microchipped so their activity and whereabouts can be tracked "for their own safety". Mim is told her husband has gone missing and she sets off with her two young children to find him. What follows is an incredibly boring trek across the country with a main character I did not like whose children were unpleasantly willful. There were only a couple of 'close calls' with police and even then they were pretty non-eventful. This is followed by a long stint at sea where she battles her attraction to the yacht's captain. What a missed opportunity! Why didn't the author keep up the dystopian elements? They ended up serving no point as it didn't feature much in the rest of the story. At 48% I was so close to DNFing but I kept thinking surely something interesting will happen. Alas, aside from one or two tense moments it did not engage me. I will say this though, the writing itself is simply stunning, hence my 2 stars.
Well, there were brilliant elements in here but unfortunately they didn't add up to anything great for me.
I'll set the scene for you. A woman fighting to keep her children safe in a dystopian world where her husband has disappeared. She embarks on a perilous journey, evading authorities at every turn, and then sets sail across treacherous oceans to find her husband. Sounds good right!
So why didn't I enjoy this?
It started off by establishing a frighteningly feasible dystopia where everyone is microchipped so their activity and whereabouts can be tracked "for their own safety". Mim is told her husband has gone missing and she sets off with her two young children to find him. What follows is an incredibly boring trek across the country with a main character I did not like whose children were unpleasantly willful. There were only a couple of 'close calls' with police and even then they were pretty non-eventful. This is followed by a long stint at sea where she battles her attraction to the yacht's captain. What a missed opportunity! Why didn't the author keep up the dystopian elements? They ended up serving no point as it didn't feature much in the rest of the story. At 48% I was so close to DNFing but I kept thinking surely something interesting will happen. Alas, aside from one or two tense moments it did not engage me. I will say this though, the writing itself is simply stunning, hence my 2 stars.
September 3, 2020
The Mother Fault is a wonderfully bingeable thriller with a simple premise: Mim’s husband goes missing, she sets off across land and sea to find him—with two kids in tow and the authorities on her tail. Set in the near future, Mildenhall’s imagined dystopia is likewise fairly uncomplicated: a surveillance state in a climate-changed world.
Keeping things relatively simple is the key here to believable world-building and creating very real stakes for Mim and her family. It might be set in the future, but Mim has to go low-tech to avoid capture, so the story isn’t leaning so much on the ‘future’ aspect as it is on the chase and the accompanying family drama.
Unlike some other dystopian thrillers I could name, there is some superb writing here. In particular, Mim’s kids, 11-year-old Essie and 6-year-old Sam, are two of the most ‘real’ fictional children I’ve ever come across. Many of the descriptions of the landscape, as Mim drives across Australia’s vast interior, are gorgeously rendered.
The Mother Fault gets so much so right that it is easy to forgive it some far-fetched moments and a clunky romantic subplot. A really cracking, pageturning read.
Keeping things relatively simple is the key here to believable world-building and creating very real stakes for Mim and her family. It might be set in the future, but Mim has to go low-tech to avoid capture, so the story isn’t leaning so much on the ‘future’ aspect as it is on the chase and the accompanying family drama.
Unlike some other dystopian thrillers I could name, there is some superb writing here. In particular, Mim’s kids, 11-year-old Essie and 6-year-old Sam, are two of the most ‘real’ fictional children I’ve ever come across. Many of the descriptions of the landscape, as Mim drives across Australia’s vast interior, are gorgeously rendered.
The Mother Fault gets so much so right that it is easy to forgive it some far-fetched moments and a clunky romantic subplot. A really cracking, pageturning read.
September 30, 2020
Kate Mildenhall's new book is set slightly in the future in a disturbing dystopian world ravaged by climate change. Everyone is microchipped and under surveillance by 'the Department' who have the power to arrest people without cause or send them to controlled, gated accommodation ironically
called 'BestLife'. Central character Mim is happily married with two children, Essie and Sam and husband Ben, a fly in/fly out engineer working for a mining company in Indonesia. When Ben goes missing and Mim can't get in touch with him, the Department descends confiscating Mim's passports but refusing to tell her why they can't find him. Beside herself with worry Mim decides to leave Victoria, somehow drop of the grid and and head to the Northern territory, and find a way to get to Indonesia to look for Ben.
This well written novel made for a compelling read and Mildenhall's vision of the future is very scary indeed. Her portrayal of the landscape and the effects of climate change on it is one of the strongest aspects of the novel. Her portrayal of the family at the heart of the novel and Mim's determination and braveness in protecting her children is also beautifully depicted. For me, the plot was not quite as plausible and Mim made some poor decisions, but it was fast paced and kept the momentum going to the suspense filled climax and an ending that leaves the family with a glimmer of hope for the future.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for a digital copy to read
called 'BestLife'. Central character Mim is happily married with two children, Essie and Sam and husband Ben, a fly in/fly out engineer working for a mining company in Indonesia. When Ben goes missing and Mim can't get in touch with him, the Department descends confiscating Mim's passports but refusing to tell her why they can't find him. Beside herself with worry Mim decides to leave Victoria, somehow drop of the grid and and head to the Northern territory, and find a way to get to Indonesia to look for Ben.
This well written novel made for a compelling read and Mildenhall's vision of the future is very scary indeed. Her portrayal of the landscape and the effects of climate change on it is one of the strongest aspects of the novel. Her portrayal of the family at the heart of the novel and Mim's determination and braveness in protecting her children is also beautifully depicted. For me, the plot was not quite as plausible and Mim made some poor decisions, but it was fast paced and kept the momentum going to the suspense filled climax and an ending that leaves the family with a glimmer of hope for the future.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for a digital copy to read
September 25, 2020
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
The Mother Fault is a powerful story, it’s raw and astutely written, very original and tense at times. There were edge of your seat moments and suspense. It’s unsettling and disturbing to view this imaginary dystopian future for Australia because it is so close to becoming real.
Imagine a world in the near future, a climate in crisis, everyone is on surveillance and microchipped, 'The Department’ have control of everything and if you don’t behave you will find yourself in a place called ‘BestLife’ (don’t let the name fool you!). A terrifying future for mankind!
Mim is our mum heroine, she is married to Ben, a FIFO (Fly In Fly Out) engineer working in Indonesia at an Australian and Chinese operated mine. His position there is to minimise environmental damage. They have two children, Essie eleven and Sammy six.
Ben has mysteriously disappeared from the mine site at the Golden Arc, GeoTech his employer have informed Mim. The Department have come to visit Mim, they ask her to handover her passport for the duration of the matter into Ben’s situation and she is told not to leave her address or her children will be taken away from her. How can Ben just disappear when he is microchipped and tracked?
Mim risks everything to find her husband and save her family, they find themselves on the run in the Australian Outback and then off on a perilous voyage at sea to find her husband with an old flame who owns the yacht.
This is a story about protecting the people we love, betrayal, political control and motherhood. I enjoyed the story, it was exciting and different although the ending didn’t give me the closure I expected. A recommended read.
The Mother Fault is a powerful story, it’s raw and astutely written, very original and tense at times. There were edge of your seat moments and suspense. It’s unsettling and disturbing to view this imaginary dystopian future for Australia because it is so close to becoming real.
Imagine a world in the near future, a climate in crisis, everyone is on surveillance and microchipped, 'The Department’ have control of everything and if you don’t behave you will find yourself in a place called ‘BestLife’ (don’t let the name fool you!). A terrifying future for mankind!
Mim is our mum heroine, she is married to Ben, a FIFO (Fly In Fly Out) engineer working in Indonesia at an Australian and Chinese operated mine. His position there is to minimise environmental damage. They have two children, Essie eleven and Sammy six.
Ben has mysteriously disappeared from the mine site at the Golden Arc, GeoTech his employer have informed Mim. The Department have come to visit Mim, they ask her to handover her passport for the duration of the matter into Ben’s situation and she is told not to leave her address or her children will be taken away from her. How can Ben just disappear when he is microchipped and tracked?
Mim risks everything to find her husband and save her family, they find themselves on the run in the Australian Outback and then off on a perilous voyage at sea to find her husband with an old flame who owns the yacht.
This is a story about protecting the people we love, betrayal, political control and motherhood. I enjoyed the story, it was exciting and different although the ending didn’t give me the closure I expected. A recommended read.
September 5, 2021
Who doesn't love a widget?
This was unfortunately the book that made me realise 'you don't have to accept EVERY widget you get sent from a publisher!'
I have so many mixed feelings with this one.
The writing was fantastic, but the timeline was just too confusing and not seamless at all, which I find very difficult to enjoy a book if this is not done well.
Interesting characters and an intriguing premise, but the ending made me feel somewhat disappointed and underwhelmed.
This was unfortunately the book that made me realise 'you don't have to accept EVERY widget you get sent from a publisher!'
I have so many mixed feelings with this one.
The writing was fantastic, but the timeline was just too confusing and not seamless at all, which I find very difficult to enjoy a book if this is not done well.
Interesting characters and an intriguing premise, but the ending made me feel somewhat disappointed and underwhelmed.
September 8, 2020
I couldn't put this down. Mildenhall creates a grim, near-future world that is horrifyingly plausible and sets you down straight into an escalating, anxious story. The plot occasionally teeters on the brink of plausibility in order to maintain its momentum, and the resolution seemed a bit sudden to me, but it's a compelling ride - an immersive distraction from the mundanity of lockdown life in Melbourne.
September 25, 2020
I'm not sure if it is because I just finished American Dirt which has a very similar premise (mother and child/ren running away from oppression), but this one fell a bit flat for me.
Firstly, the lack of fully fleshed out ideology behind The Department. I struggled to grasp exactly what was driving the oppressive regime other than the bland 'keep us safe' concept. In Atwood's Handmaid's Tale and Orwell's 1984, we get a chillingly clear sense of how the governments grasp their power and why they do so. Here, we get a few examples of how The Department operates, but their reasons are obscure. The BestLife which Mim so despises, isn't portrayed as that bad when she visits her brother (children running and laughing, her brother has his own apartment). It's only later we find out that he killed himself but it's unclear exactly why (some drug trial complications?). Here, the liberals are the first ones lining up for their surveillance chips, and OMNI turns off the shower after only a few minutes, so I'm assuming this isn't a right-wing government? But it's really hard to tell. You certainly don't get the sense it is a communist regime. The kids seem to have a fairly normal existence - participating in extra curricular activities (soccer) and acting like normal self-centred children (buried in screens, indulging in ear-splitting tantrums, lecturing Mim on her generation's failures to react to climate change etc). Certainly not examples of kids who are starving or oppressed, by any means.
Secondly, the character of Mim. She 'pisses', 'sh*ts liquid', says 'f*ck' on almost every page, and has a drinking problem but is otherwise a fairly ordinary middle-aged mother. She seems to blame her children (who are 6 and 11) for the fact she has lost herself (after a nasty bout of post-natal depression) and gave up her job as a geologist for them, but it is unclear what she does while they are at school. When her husband goes missing, she drops everything at the first insinuation she might lose her children to a BestLife. She comes across as quite petulant and self-centred - taking money from her mother so that she can go on the run, putting two childhood friends under pressure by asking them to help her (both end up severely maimed as a result). She shows up at her ex-boyfriend's childhood home and ropes him into sailing them to Darwin in his boat, but rarely shows any real sense of gratitude for his efforts (unless you count sleeping with him whilst in the middle of the ocean on the way to find her lost husband) - telling him to 'watch it' when he remarks upon her kids' unruly behaviour, demanding they leave before a crucial spare part comes in. In fact, when her son accidentally jumps on the steps that crush Nick's foot and almost severs his toes (reacting to her panic that a muesli bar wrapper might end up in the ocean), Mim seems more annoyed that Nick got hurt or that he wants to try and help them despite his significant pain, rather than feeling any sense of remorse.
Thirdly, the exoticisation of Ambon as a place to escape to from the climate-ravaged landscape of Australia. With sea levels rising (to the point where a coastal building is completely underwater in Darwin), I was curious as to the elevation levels of Ambon in comparison and found (in a quick google search) that while Darwin is approx. 27m above sea level, Ambon is only 8. It seems as if, in Mim's world, the climate-change bubble only really affects Australia.
The positives are that the novel is fairly fast-paced and the kids' characters are well-conceived, and it does draw you in for the ride. I just found myself increasingly being bugged by the conflicting elements as I drew out of that world.
Firstly, the lack of fully fleshed out ideology behind The Department. I struggled to grasp exactly what was driving the oppressive regime other than the bland 'keep us safe' concept. In Atwood's Handmaid's Tale and Orwell's 1984, we get a chillingly clear sense of how the governments grasp their power and why they do so. Here, we get a few examples of how The Department operates, but their reasons are obscure. The BestLife which Mim so despises, isn't portrayed as that bad when she visits her brother (children running and laughing, her brother has his own apartment). It's only later we find out that he killed himself but it's unclear exactly why (some drug trial complications?). Here, the liberals are the first ones lining up for their surveillance chips, and OMNI turns off the shower after only a few minutes, so I'm assuming this isn't a right-wing government? But it's really hard to tell. You certainly don't get the sense it is a communist regime. The kids seem to have a fairly normal existence - participating in extra curricular activities (soccer) and acting like normal self-centred children (buried in screens, indulging in ear-splitting tantrums, lecturing Mim on her generation's failures to react to climate change etc). Certainly not examples of kids who are starving or oppressed, by any means.
Secondly, the character of Mim. She 'pisses', 'sh*ts liquid', says 'f*ck' on almost every page, and has a drinking problem but is otherwise a fairly ordinary middle-aged mother. She seems to blame her children (who are 6 and 11) for the fact she has lost herself (after a nasty bout of post-natal depression) and gave up her job as a geologist for them, but it is unclear what she does while they are at school. When her husband goes missing, she drops everything at the first insinuation she might lose her children to a BestLife. She comes across as quite petulant and self-centred - taking money from her mother so that she can go on the run, putting two childhood friends under pressure by asking them to help her (both end up severely maimed as a result). She shows up at her ex-boyfriend's childhood home and ropes him into sailing them to Darwin in his boat, but rarely shows any real sense of gratitude for his efforts (unless you count sleeping with him whilst in the middle of the ocean on the way to find her lost husband) - telling him to 'watch it' when he remarks upon her kids' unruly behaviour, demanding they leave before a crucial spare part comes in. In fact, when her son accidentally jumps on the steps that crush Nick's foot and almost severs his toes (reacting to her panic that a muesli bar wrapper might end up in the ocean), Mim seems more annoyed that Nick got hurt or that he wants to try and help them despite his significant pain, rather than feeling any sense of remorse.
Thirdly, the exoticisation of Ambon as a place to escape to from the climate-ravaged landscape of Australia. With sea levels rising (to the point where a coastal building is completely underwater in Darwin), I was curious as to the elevation levels of Ambon in comparison and found (in a quick google search) that while Darwin is approx. 27m above sea level, Ambon is only 8. It seems as if, in Mim's world, the climate-change bubble only really affects Australia.
The positives are that the novel is fairly fast-paced and the kids' characters are well-conceived, and it does draw you in for the ride. I just found myself increasingly being bugged by the conflicting elements as I drew out of that world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2021
The Mother Fault takes place in a near future dystopia in Australia and Indonesia where everyone is chipped and the government has total control. Mim is a housewife with two kids whose husband is working at a gold mine in Indonesia. Close to the date that he's supposed to return home, the Department calls and tells her he's missing. Mim is forced to surrender the passports of both herself and her children. Not getting answers from the Department about his whereabouts and the Department telling her if she doesn't comply with their rules they'll take her children, she decides to risk it all and take the kids and go find him herself.
It took a bit for me to get in to this. I had a hard time finding the adult characters likable. A lot of reviews have said the sailing part was drawn out and not fully necessary, but to me, this was the part that had me reading nonstop to see what happened. The ending also felt a little bit rushed. I think if this is the kind of book you typically read, then you'll enjoy it. If not, however, I don't think I would recommend it.
My thanks to HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction, author Kate Mildenhall, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
It took a bit for me to get in to this. I had a hard time finding the adult characters likable. A lot of reviews have said the sailing part was drawn out and not fully necessary, but to me, this was the part that had me reading nonstop to see what happened. The ending also felt a little bit rushed. I think if this is the kind of book you typically read, then you'll enjoy it. If not, however, I don't think I would recommend it.
My thanks to HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction, author Kate Mildenhall, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 28, 2020
The Mother Fault is the second novel by Australian author, Kate Mildenhall. The audio version is read by Claudia Karvan. Engineer Benjamin Elliott is missing. His wife Miriam is concerned. Neither his employer GeoTech nor The Department know where Ben is, or are not saying if they do. Which is bizarre as they are all chipped: how can they not know?
Representatives of The Department warn Mim not to tell anyone, confiscate her passport, and those of her children, and tell her to stay put. They offer to care for Essie and Sam in BestLife until the situation is resolved, but Mim isn’t that naïve: after her brother’s experience with BestLife, she knows that it’s no better than detention, and probably much worse.
A hydrogeologist herself, Mim doesn’t reveal that she has already mentioned it to an international journalist, but uses the pretext of sounding out a return to work with a former colleague to take her children to the family farm, and her mother. Mim determines she will have to remove her small family from the compulsory scrutiny of The Department, and find a way to the Indonesian island where Ben has disappeared.
She quickly learns just how seriously The Department considers the situation when she hears of their threats at the farm, and the fate of the friend who helped her go off-grid. She understands that they have to remain, quite literally, under the radar, but she has no idea what will be required of her before she has tracked Ben down and discovered what really happened.
The near-future that Mildenhall describes is highly plausible and the subject matter is extremely topical: the technology aspect, the influence of multi-nationals, and the government attitude to refugees will all feel familiar. Mildenhall gives the reader a strong female protagonist who is no saint but has the welfare of her children as a firm priority, especially when the going gets tough. A gripping plot and a nail-biting climax will keep the pages turning. Brilliant speculative fiction.
Representatives of The Department warn Mim not to tell anyone, confiscate her passport, and those of her children, and tell her to stay put. They offer to care for Essie and Sam in BestLife until the situation is resolved, but Mim isn’t that naïve: after her brother’s experience with BestLife, she knows that it’s no better than detention, and probably much worse.
A hydrogeologist herself, Mim doesn’t reveal that she has already mentioned it to an international journalist, but uses the pretext of sounding out a return to work with a former colleague to take her children to the family farm, and her mother. Mim determines she will have to remove her small family from the compulsory scrutiny of The Department, and find a way to the Indonesian island where Ben has disappeared.
She quickly learns just how seriously The Department considers the situation when she hears of their threats at the farm, and the fate of the friend who helped her go off-grid. She understands that they have to remain, quite literally, under the radar, but she has no idea what will be required of her before she has tracked Ben down and discovered what really happened.
The near-future that Mildenhall describes is highly plausible and the subject matter is extremely topical: the technology aspect, the influence of multi-nationals, and the government attitude to refugees will all feel familiar. Mildenhall gives the reader a strong female protagonist who is no saint but has the welfare of her children as a firm priority, especially when the going gets tough. A gripping plot and a nail-biting climax will keep the pages turning. Brilliant speculative fiction.
August 19, 2020
Thanks to Better Reading for my advanced copy to read and review.
This book is a scary insight into what could be the future with a Department taking over by chipping everyone and tracking their every move. The chips are used for purchases, unlocking doors and a number of other things. The Department also have housing for people who often then disappear.
Mim's husband disappears while working overseas and her passport is taken and she is threatened with losing her children. She then does everything in here power to find him with her son and daughter in tow.
It covers many different topics throughout like love, family, government conspiracy, climate change and lust.
This book is a real page turner. I couldn't put it down. I recommend this book as the author writes it so well.
This book is a scary insight into what could be the future with a Department taking over by chipping everyone and tracking their every move. The chips are used for purchases, unlocking doors and a number of other things. The Department also have housing for people who often then disappear.
Mim's husband disappears while working overseas and her passport is taken and she is threatened with losing her children. She then does everything in here power to find him with her son and daughter in tow.
It covers many different topics throughout like love, family, government conspiracy, climate change and lust.
This book is a real page turner. I couldn't put it down. I recommend this book as the author writes it so well.
November 9, 2020
Really enjoyed this book ! The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because the ending felt a bit rushed
October 16, 2020
The Mother Fault is the second novel by Australian author, Kate Mildenhall. Engineer Benjamin Elliott is missing. His wife Miriam is concerned. Neither his employer GeoTech nor The Department know where Ben is, or are not saying if they do. Which is bizarre as they are all chipped: how can they not know?
Representatives of The Department warn Mim not to tell anyone, confiscate her passport, and those of her children, and tell her to stay put. They offer to care for Essie and Sam in BestLife until the situation is resolved, but Mim isn’t that naïve: after her brother’s experience with BestLife, she knows that it’s no better than detention, and probably much worse.
A hydrogeologist herself, Mim doesn’t reveal that she has already mentioned it to an international journalist, but uses the pretext of sounding out a return to work with a former colleague to take her children to the family farm, and her mother. Mim determines she will have to remove her small family from the compulsory scrutiny of The Department, and find a way to the Indonesian island where Ben has disappeared.
She quickly learns just how seriously The Department considers the situation when she hears of their threats at the farm, and the fate of the friend who helped her go off-grid. She understands that they have to remain, quite literally, under the radar, but she has no idea what will be required of her before she has tracked Ben down and discovered what really happened.
The near-future that Mildenhall describes is highly plausible and the subject matter is extremely topical: the technology aspect, the influence of multi-nationals, and the government attitude to refugees will all feel familiar. Mildenhall gives the reader a strong female protagonist who is no saint but has the welfare of her children as a firm priority, especially when the going gets tough. A gripping plot and a nail-biting climax will keep the pages turning. Brilliant speculative fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.
Representatives of The Department warn Mim not to tell anyone, confiscate her passport, and those of her children, and tell her to stay put. They offer to care for Essie and Sam in BestLife until the situation is resolved, but Mim isn’t that naïve: after her brother’s experience with BestLife, she knows that it’s no better than detention, and probably much worse.
A hydrogeologist herself, Mim doesn’t reveal that she has already mentioned it to an international journalist, but uses the pretext of sounding out a return to work with a former colleague to take her children to the family farm, and her mother. Mim determines she will have to remove her small family from the compulsory scrutiny of The Department, and find a way to the Indonesian island where Ben has disappeared.
She quickly learns just how seriously The Department considers the situation when she hears of their threats at the farm, and the fate of the friend who helped her go off-grid. She understands that they have to remain, quite literally, under the radar, but she has no idea what will be required of her before she has tracked Ben down and discovered what really happened.
The near-future that Mildenhall describes is highly plausible and the subject matter is extremely topical: the technology aspect, the influence of multi-nationals, and the government attitude to refugees will all feel familiar. Mildenhall gives the reader a strong female protagonist who is no saint but has the welfare of her children as a firm priority, especially when the going gets tough. A gripping plot and a nail-biting climax will keep the pages turning. Brilliant speculative fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.
November 7, 2020
3.5
This one surprised me with how strong it is. Doubt I would have picked it up, but on Marchpane's recommendation I gave it a read: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A propulsive and well-written Australian dystopian thriller. I read it very quickly, finished in a day, and found myself immersed in the story of Mim and her family. Mim's husband, Ben, disappears while working in Indonesia as a geologist. A 'benevolent' totalaritarian regime (the Department) that monitors all citizens with inserted chips appears to be behind it. This government has managed to install itself in Australia through the anxieties and societal disruptions associated with climate change.
Mim is forced to go on the run with her two children (Essie and Sam). Assisted along the way by a former teenage romantic flame, Nick, she flees through the Australian outback and then a sea voyage on a yacht to Indonesia. I don't want to give too much of the plot away and it mostly works as a quite gripping and convincing thriller. The relationship as it unfolds with Nick is for me a weakness though. There are a few key narrative moments in the conclusion that strain credibility. For all that still a thoughtful, even intriguing, literary thriller.
Along the way there's quite strong writing on themes of motherhood, family, loss and desire, childhood, gender and resistance. The characterisation is a highlight, especially Mim's relationship with her children. Both Essie and Sam are well-drawn and believable, including how they react as brother and sister to the events in which they are caught up. Mim's resilience and fortitude shows through: she's gritty and endearing, while also flawed in interesting ways. There's some gorgeous passages depicting the Australian outback and the sea.
A rewarding change of pace from the heavier Lit fiction I've had my head in for much of the year.
This one surprised me with how strong it is. Doubt I would have picked it up, but on Marchpane's recommendation I gave it a read: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A propulsive and well-written Australian dystopian thriller. I read it very quickly, finished in a day, and found myself immersed in the story of Mim and her family. Mim's husband, Ben, disappears while working in Indonesia as a geologist. A 'benevolent' totalaritarian regime (the Department) that monitors all citizens with inserted chips appears to be behind it. This government has managed to install itself in Australia through the anxieties and societal disruptions associated with climate change.
Mim is forced to go on the run with her two children (Essie and Sam). Assisted along the way by a former teenage romantic flame, Nick, she flees through the Australian outback and then a sea voyage on a yacht to Indonesia. I don't want to give too much of the plot away and it mostly works as a quite gripping and convincing thriller. The relationship as it unfolds with Nick is for me a weakness though. There are a few key narrative moments in the conclusion that strain credibility. For all that still a thoughtful, even intriguing, literary thriller.
Along the way there's quite strong writing on themes of motherhood, family, loss and desire, childhood, gender and resistance. The characterisation is a highlight, especially Mim's relationship with her children. Both Essie and Sam are well-drawn and believable, including how they react as brother and sister to the events in which they are caught up. Mim's resilience and fortitude shows through: she's gritty and endearing, while also flawed in interesting ways. There's some gorgeous passages depicting the Australian outback and the sea.
A rewarding change of pace from the heavier Lit fiction I've had my head in for much of the year.
August 31, 2020
I read this book in one breathless, edge-of-my-seat, page-turning session, propelled by the tension, the action, the ever-present sense of danger, the pressing need for this woman to take charge of her fate and wrest back control to save her children. The Mother Fault (Simon and Schuster 2020) by Kate Mildenhall is a heart-racing thriller, a dynamic commentary on the state of the world and a wake-up call as to our response to the political, socio-economic, racial, nationalistic and environmental trauma happening before our eyes.
Like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, The Mother Fault is set in the future, but not so far in the future that we cannot recognise the landscape. As with the frog settled so comfortably in the pot of lukewarm water that it doesn’t comprehend danger until the water begins to boil, the characters in this story have been gradually adapting to changes and rules and restrictions that seemed innocuous at the beginning but now begin to reveal the sinister and unsettling truth. And as with Alice Robinson’s The Glad Shout, this is a story with a strong woman at its heart; a wife with a missing husband, a mother determined to do anything to save her children.
When Mim’s husband Ben, a FIFO worker in Indonesia, disappears, she fears for his safety. Especially as The Department (ie the government) has everyone microchipped and should be able to geolocate him instantly. When she realises he can’t be tracked, and that The Department is as keen to find him as she is, Mim becomes increasingly aware of what is at stake. The Department will not hesitate to detain her – and place her children into the notorious BestLife institution – if Ben cannot be found. With her passport confiscated, and the lives of all those closest to her in peril, Mim goes on the run to find Ben, through the Australian outback and then on a terrifying sea voyage that will test every nerve, muscle and sense of strength that she had forgotten she possessed.
There is so much to love about this book. Firstly, it is such a classic thriller, with all the energy and pace of a crime novel. It is almost entirely breathless, from start to finish. Occasionally we are given a reprieve with a flashback to Mim’s earlier life, which not only fleshes out her family circumstances but enables the reader to pause and inhale. But then we are straight back into the action. Secondly, this is a beautifully crafted story written with literary language that sings from the pages. Mildenhall’s depiction of place, and her detailed mastery of the sea journey, informed by her own practical experience, add authenticity and depth to every sentence. It is so rare to find a book that speaks to the beauty of landscape, emotion and language, while managing to maintain such a frenetic pace. And thirdly, this is a novel of issues, a narrative that explores the big, timely themes significant currently: environmentalism, climate refugees, global corporations and greed, consumerism and Big Brother technology. It references our cities sinking into the seas, our earth suffering a series of disasters, our citizens monitored, traced and regulated, our freedoms curtailed. These issues are not front and centre of the novel; rather they are the backdrop to the very human ongoing drama that concerns a mother and her family. Mim’s fears and reactions are instantly recognisable and relatable but it is the changed world in which she must operate that makes her actions so much riskier and challenging. Just like the frog, we are lulled into a false sense of apathy while things are going okay, only to realise how fragile that security is once the water begins to heat up.
Much of this narrative is told in dialogue, and it is sharp and keenly observed. The children’s voices are pitch perfect. Mim’s relationship with her children is rich, warm and precious. Her own musings about her self-doubts about motherhood and what her life has become, and whether she is doing a good job, are thoughtful and poignant. The dynamics between all of the characters are compelling. Even the minor characters are distinguished by their individual voices, each distinct from the other.
The strength of Mim’s character lies in her vulnerability, her uncertainty, her mistakes, her errors of judgement and her lies (to others and to herself). She is imperfect, as are we all. While she is floundering along, attempting to do her best, she makes mistakes and she miscalculates and she takes what are – in hindsight – perhaps unacceptable risks. But this is what makes her whole, and human. This is what endears her to us and makes us want to cheer her on. Even when she stumbles morally or ethically – or perhaps exactly because she messes up in this way – we are on her side, because we know that we might make the same reckless decisions, the same rash choices, the same selfish calls. Mim’s grit, determination and courage propel this story towards a shocking conclusion.
Like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, The Mother Fault is set in the future, but not so far in the future that we cannot recognise the landscape. As with the frog settled so comfortably in the pot of lukewarm water that it doesn’t comprehend danger until the water begins to boil, the characters in this story have been gradually adapting to changes and rules and restrictions that seemed innocuous at the beginning but now begin to reveal the sinister and unsettling truth. And as with Alice Robinson’s The Glad Shout, this is a story with a strong woman at its heart; a wife with a missing husband, a mother determined to do anything to save her children.
When Mim’s husband Ben, a FIFO worker in Indonesia, disappears, she fears for his safety. Especially as The Department (ie the government) has everyone microchipped and should be able to geolocate him instantly. When she realises he can’t be tracked, and that The Department is as keen to find him as she is, Mim becomes increasingly aware of what is at stake. The Department will not hesitate to detain her – and place her children into the notorious BestLife institution – if Ben cannot be found. With her passport confiscated, and the lives of all those closest to her in peril, Mim goes on the run to find Ben, through the Australian outback and then on a terrifying sea voyage that will test every nerve, muscle and sense of strength that she had forgotten she possessed.
There is so much to love about this book. Firstly, it is such a classic thriller, with all the energy and pace of a crime novel. It is almost entirely breathless, from start to finish. Occasionally we are given a reprieve with a flashback to Mim’s earlier life, which not only fleshes out her family circumstances but enables the reader to pause and inhale. But then we are straight back into the action. Secondly, this is a beautifully crafted story written with literary language that sings from the pages. Mildenhall’s depiction of place, and her detailed mastery of the sea journey, informed by her own practical experience, add authenticity and depth to every sentence. It is so rare to find a book that speaks to the beauty of landscape, emotion and language, while managing to maintain such a frenetic pace. And thirdly, this is a novel of issues, a narrative that explores the big, timely themes significant currently: environmentalism, climate refugees, global corporations and greed, consumerism and Big Brother technology. It references our cities sinking into the seas, our earth suffering a series of disasters, our citizens monitored, traced and regulated, our freedoms curtailed. These issues are not front and centre of the novel; rather they are the backdrop to the very human ongoing drama that concerns a mother and her family. Mim’s fears and reactions are instantly recognisable and relatable but it is the changed world in which she must operate that makes her actions so much riskier and challenging. Just like the frog, we are lulled into a false sense of apathy while things are going okay, only to realise how fragile that security is once the water begins to heat up.
Much of this narrative is told in dialogue, and it is sharp and keenly observed. The children’s voices are pitch perfect. Mim’s relationship with her children is rich, warm and precious. Her own musings about her self-doubts about motherhood and what her life has become, and whether she is doing a good job, are thoughtful and poignant. The dynamics between all of the characters are compelling. Even the minor characters are distinguished by their individual voices, each distinct from the other.
The strength of Mim’s character lies in her vulnerability, her uncertainty, her mistakes, her errors of judgement and her lies (to others and to herself). She is imperfect, as are we all. While she is floundering along, attempting to do her best, she makes mistakes and she miscalculates and she takes what are – in hindsight – perhaps unacceptable risks. But this is what makes her whole, and human. This is what endears her to us and makes us want to cheer her on. Even when she stumbles morally or ethically – or perhaps exactly because she messes up in this way – we are on her side, because we know that we might make the same reckless decisions, the same rash choices, the same selfish calls. Mim’s grit, determination and courage propel this story towards a shocking conclusion.
September 19, 2020
In The Mother Fault, Kate Mildenhall imagines a dystopian future for Australia. Parts of the country have been devastated by the effects of climate change, with coastal areas flooded by rising seas. Much of the land is barren, dry, and damaged from fracking. The populace is surveilled and controlled by The Department, who insist citizens be chipped from birth, ‘for their own protection and convenience’, and who relocate ‘citizens in need’ to gated communities known as ‘BestLife’.
So when Mim’s husband, Ben, who works for an mining conglomerate and regularly spends time in Indonesia, fails to return from his latest work trip, and no one can tell her where he is, Mim begins to panic. Then The Department shows up asking questions, intimating Mim and her children, 11 year-old Essie and 6 year-old Sam, should perhaps be transferred to BestLife until her husband is found. For Mim, whose eldest brother entered BestLife and died shortly after, the veiled threat prompts her to flee with her children with the idea of making their way to Indonesia, and to Ben.
The journey from suburban Victoria, through outback NSW, to the coast of Northern Territory, and then by sea to Indonesia, is fraught with risk. Mildenhall sets an urgent pace, maintaining tension and building further suspense as Mim attempts to evade The Department and cautiously reaches out for help.
Mim is a complex character, she’s not particularly confident in her decision to flee, nor really prepared to do so. She rarely thinks things through very well, and makes some reckless decisions, yet she doesn’t give up and her grit is admirable.
Like any mother in such a precarious position, Mim is particularly anxious about the safety of her children, heightened because of a history of postnatal depression which seems to have left her hypercritical of her own mothering skills. I thought Mildenhall’s portrayal of the family dynamic was relatable and interesting, and the children well drawn characters in their own right, particularly Essie.
Part dystopian, exploring a plausible future of environmental ruin and Owellian surveillance; part mystery thriller, with a dramatic and unexpected ending; all while exploring themes related to motherhood, marriage, and mental health, The Mother Fault is an intelligent and absorbing novel.
So when Mim’s husband, Ben, who works for an mining conglomerate and regularly spends time in Indonesia, fails to return from his latest work trip, and no one can tell her where he is, Mim begins to panic. Then The Department shows up asking questions, intimating Mim and her children, 11 year-old Essie and 6 year-old Sam, should perhaps be transferred to BestLife until her husband is found. For Mim, whose eldest brother entered BestLife and died shortly after, the veiled threat prompts her to flee with her children with the idea of making their way to Indonesia, and to Ben.
The journey from suburban Victoria, through outback NSW, to the coast of Northern Territory, and then by sea to Indonesia, is fraught with risk. Mildenhall sets an urgent pace, maintaining tension and building further suspense as Mim attempts to evade The Department and cautiously reaches out for help.
Mim is a complex character, she’s not particularly confident in her decision to flee, nor really prepared to do so. She rarely thinks things through very well, and makes some reckless decisions, yet she doesn’t give up and her grit is admirable.
Like any mother in such a precarious position, Mim is particularly anxious about the safety of her children, heightened because of a history of postnatal depression which seems to have left her hypercritical of her own mothering skills. I thought Mildenhall’s portrayal of the family dynamic was relatable and interesting, and the children well drawn characters in their own right, particularly Essie.
Part dystopian, exploring a plausible future of environmental ruin and Owellian surveillance; part mystery thriller, with a dramatic and unexpected ending; all while exploring themes related to motherhood, marriage, and mental health, The Mother Fault is an intelligent and absorbing novel.
September 21, 2020
I'd give this two stars, but decided on one - I wouldn't recommend it and I most certainly wouldn't read it again.
I went into this book wanting to like it and for the first few chapters, I did. There is definitely a world in our future where the government uses electronic surveillance to overstep their bounds.
Then Mim became annoying, her children moreso (annoying, bratty, and pampered), and her ex needed a bit more backbone (). The bit about
I just found the whole thing a bit too unbelievable, unrealistic, and in general unlikable.
I went into this book wanting to like it and for the first few chapters, I did. There is definitely a world in our future where the government uses electronic surveillance to overstep their bounds.
Then Mim became annoying, her children moreso (annoying, bratty, and pampered), and her ex needed a bit more backbone (). The bit about
I just found the whole thing a bit too unbelievable, unrealistic, and in general unlikable.
December 22, 2020
3.5
Speculative literature + thriller + topical + lefty leaning themes make for a quick, compulsive read/listen, albeit after finishing it, one was left slightly dissatisfied, in that peculiar way when you had lots of different dishes that appealed to you, you think you couldn't possibly eat more, but somehow there's room for dessert, after all... Apologies for the food analogies, what can I say, I've been home with teenagers who eat me out of the house, not to mention I'm thinking about Christmas and what to cook etc.
Speaking of Christmas and the holidays, wishing you all a good Christmas and a better 2021!
Speculative literature + thriller + topical + lefty leaning themes make for a quick, compulsive read/listen, albeit after finishing it, one was left slightly dissatisfied, in that peculiar way when you had lots of different dishes that appealed to you, you think you couldn't possibly eat more, but somehow there's room for dessert, after all... Apologies for the food analogies, what can I say, I've been home with teenagers who eat me out of the house, not to mention I'm thinking about Christmas and what to cook etc.
Speaking of Christmas and the holidays, wishing you all a good Christmas and a better 2021!
December 27, 2020
Unputdownable. This was an intense read - scarily plausible, beautifully written and urgent.
July 2, 2021
Mim's husband is missing. No one knows where Ben is, but everyone wants to find him - especially The Department. And they should know, the all-seeing Government body has fitted the entire population with a universal tracking chip to keep them "safe". But suddenly Ben can't be tracked. And Mim is questioned, made to surrender her passport and threatened with the unthinkable - her two children being taken into care. Mim risks everything to go on the run to find her husband - and a part of herself, long gone, that is brave enough to tackle the journey ahead.
Set in the near future, from Australia to Indonesia, this dystopian thriller is filled with twists and flashbacks. Everyone in Australia is monitored. People can be detained for six months without charge. When Mim learns her husband, Ben is missing, something tells her to go on the run.
This is quite an uncomfortable book to read. Mim is quite an annoying character and her kids are spoiled and even more annoying. There is quite a lot of flashbacks which could be quite confusing. The pace is steady. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #HateMildenhall for my ARC of #TheMotherFault in exchange for an honest review.
Set in the near future, from Australia to Indonesia, this dystopian thriller is filled with twists and flashbacks. Everyone in Australia is monitored. People can be detained for six months without charge. When Mim learns her husband, Ben is missing, something tells her to go on the run.
This is quite an uncomfortable book to read. Mim is quite an annoying character and her kids are spoiled and even more annoying. There is quite a lot of flashbacks which could be quite confusing. The pace is steady. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #HateMildenhall for my ARC of #TheMotherFault in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2020
2.75
I don't really know where to begin with this one. I definitely enjoyed it, I guess, I never had a moment I wanted to dnf it I think. But it never fully captured me, I liked the kids and Heidi but I didn't really have an interest in the others. Mim had moments where I liked her, but it was fleeting. Moments towards the end of the book. She was usually frustrating. Overall, so enjoyed it enough to finish, but it was more like a show I passively watched on a Sunday.
I don't really know where to begin with this one. I definitely enjoyed it, I guess, I never had a moment I wanted to dnf it I think. But it never fully captured me, I liked the kids and Heidi but I didn't really have an interest in the others. Mim had moments where I liked her, but it was fleeting. Moments towards the end of the book. She was usually frustrating. Overall, so enjoyed it enough to finish, but it was more like a show I passively watched on a Sunday.
January 1, 2021
This story is set in the future in Australia, where the government controls everybody and even has them chipped!!
Mim’s husband Ben works in a mine in Indonesia but he has gone missing and the government have advised her to give up her and her two children’s passports as they cannot travel. They have even offered to take her children away from her if the situation gets too much!!
Mim decides to take her children and travel by whatever means possible to find her husband.
A gripping dystopian thriller.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Mim’s husband Ben works in a mine in Indonesia but he has gone missing and the government have advised her to give up her and her two children’s passports as they cannot travel. They have even offered to take her children away from her if the situation gets too much!!
Mim decides to take her children and travel by whatever means possible to find her husband.
A gripping dystopian thriller.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
January 21, 2021
Loved the blurb, loved the idea, a dystopian thriller set in the future. Mim’s husband is missing. No one knows where Ben is, but everyone wants to find him – especially The Department. And they should know, the all-seeing government body has fitted the entire population with a universal tracking chip to keep them ‘safe’. Sounds very intriguing and just the thing I would enjoy
However about 3-4 chapters in, it went a bit wrong for me, there's so many flashbacks you don't know if you're coming or going. If the story just keep rolling forward it would have been fine. They were useful at the very beginning, but after that you had no idea where were with it. One minute Mim is an adult, then a child and then an adult again all in the same chapter. I ended up not caring is Mim found her husband or not because it made me switch off.
I would have enjoyed it but for the numerous flashbacks, they became too distracting, The mother of all faults with this book for me was the flashbacks, otherwise an and entertaining storyline.
However about 3-4 chapters in, it went a bit wrong for me, there's so many flashbacks you don't know if you're coming or going. If the story just keep rolling forward it would have been fine. They were useful at the very beginning, but after that you had no idea where were with it. One minute Mim is an adult, then a child and then an adult again all in the same chapter. I ended up not caring is Mim found her husband or not because it made me switch off.
I would have enjoyed it but for the numerous flashbacks, they became too distracting, The mother of all faults with this book for me was the flashbacks, otherwise an and entertaining storyline.
August 29, 2020
A cracking-paced, thoughtful and thoroughly enjoyable near-future dystopia. From pretty early on, it struck me how few books of this kind consider the family/parenting dimension in its everyday reality. That Mildenhall builds it into almost every aspect of The Mother Fault makes for something totally new and exciting and unique in what right now is a very crowded field.
Why why why won't GR allow half stars? A totally solid 4.5
Why why why won't GR allow half stars? A totally solid 4.5
December 1, 2021
Something stopped me from loving this book, although there certainly were some great parts that just didn't come together for me. It was like the writer wasn't sure what the book was meant to be either and some big leaps were made towards the finish.
September 3, 2020
‘He is missing. Your husband is missing.’
Ben Elliott is missing. He has disappeared from the mine site at Golden Arc (a foreign investment site in Indonesia) where he works. The Department has contacted his wife, Mim, to let her know. Mim cannot believe it: after all Ben, like her and their children Essie and Sam, is microchipped.
‘You want to know where your people are when the world becomes a shifting, wild, hungry thing.’
In this near future apocalyptic world, everyone in Australia is monitored. People can be detained without charge for six months, citizenship can be lost, as can assets. Mim is told to contact The Department if she hears from Ben and is assured that The Department will look after her.
But something is not right. Mim is questioned, her passport is confiscated, and she is told not to leave home. Mim’s instincts tell her otherwise.
Mim and the children set off on what will be an arduous journey, undertaken at great risk to themselves and to others. Imagine: a world where the effects of climate change and of the threat of biological warfare are apparent; a world in which people are microchipped and their movements controlled. Imagine. Can Mim protect her children? Will she find Ben?
This is an unsettling and uncomfortable read. Recommended.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Ben Elliott is missing. He has disappeared from the mine site at Golden Arc (a foreign investment site in Indonesia) where he works. The Department has contacted his wife, Mim, to let her know. Mim cannot believe it: after all Ben, like her and their children Essie and Sam, is microchipped.
‘You want to know where your people are when the world becomes a shifting, wild, hungry thing.’
In this near future apocalyptic world, everyone in Australia is monitored. People can be detained without charge for six months, citizenship can be lost, as can assets. Mim is told to contact The Department if she hears from Ben and is assured that The Department will look after her.
But something is not right. Mim is questioned, her passport is confiscated, and she is told not to leave home. Mim’s instincts tell her otherwise.
Mim and the children set off on what will be an arduous journey, undertaken at great risk to themselves and to others. Imagine: a world where the effects of climate change and of the threat of biological warfare are apparent; a world in which people are microchipped and their movements controlled. Imagine. Can Mim protect her children? Will she find Ben?
This is an unsettling and uncomfortable read. Recommended.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 8, 2021
The Mother Fault is a beautifully written literary thriller set in the near future – and at its core, it’s a novel about motherhood and what it is to be a mother in any time or place: how you’d do anything for your children no matter what. Mim is mother to two young children aged eleven and six and a husband who has mysteriously disappeared from an Indonesian mine site. It appears that no one knows where Ben is, but everyone wants to find him – especially The Department. And they should know exactly where he is given the all-seeing government body has fitted the entire population with a universal tracking chip to keep them ‘safe’. But suddenly Ben can’t be tracked. And Mim is questioned, made to surrender her passport and threatened with the unthinkable – her two children being taken into care at the notorious BestLife.
Faced with an increasingly hostile, implacable bureaucracy hellbent on tracking them down, Mim enlists the help of some of her most trusted friends in order to throw them off the scent while trying to get safe passage to Indonesia to find her husband. She will do anything to keep her children safe, even if it means risking all of their lives on a treacherous journey to find out the answers. This is a compulsive, disturbing and really rather terrifying dystopian thriller traversing the stark backroads of the Australian outback and on to a terrifying sea voyage where Mim is forced to shake off who she was – mother, daughter, wife, sister – and become the woman she needs to be to save her family and herself. Set in an eerily recognisable future world where climate change, surveillance and political control all feature heavily, The Mother Fault is a novel for our times.
Faced with an increasingly hostile, implacable bureaucracy hellbent on tracking them down, Mim enlists the help of some of her most trusted friends in order to throw them off the scent while trying to get safe passage to Indonesia to find her husband. She will do anything to keep her children safe, even if it means risking all of their lives on a treacherous journey to find out the answers. This is a compulsive, disturbing and really rather terrifying dystopian thriller traversing the stark backroads of the Australian outback and on to a terrifying sea voyage where Mim is forced to shake off who she was – mother, daughter, wife, sister – and become the woman she needs to be to save her family and herself. Set in an eerily recognisable future world where climate change, surveillance and political control all feature heavily, The Mother Fault is a novel for our times.
October 30, 2023
A page turner that had me intrigued but not deeply connected. I loved the themes; climate change, dystopian and motherhood. However, none of them went deep enough for me to give it more than 3 stars.
I enjoyed the main characters, Nick, Mim and Essie. I know many readers did not like Mim. I found her to be realistic and liked that the author was not glossing over her flaws.
There were too many side plots that I was curious about but were left unclear. What happened to her family back home? More details about Ben and her brother Michael?
I also found that too much time was spent on the sailing section and the ending was a little abrupt.
I enjoyed the main characters, Nick, Mim and Essie. I know many readers did not like Mim. I found her to be realistic and liked that the author was not glossing over her flaws.
There were too many side plots that I was curious about but were left unclear. What happened to her family back home? More details about Ben and her brother Michael?
I also found that too much time was spent on the sailing section and the ending was a little abrupt.
December 28, 2020
I loved this ripper of a story.
Set in the near future, moving the action from suburban Melbourne to the Timor Sea, this story twists and turns with pace and zing.
This would make an excellent Australian film. I can see it in my mind already with Abbie Cornish as Mim and Aaron Pedersen as Nick.
Set in the near future, moving the action from suburban Melbourne to the Timor Sea, this story twists and turns with pace and zing.
This would make an excellent Australian film. I can see it in my mind already with Abbie Cornish as Mim and Aaron Pedersen as Nick.
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