The Mother

The Good Lands #2

by B.L. Blanchard

In a present-day Britain where the British Empire never existed, wives and mothers strive for deliverance in a novel about oppression, autonomy, and family secrets by the author of The Peacekeeper.

What if Europe had never colonized the world? It is a world that never had overseas empires, the transatlantic slave trade, or the Protestant Reformation. There is, however, in an obscure island nation called England, a woman running for her life.

Marie, Duchess of Suffolk, has no choice. In this society, women are a reproductive commodity. Marriage is the only available occupation. And barren wives like Marie are expendable trade. After absconding with the family jewels, Marie fakes her own death and finds an underground network of women seeking sanctuary from similar abuse. When she reunites with her estranged sister, Emma, Marie reveals she has a greater mission: find their mother, long thought dead, and discover the truth behind her inexplicable disappearance.

Hunted and chased across borders by those she fled, Marie has stolen more than the family jewels. She is escaping with secrets. And all that matters now, no matter the risk, is stealing freedom.

Genres: Speculative Fiction, Alternate History, Science Fiction, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 23, 2023

About the author

B. L. Blanchard is a graduate of the UC Davis creative writing honors program and was a writing fellow at Boston University School of Law. She is a lawyer and enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She is originally from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan but has lived in California for so long that she can no longer handle cold weather. She currently resides in San Diego with her husband and two daughters. The Peacekeeper is her debut novel. For more information, visit www.blblanchard.com

Reviews

[Jassmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was ready to struggle through this book and instead I was taken aback with how readable this was. I was swept into Marie's run for freedom, trying to reconnect with her lost female family members in deeply misogynistic society.

This is a very imperfect book, missing the smoothness of thoroughly edited story. You can clearly see some of the threads the author is pulling and you will often figure out stuff way before the protagonist, frustrated with them when they finally see their errors acting all surprised. Compared to The Peacekeeper (which really, more people should read, it's good!) this one lacks the finese, lack the shocking twist (I mean, I did figure out a lot of The Peacekeeper in advance as well, but I cheated there a little bit, and I never figured the "why" aspect of it anyway), what it doesn't lack though is the tension. I was disappointed by some of the twists, but I was always on the edge of my seat, wanting to continue.

This book is set in the same world as The Peacekeeper but while that book was set in America that was never colonized, this book is set in England that never became the colonial empire. I do think Blanchard sometimes let herself be carried away describing how back-water England is and I do get it, since it had to be a pretty satisfying thing to write. And ultimately, those worldbuilding details were my favourite bits of the book so it's not like I'm complaining, but I do wish she would go over the plot a couple more times to make it more believable and smooth.

What I didn't quite expect when going into the book was the fact that the story does take us through considerable parts of Europe - from Suffolk, to London, to Brugges, to Frankfurt, to Strassburg. Along the way I discovered that my country was probably still a part of Holy Roman Empire, which does seem to suck in the present day very much. The state of Europe is pretty dire in the world overall, so do brace for that, it stressed me out more than I would have expected.


Anyway, this book lost quite bit of the opportunities, the discussion on class was shallow at best and the way the MCs thought and treated their servants was... questionable. I think it could have been understandable given the situation, but the narrative never really tries to frame it in a way that would be... helpful. I did appreciate the way the book centers women and family though, the men might be the ones wielding the real power, but they pretty much stay in the background (in a way that reminded me of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women). There are a lot of things I could further criticize but the truth is, I had a good time with this book. I do think this series is worth the read for the worldbuilding alone, but do keep your expectations tempered if you pick it up. They are not perfect, but very memorable reads for me.
3,5⭐

[Erika Wurth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the most subversive book about Native Americans that I've ever read. Blanchard is light years ahead of most of us (Native writers), and in many ways her only peer is Rebecca Roanhorse. Though technically speaking, there are no native characters in this book, unlike her last (The Peacekeeper) where there are only native characters in an alternative reality where colonization never occurred, her work shows that without colonization, Europeans would be poverty-stricken, and deeply patriarchal. Not to mention that both books are fast paced mysteries at their cores.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up.

I wanted to like this book, because, while I thought the first book in the series had flaws, the fundamental question at the basis of the alternative history was a good one. That is, “what would the world be like if European colonisation of the Western Hemisphere didn't happen?” The question, of course, is the basis of this sequel, set in a remote England that was locked in an eternal struggle with its very slightly more relevant neighbour, France.

The western part of Eurasia, is dominated by the Holy Roman Empire and an Islamic empire with other vassal and associated states surrounding the two. Women's rights are non-existent in many places, and England is one of the states that follow "Church Law" very closely. Women are the property of their husbands, and all society is striated by social class. Our MC is a noble lady who is making a break out of her cloistered marriage.

On the surface this seems like an interesting premise for a novel, but it is really let down by some of its writing. For instance, there is a huge reliance on coincidence which is somewhat hand waved away by technology which seemed to be under utilised by most people in England. I am able to suspend disbelief probably more than the average reader if the story is worth it, but this book strained that before it reached the quarter-way point. The book was so melodramatic at times as well. It might have been intentional, but it didn't work. Overall, it was mostly sophomoric, and I will give you an example. I'll add a spoiler tag, because it happens pretty deep in the book, but I'll leave out names and specifics, so it generally should be safe.
A character ends up getting shot. The chapter ends, and in the next chapter, a paragraph or two talks about the history of gunpowder .

Another warning to potential readers is that there is no real explanation about the world the book is set in. I think it's expected that people have read the first book. This is a standalone story, with only the common timeline shared with the first book. Some confusion some people in reviews have could have been avoided by a preface explaining the universe this book was set in.

I am not sorry I read it, but it was really disappointing after the first instalment in this series and the potential that the premise of this series has.

[Nicole Dunton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Mother
Author: B.L. Blanchard
Release Date: May 23rd, 2023
Page Count: 294
Format: Netgalley
Start Date: May 13th, 2023
Finish Date: May 17th, 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:

This book blew my mind. It’s a modern day book, but it’s written as if certain movements never happened. So women are still considered properly. I really enjoyed it. It gives a what would happen if vibe that I really enjoy with books. Especially things like this. What if women never gained equality, but the rest of advancements in society happened. This is the sequel to The Peacekeeper, which is another reimagined story of another level. They can be read as standalone. I still fully recommend reading both. They are more than worth the read.

[T. Carter Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blanchard's worldbuilding is amazing and between The Peacekeeper and The Mother, I'm left wondering about so many other corners of this world; I hope she continues to flesh it out. The story itself flowed well and was enjoyable, though it read more like a YA novel at times than The Peacekeeper did. The pacing was quick and while things tended to fall into place for the main character and her allies a bit too simply, it didn't take away from the story.

[Arturo Serrano · Rating 2 out of 5]

I reviewed this novel for the Hugo-winning blog Nerds of a Feather:

http://www.nerds-feather.com/2023/05/...

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The backdrop of an alternate reality from her first book where European colonialism never happened is a thought provoking back drop to a thrill filled on the run story of women trying to survive in a world that doesn’t value them as humans. Reminded me of Handmaid’s tale but in a alternate reality of now versus the a future of our current one.

[Shir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fair read but got somewhat boring. I'm afraid that the plot is fortelling, of where we as women are headed in 2023. Women, pregnant and barefoot and of course uneducated. Where Women have no value accept what their uterus can produce.

[Anonymouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a highly derivative and rather boring book that I can't imagine will please many people. It follows closely on Handmaiden's tale and other recent misogynistic takes. Yawn.

I received a review copy of this book through NetGalley.com

[Andy Dorsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please tell me where to look if I am wrong, but it seems that we rarely get alternate histories presented from a progressive point of view. Many of the people who ask, "What might have happened differently if...?" are interested in military or political history, and the stories they create consequently share that focus. B.L. Blanchard's Good Lands series provides a notable and welcome exception.

In the first book, "The Peacekeeper," she never even tells us what the exact point of divergence is between her universe and ours, other than that Europe never invaded the Americas. Yet the book works well because the author blends compelling personal stories with a sci-fi look at a different (and largely better) way in which society could have been organized.

In "The Mother" Blanchard shifts the focus from race to gender, driving home the fact that backwards English society treats women as property. Sometimes I felt that she repeated this point indeed a little too often after we had already understood it, which somewhat lessened the effect for me. I was also confused that all of England only has one computer system (?) at Heathrow, yet they somehow developed a WifeLock control system for their smartphones? (Maybe it was developed in a wealthier country that also has Church Law?).

I was also bothered by the portrayal of English poverty. While it was practical to give the heroine valuable stolen jewelry to finance her adventure, I nonetheless felt that Marie's high status detracted from the point of the book. True, even as a rich woman she has no rights or power (though the Dowager Duchess is extremely powerful as a woman?), but she nonetheless seems to enjoy the luxuries we associate with the real British upper class. There are always rich people in poor countries, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this Britain was pretty similar to ours. For instance, the London underworld was probably supposed to show the depths of the fall, but it could also have been lifted from a Dickens novel at the height of British imperialism. Maybe British society as a whole was wealthier due to colonization, but there was definitely poverty, crime, and suffering in the real 19th-century Britain, despite the country's exploitation of other people around the world.

And if the issue of money is not as much of a divergence as the author probably intended to be, then I am left asking: what does all of this imply for the nexus of imperialism and feminism? If an England without empire is extremely patriarchal, does that suggest that colonization helped the status of women in real-life Europe? I don't think Blanchard necessarily wants to make that point, but it seems odd that the two major changes to a non-imperial Europe are that it's poor and treats women badly. A rising tide lifts all boats?

All of this being said, I very much enjoyed going for a trip through an alternative Europe with "The Mother." Taking the most "successful" of our world's imperialistic powers and turning it into one of the poorest and most pitiable countries on the planet was the next logical step for the series after depicting a thriving Great Lakes region, and I am curious which part of this world we will get to see next. That's also why I gave the book 5 stars despite its flaws -- I can't wait to read the third book!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

3.25

While this is listed as a sequel, it’s really more of a companion novel to The Peacekeeper. It takes place in the same world that never experienced English colonization, but this book takes place in England and other parts of Europe, where The Peacekeeper takes place in what would’ve been the United States.

I think the most interesting part of this series is the exploration of what the world would’ve looked like without English colonization. Here we see England as a backwater island and we see things like the Holy Roman Empire, and Islamic empires that maintained their supremacy. It does make for a jarring experience sometimes because the book takes place in the 1990s and cell phones exist but there’s also a Victorian feel to at least English culture.

This book in particular has more of a thriller feel, than the mystery plot of the first book. There’s a lot of action, and the end of the book in particular is pretty fast paced. That being said, I think the pacing was off and it made the book feel longer than it really was. I also found the ultimate resolution of the plot to be a little disappointing.

That being said, dystopias with emphasis on gender dynamics are not something I tend to enjoy, which I knew going in, but I enjoyed the first book so I hoped that this one would surprise me.

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this book very open minded, I did like the handmaid tale, and I do like dystopian societies that make my skin crawl, and at first I did like the story of Marie, Emma and Alice, the book is a bit difficult to place, because while reading, I keep imagining women dressed like in the book 80 days around the globe, but they use technology and mobile phones.

My problem with this book starts not in how the women are treated but in how the luck is always smiling to the women of this family… it was like they all belong to the bloodline of Donald duck’s cousin Gaston… nothing ever goes wrong for them… and things go many ways, but in the end all goes well… for you to make an idea, the sisters Marie and Emma are persecuted outside of England and even with the bad guy with eyes on them they manage to put the police on his toes… or when selling the stolen jewels and Marie almost was mugged, it seems that Emma in 10 years levelled up more than 100 levels, but if you want to know more you’ll need to read the book.

Thank you NetGalley and 47North for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

[Ellie Hawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an e-ARC of this novel.

Oh. My. Goodness. There were so many twists and turns in this book and I absolutely loved every minute of it.

Reading the summary of this novel, I was expecting something along the lines of The Handmaid's Tale, which I wasn't a huge fan of (due to Atwood's writing style). While The Mother followed the same general concept of a dystopian society where women are treated as though they are worthless unless they can mother a son, it was different in its own way. I really liked the alternative history idea of England being a small country, and not the conquerers of so many other small countries and how far some of the characters are willing to go to avoid scandal.

Marie and her sisters are incredibly strong female characters and though the ending felt a little bit rushed, I'm giving this novel 4.75 stars because I feel like it is one everyone should read.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsEwWyGAW...

[Debra Dufrene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Peacekeeper, and it's premise, so much that I was sure I would love this too. A lot of the story was taken up with setting up the background of the characters but not nearly enough about the characters themselves. I found myself skimming a lot of the writing that was not truly needed, like what the hallway looked like, or the dark walk through a hidden escape route.
The tale centers on sisters trying to escape a Britain that treats women like chattel and brood mares. The protagonist is the youngest sister that married a duke, but didn't get pregnant and heard whispers that her husband and mother-in-law plan to kill her. She fakes her death and runs for her life.
I felt like a lot of the story was left out for the descriptions of the surroundings. It also felt like the ending was just cut short.
I will continue reading this series. I loved the world of the Peacekeeper. Perhaps part of my problem with this one is that the world of Britain and France is so very bleak.

[Sadie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stayed up WAY too late finishing this!

Fascinating reimagining of the world map in an alternate universe where England is an isolated, backwards little island with no empire and no influence. Wish the author had picked a moment in history, a turning point, that caused England to go into near obscurity. She offers a few clues. Everyone is Catholic, so clearly Henry VIII did not prevail. Or perhaps never existed. I suppose it isn't important to the plot but I kept wanting to explore that further. I enjoyed the story and the characters, though I had an issue with the idea that someone could get through surgery and be up and climbing stairs without even ibuprofen. Definitely liked how the story wrapped up.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people consider all stories of the future with women treated badly must be compared to "The Handmaid's Tale". I have not read that book (yet), nor have I watched the show based on it, so I can't compare it. This book frightened me because I could so easily see it come to pass. But it is much more that a story about an oppressive future where women are simply breeders and not much more. The characters are solid, the story-line is good, the pace is fast, but not too fast. The reader is given time to let the implications of each occurrence to sink in. This is not a world I would ever want to live in. The focus is on the Mother in all ways, and I am heartened by the courage and the love of the Mother and her daughters. Excellent read.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Same phenomenal world-building as her previous book, The Peacekeeper, but I enjoyed this one even more. Probably part of the reason for my preference is my dislike of mysteries. This one had some “mysteries” or secrets at least, but it read more like an adventure or thriller. Of course, as a mother myself, the focus on several different mothers and what being a mother meant to them and for them appealed to me too. I am glad I read the books in order though. I think it added to my appreciation knowing what existed in other parts of the world Blanchard is creating.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine. At first I was intrigued by the world building and finding out about this alternate version of England and the world. At first I found the plot line quite well-paced with enough tension, but after a while I started to skim as there was lots of the sister's repeating their feelings about everything and it got a little boring.

I also felt like they kept getting saved from bad situations completely by chance, which just also sucked the tension from everything. I know it's hard to give characters agency in such a setting, but it really started to feel like a lot of their victories weren't earned.

Not bad, but nothing special.

[Mr. P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

I loved The Peace Keeper for its premise in alt history and providing a unique and fascinating insight to a culture unfamiliar to me.
The Mother though is for me the more successful book, even though set in my country it is presented simultaneously as just as unique a setting but so tantalisingly familiar to be frightening in its prescience of what easily could've been. And possibly analogous to real life steps happening back across the Atlantic.
This is a brilliant read.

[Tyler Guza · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Good Lands is a super cool alternative history series. Both books are set in the same world but unconnected and can be read in any order.

I found this book to be super enjoyable but I will say that I like the first book “The Peacekeepers” better. While it was nice to see a better picture of the world in which these stories take place I found the story in the first book more enjoyable.

If you are a looking for something that is like “Handmaid’s Tale” mixed with like the British royal family. This is the story for you.

[Kayla Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of adventure, endurance, of fight, and of love. The Mother is a story with twists, turns, and shocking events you don’t see coming. You feel for the characters when they hurt and you root for them to come out on top. You will not regret picking up this book and reading it. It was a great book.

I would also like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to reach this arc.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This alternate history imagines a world where Europe had not colonized, there had been no reformation, or women’s rights movements. Marie is in a loveless and childless marriage; she fears for her life as her husband’s mistress becomes pregnant. Marie fakes her death and flees hoping to start a new life. This is the 2nd book in the Good Lands series. Both books are so different but I’d equally recommend

[Sarah Flocken · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love alternate history, this book absolutely slaps. There is truly no other way to describe it. THE MOTHER takes all the “Bridgerton”-esque Regency tropes, brings them into an alternate present where England was never a colonizer, turns them sideways and shows us what that kind of society can do to a woman.

This tickled my history nerd brain and also made me feel a glimmer of hope for a world in which our rights are backsliding. I will definitely be reading Blanchard’s next book.

[Ross]

Great follow up boik

I really enjoyed this author's first book. I especially loved the world this author created. In this installment the story shifts to England and paints the picture of a British Empire that never got off the ground. The story is a little too convenient in some spots, but I'd enjoyable nonetheless. Worth a read and I look forward to her next book.

[April Tolliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads drawing.

I liked the book, but the beginning made it seem like it was in a distance past until phones, TV's and the like were dropped in casually. It was sort of jarring because it shook you out of the story. However, overall I did enjoy the book and once I reframed it in my mind I was able to get back into the storyline.

[paula fiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if?

"What if?" could be the summary for this book. What if ____ happened? What if ____ didn't happen? How would things be different today if history were rewritten? What would it be like in the present if events of the past happened/didn't happen? This is very well written and well thought out. It is a "can't put it down" kind of book.

[Zoe M-W]

This was wildly out of character with the first book. The first was a utopia. The second was a dystopia. It makes a good thesis statement, but it wasn’t what I was looking for.

If you like historical drama, it was a reasonable sort of scandalous affair. But I had come back to explore more of the first, not sort of an adventurous Handmaid’s Tale.

[Georgianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

intriguing Plot with limited depth

The concept situating this story was an intriguing one as were the twists and turns in the plot. However in comparison to The Peacemaker these characters seemed to lack depth and I was always searching for a bit more in terms of relationships and rationals.

[Michael R. Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Alternate Timeline Story

I've read both of B L Blanchard's books. The Mother is good, but a little too preachy. The establishment can be a monster, no doubt, but this story leaned a bit too heavily on the associated stereotypes. IMHO, The Peacekeeper was more original, relying less on where we are.

[Indika · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Peacekeeper was a 5 star read for me and so i had high hopes for this one. While i was engrossed in the characters and the notion of what a world without colonialism would like in Britain, i did find myself thinking the story could have ended neatly well before it did. After chapter 36, it felt like the last 10 chapters were extra and not really necessary to the plot or world building.