A storyline that tugs at your heart. Eva thinks she is not with her birth mother, but no one will tell her if she is or not and eventually goes in search of what she believes is the truth. Lots of emotional and romantic drama.

Although this feels like a coming of age story it has relationships at its heart. A lonely childhood makes Eva reevaluate her life growing up. She never had a loving relationship with the sickly lady she thinks of as her mother and when she stays with different families growing up and she sees how they all relate to each other she sees how her life might be.
An interesting, well written book although a little sentimental towards the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance copy of this book.

Having recently enjoyed Augusta Hope, the author’s previous novel, I was really excited when this got approved.

The writing is descriptive, the characters are realistic and well developed and there is a strong sense of place (both in London and Spain).
This is an incredibly moving coming of age story about a girl trying to find out her identity and what family means. Loved it.

All My Mothers delivered exactly what I expected: a touching tale of connection, with the predictable dose of sentimentality.

It's a quick and heartwarming read (with several grab-the-tissues moments), but for a story about identity I was a little disappointed that none of the characters felt quite real to me. There's a certain amount of whimsy in Joanna Glen's prose, and it's one of those novels that's very consciously fiction - not a bad thing in itself, but it's perhaps not the most fitting style for what is effectively a bildungsroman.

All My Mothers is enjoyable read, but it's not the most memorable book I've picked up this summer.

Eva Martinez Green has everything a little girl could wish for. She lives in a big house in Chelsea with her mum and dad but when she starts school, she begins to realise that she has no memories before she was three and a half and that most of the other girls have a warmer relationship with their mums than she has.
So, having decided that this family is not the one she started off in, she embarks upon a quest for evidence to substantiate this assertion. In the meantime, she makes do with her friend Bridget’s family and their lovely earth mother, only to be devastated when this set of relationships ends abruptly. As time passes, with her own mother in a nursing home and her Spanish father long departed, she moves into her boyfriend Michael’s house only to learn that his mum is performing a duty rather than embracing Eva into her family.
All My Mothers by Joanna Glen is an expressive narrative which brings to life the atmosphere and history of Southern Spain, where a large part of the story is set.
It is only when Eva goes there for her year abroad as part of her degree that she knows she has found her home in Spain and the final pieces of the puzzle of her origins are slotting into place.
This is a lovely read about love, family and coming of age.

This novel is like nothing I've ever read, and I've immediately bought the author's first book as I enjoyed this one so much.

I love:

- the themes of motherhood, friendship, love and loss
- the way the narrative voice develops from early childhood to adulthood
- the vibrancy of the writing about Spain which is a reminder, if reminder were needed, of why my own life in that country is so wonderful
- the vivid descriptions of Córdoba, especially of the Mezquita which is the most jaw.-droppingly, heart-stoppingly beautiful building I've ever visited.
- the little hints of things to come that kept me turning the pages.
- the fact that when I put the book down, it was on my mind.
- the fact that it had the power to bring a tear to my eye at the end - I never cry over books..

Looking at all the 5 star reviews of this novel I can see I’m definitely in the minority but for me a great plot with some good characters was spoilt by some really glaring errors. A few chapters after a character smugly produces one of the first cell phones, a character is casually texting her boyfriend. I also found the first part of the book where the central characters go through primary school together pretty unbelievable, although they go to an expensive private school the curriculum they are taught and their precocious conversations were just way too advanced for the age they were meant to be. Granted it was just before the national curriculum was introduced but I’m pretty sure 9 and 10 year olds didn’t study the holocaust and concentration camps. Such a shame as I thoroughly enjoyed some parts of the book.

Exquisitely written and full of the most elegant, detailed intricacies of motherhood, daughterhood, identity and love. Joanna Glen has a remarkable way of propelling her characters from the page into your heart; the women in this novel are so intensely passionate and real - you live and breathe their stories right up until the end. Spectacular, from start to finish.

This novel is simply stunning! I loved Joanna Glen’s previous novel and this one is every bit as good, if not even better! All My Mothers follows Eva (sounds like ever not evil!) from being a young child and realising that there are gaps in her childhood photos and memories and she wants to know why. We see the lovely friend she makes on her first day of school and the way that girl’s family take Eva under their wing. I adored the book with the rainbow mothers and how this comes up time and again throughout the novel as Eva tries to work out who she is and where she comes from. It’s a novel about found family and how you can find real love and a real bond with people who aren’t blood relations, and that this is just as good. I was moved to tears more than once as I read this novel but I was completely swept away in Eva’s story and I just couldn’t put it down – I read it all in one sitting. I already want to go back and read it again! I highly recommend this one!

Gorgeous tale with accomplished and beautiful writing.

You'll need hankies for this one as it will break your heart over and over.

I felt so sad for her wondering over and over who her mother was..Always feeling left out from everything. Always wondering what waa wrong.

A wonderful tale of loving and the pain that often goes alongside that.

Be sure to have lots of tissues ready whilst reading this as it's a real tear-jerker!

I really enjoyed this book, how it told the life of Eva and the different family members in her life. My only criticism is that the book is split into 3 sections but has no chapters. It was very annoying not having a good place to stop. Having said that I'd recommend it!

A bittersweet tale of love, friendship, motherhood and longing, All My Mothers tells the story of Eva’s quest to figure out who she is, where she comes from, and to find a place of true belonging.

Beautifully written, its characters leap out of the pages and make you feel like you know them. The book has a poetic sensibility in which colours, feelings and scents merge, creating this moving story world.

This novel has truly ripped my heart open at times, but it has also made it worth it. Perhaps “love and grief, joy and pain” are indeed “very close together. Or perhaps sometimes they’re not even different things.”

There are times when a book is so beautiful, and it resonates so strongly that it's hard to write a review for it. This is how I feel about 'All My Mothers' by Joanna Glen. This is a tender, 'all the feels,' novel that you won't want to put down and won't want to end.

I only wish I could give it 6 stars or 10 stars. I felt so connected to the characters. They were like close friends. I loved picking up the book to find out what would happen next, and I'm not ashamed to say I cried and cried at this one. You'll definitely need a big box of tissues at the ready. It's both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

A beautiful book gorgeous characters emotional moving.A search for family feeling at home.A perfect read for bookclubs for sharing with friends.Will be recommending gifting this lovely novel.#netgalley#harpercollinsuk

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk. All my Mothers will be released on hardback on 5th August 2021.

All My Mothers is written around the life of Eva. We meet her as a small child starting school. She's a shy girl and has always felt that something was missing in her life, especially regarding her emotionally unavailable mother. There are clues along the way; why aren't there any baby photos of her to take to school for her project like everyone else has? Does she look like her parents? At this time, she meets her best friend, Bridget, and becomes a default member of her family. She loves Bridget's mother, who treats her like one of her own, giving her hugs and words of affection. The book goes on to explore Eva's relationships with other mother figures who come into her life, and her feeling that she just always seemed to not quite get things right with them.

I feel like this was a book where the pace was slow and not a great deal happened. But that doesn't mean to say I didn't enjoy it. It was so thought-provoking, making me think about the relationships in my own life. Eva worked hard and made big and brave decisions to try to ensure her happiness, and protect herself when she thought she needed it, even if that turned out to be the wrong choice. I think these are events which happen in all our lives, and time and space are sometimes the only things that can help us to make decisions in our lives.

What a book! A coming of age story following Eva as she grows up wondering about her 'real mother' and the encounters she has along the way that shape her view of what a mother is. I've never read anything like it. It is unique, beautiful and moving. I loved Joanna Glen's first book so I was delighted to receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review and I certainly wasn't disappointed – such a talent!

I finished this book with a tear in my eye.
It follows Eva who longs for the perfect family, and finds it in her best friends family. It follows them over the years as their friendship changes over time.
A gorgeous read which showcases that the best mothers arent always the biologcial ones you'd expect.

Thank you for this ARC for review!

Right away I'm going to say that this book totally overwhelmed me to the point that I don't really know how to talk about it. I've spent the last couple of days immersed in it and have come away a slightly different person. This was stunning from start to finish. It tells us the story of Eva, a young girl who longs to have the perfect family. Sadly for Eva, ger mother isn't able to be present for her and her father isn't really around. Through this, she's left with the lingering question some young children come up with: maybe these aren't my parents at all.

From there, we follow her story of Eva's family. Of families that are created, those that you find, and those that walk into your world unexpectedly. How some people shape you irrevocably, leaving their mark long after they're no longer in your life.

I didn't start this expecting to find a character that means as much to me as Eva. But once in a while you find a character that hits you at your core, and that's what Eva did for me. Her complicated family life, her emotional turmoil, her fierce friendship, her curiosity mixed with hesitance. This is one of those characters that touched my heart, and I'll carry her story with me.

This is not an easy read (might be writing this with a few tears on my cheeks) but for the people it connects with, it's something special. Thanks so much to The Borough Press for letting me read the ARC.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS

I've come away from this book with a tear in my eye,and a feeling I might have missed out in life by not having a friend like Bridget.
Whilst the whole Blume family are the sort of people you want to know,Bridget is the absolute star.
This is her story every bit as much as it is Eva's.
A story where mothers come in all shapes and sizes,and sometimes the best ones aren't even the biological ones.
A proper emotional roller coaster..

Need to go and pull myself together now and give my own mother a ring.

This is one of the toughest books I have ever reviewed and I have struggled over what to share.

Did I like it? No. Was it interesting? Not really. Would I recommend it? Probably not.

The thing is, I found the book extremely slow-moving and rather dull. Many a time I wanted to put the book down and move onto something else. What stopped me? I had read reviews on Netgalley and Goodreads that spoke of an emotional book that left the readers in tears by the end. I kept thinking, any minute now it must get good right? And for a hot minute round about 65-70% it did. Unfortunately, it was very short-lived.

I didn't appreciate the detail in the book because perhaps I was looking for drama. Let me warn you now, there is more detail in this book than you will ever know, but you have to be patient. Stop looking for excitement and fireworks and learn to accept the mundane. In a nutshell, this story could be equated to the act of sex without the climax. By that I mean, there is structure and we go through the motions but there was no big bang, no fanfare.

This is a tale for someone that appreciates the smaller things in life and looks for the detail beneath the surface. It's a story that follows a young orphan on her search for her identity and how she comes to see the women that have shaped her along the way. There are very few male characters in this story and although they all have a part to play, their impact is minimal. They break hearts, throw money around, make excuses...It is the women that love, nurture, guide, listen, and colour the lives of others.

The book of mothers is an important prop in the novel. I didn't find the 'Aha!' moment until I reach the end of the novel and it was then that my real appreciation for the writing started to grow.

If I had to highlight an audience for this book, they would most likely be mature, maternal, detail-orientated, and patient. Readers that have ever felt lost possibly because they have grown up with the absence of their birth parents may find an affinity with the protagonist and her plight.

The novel is a clean read with the absence of racy scenes, I just don't think it's captivating. Had I written my review immediately upon finishing, I think my rating would have been dismal. As it is, I award it an average 3/5 stars and urge readers of this review to study a few other opinions before making a purchase. Knowing what I do, I would advise borrowing a copy from the library or picking up a copy from the train station collection. It's unlikely that readers of my mindset will finish the book, let alone read it a second time.