David and Cath have waited a long time for baby Mia to arrive so imagine their heartbreak when within a few days they receive the devastating news that Mia has Cystic Fibrosis. They have to learn to deal with medications, physio and keeping everything clean and her away from other children. The book focuses on how Cath deals with the shock the consequences of her reactions.

The book is extremely slow moving and tells of the anxiety and paranoia of ensuring Mia is kept safe and free from bugs and germs. It continuously repeats how Cath imagines the germs working through Mia's system and lungs. It took a lot of perseverance to keep reading in the hope that the ending would make the rest of the book worthwhile but was sadly disappointed that it didn't improve. What a shame as I do believe that CF is a hugely misunderstood condition but this didn't really do anything to raise awareness.

Mother by Hannah Begbie is about two parents meeting at a support group as their children have Cystic Fibrosis. This is a very emotional book about a difficult subject matter.

I loved this book from start to finish. Really gripped me from the start, characters fell into place easily and quickly.
Loved the pace of the book, the twists, and kept me gripped to the end.

This was a good read with very relatable characters. I would recommend this book as a good holiday read

I loved this book, I found it very emotional and disturbing yet thrilling at the same time. I found myself experiencing what it would be like to be in their shoes. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hannah Begbie for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

A very well written book and I am sure I will be in the minority but this just wasn't for me.

I got to about 40% and then did a lot of skim reading, it just didn't have the 'grab' factor for me, sorry.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a complete rollercoaster of a book, very emotional and on a particularly difficult topic.

This book was great, though I did find it a little difficult to read in places having a disabled child myself. It's an incredible roller-coaster of a ride and a very emotional journey that struck a chord with me on quite a few levels. The depth of characters is brilliant and I did cry a couple of times. I remember withdrawing from my family and struggling to come to terms with what our diagnosis meant for us as a family. No amount of research can prepare us for the decisions we make as parents. It's thought provoking and well written.

This was not for me, I just couldn’t get into it and couldn’t relate or engage with any of the characters. I got to 31% in and had to give up as I was finding it hard work. It was very dark and depressing, which I’m sure having a child diagnosed with CF is but Cath was deeply unlikeabke and a bit unhinged and as a few reviews I’ve read since have mentioned, it is very clinical and medical. The focus is very much on CF which to me doesn’t make for a very entertaining novel however I appreciate that it is an integral part of the plot. It just wasn’t for me. Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fully intriguing novel full of heartbreaking scenes. Intense romance and sad family scenes.
A little hard to believe at times (the Rachel meeting) but pulled me into the story regardless

I enjoyed reading this, the storyline was good and I felt that it covered the topic well. I would imagine that many parents in the same boat find themselves becoming obsessive and researching the condition, finding it hard to speak to loved ones.

I felt that the book was a mix of reality with story and thought that the author did a great job of combining the two. Quite an emotional read but worth it.

What would you do if you found out your new born had a life limiting illness? Would it tear you apart or make you stronger?
That is what we find out as we read this story about Cath and her new baby Mia.
A well written book about the struggle one mum faces as her life is turned upside down by a devastating diagnosis.
I will definitely be looking in to reading more from this author in the future

Cathy and Dave have waited a long time for a baby. They now have a beautiful daughter, Mia, but after 25 normal days she is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and their lives fall apart. Cathy turns to a support group for help and meets Richard whose daughter is also suffering.from the same disease. He is everything Dave isn't and they turn to each other for comfort and more. But is Richard all he seems to be? Can Cathy cope with the pressures of her daughter, an affair and saving her marriage?
This book will make you think - how would you cope in the same situation? Who would you trust?

A very real to life story which is gripping and moving following on from a baby's diagnosis with a terminal illness. This is very hard hitting and demonstrates a range of emotions and is one to keep you enthralled

I enjoyed this and have personal experience with the sensitive subject matter. I’ve read mixed reviews for this book, and can understand some where the readers have struggled with the characters. All I can say is this, unless you’ve truly been there, you’ll never understand it. Looking forward to reading more from Hannah Begbie.

A well written story, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
I did finish the book however, and it was well presented and interesting. I did want to know how it ended.

I enjoyed reading this book, the storyline was interesting, although I wasn’t a fan of the main character, who came across as selfish sometimes. All the same, it was a good book and I would recommend it.

Cath and Dave has a new baby Girl called Mia. After a routine blood test Mia is diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis and both their worlds fall apart. With the stress of the diagnosis and the medication and the hospital visits. Both Cath and Dave cope with it in different ways.
Cath joins a support group to find out more about Cystic Fibrosis, the causes and how to cope with it and also the medical side. Hoping new drugs come out to help Mia. She meets Richard there, who has a teenage daughter with the same condition. He seems to understand her, more than her husband Dave who thinks that she should be with the family and not going to this group. She all goes onto radio to talk about her experiences. They have an affair. At the same time, Mia worsens and so does her relationship with her husband Dave.
Well what can I say about this book in my own personal view. I understand that we need to be more aware of Cystic Fibrosis, the causes, the strains and how to cope if a loved one is diagnosed with it. I understand that the author has a child with this. But for me I wondering why it’s been put in a book of fiction. But it some parts of this I thought I was reading a medical text book and not a book of fiction. I didn’t like any of the characters, Cath was self-obsessed, Dave didn’t see how the seriousness of CF and Richard ended up like a stalker and I just didn’t get the ending at all.
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for a copy of this book.

Dave and Cath have been trying for babies for years. They had pictured a large house bustling with the noise and clatter of a happy family—several children, four perhaps?—and as the months and years of failed attempts build up the distance from their dreams feels suddenly shorter at the birth of their daughter, Mia. But Mia isn’t all right. Her little face grimaces at feeds. Her sweat tastes of salt.

At only a few weeks old, Mia is diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

The doors between Dave and Cath, closed over the IVF disappointments and in the dark times after Cath’s father died, form more permanent barriers between the couple making communication, even seeing the other clearly, almost impossible.

Then Cath goes to a cystic fibrosis support group and meets Richard whose own daughter is a teenager. He is overflowing with positivity, hope and vitality. He works with CF charities and encourages Cath to do her part to fight for her cub in the wider world. It’s a fight that brings her into more and more contact with Richard.
To say much more would spoil the novel. Mother encapsulates all the unwieldy emotions of bringing children into the world combined with the despair, blame and guilt of bringing a sick child into the world. Cath’s relationship with her own mother takes the difficult CF diagnosis into a social landscape we can all relate to. To hone these complex emotions into such a compelling narrative is no mean feat and Hannah Begbie has done an excellent job.

Told from Cath’s perspective, filled with the stale hours of silence and regret, rooms empty of everyone but her beautiful young daughter struggling for breath, and flesh raw from endless bouts of cleaning, Mother is a powerful novel that forces us to remember the importance of communication and the need for honesty and self-forgiveness. It’s hard to write honestly about what motherhood feels like, the exhaustion and frustration as well as the love. In Mother, Hannah Begbie has managed to not only do that but also to write about mothering a child with cystic fibrosis. The subject matter won’t appeal to everyone, but if this peaks your interest you won’t be disappointed.

Not my usual style but it came with great reviews so l thought l would give it a try. I’ve never experienced anything thankfully like this the nearest l have come was having a puppy with severe epilepsy and l know that triggered me to learn all l could so l can imagine the impact this diagnosis would cause. I won’t say enjoyable reading but it certainly made me think and empathise and I’m glad l choose this book it will stay with me