Little Bandaged Days

Beautifully written book and if you’re willing to take yourself out of your comfort zone and relax into the style of the book then you will enjoy.

The subject matter is uncomfortable but relatable and so different from any other book I’ve read. This is what makes the book stand out for me as the subject is so taboo in our society.

A beautifully written, at times claustrophobically tense account of a mother's descent into madness. This is a compulsive read that feels at times almost voyeuristic. As a reader, we are so deeply immersed into the world of the characters that it feels hard to tear yourself away. Interspersed with the voice of our narrator in the present, presumably in a psychiatric facility, the unease burns throughout, without ever really reaching a climax. Highly readable and incredibly dark, the author demonstrates how easy it could be for all of us to lose our grip on reality.

This is absolutely exquisite. It's so beautifully written it sounds like poetry.
We get so into this character's mind that it's as if we are descending into madness with her. It all sounds real and possible, and even… logical, for lack of a better word. As things progress we are so immersed that we start thinking like her, seeing the world as she does, being scared as she is.
We also can experience part of what the children are living and it's absolutely claustrophobic. All I wanted was for the husband to wake up and see reality, to do something, to help somehow…

A highly recommended novel but one that will certainly not be for everyone.

I'd like to thank Netgally and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very powerful, quite scary novel which sucked me in from the beginning and did not let go. The description of the tortuous thoughts and actions of the woman as she descended into madness was exquisite - you can see her trapped thoughts as she struggles to keep her sanity, at odds with her bizarre actions. This continues in the hospital scenes where she is desperate to appear normal. Her husband was hardly ever at home, but why did he not notice her deterioration on his brief visits? The crisis comes at the end and they move to a new apartment, but is this the truth or does she get carried off to an institution?

This is a remarkable book. Narrated by a woman who has moved to Geneva because of her husband's job, it portrays her isolation as she tries to settle into a country where she knows no-one and can't speak the language. She has two very young children, one just a baby and it doesn't help that her husband is rarely at home. Gradually we see her move from simple loneliness into what could be depression and ultimately psychosis. It is beautifully written in a sparse style; her family for example are referred to by their initials. Some of the descriptions are just wonderful. The lemons decaying and turning to dust will stick in my memory, as will the descriptions of Geneva in the heat. It's not an easy read but it is a worthwhile one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is such a completely absorbing book and so beautifully written I found myself getting totally immersed in the life of the mother her two children B and E and husband M. Her descent into madness is strangely compelling, sad and uncomfortable at times but yet because of the sublime writing it makes for one hell of a read.
As others have remarked it’s hard to believe this is a first novel from Kyra Wilder and if this is the quality of her writing then I sure look forward to reading more of her books.
It’s a difficult book to describe strange, pitifully sad and dealing with some extremely traumatic issues it’s a book that is perhaps not for everyone but for me it was an excellent read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan, Picador for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Creepy crawly less of of a thriller than a narrative of post party depression but still enjoyable in its way

As an 'amateur' book reviewer, I love Netgalley and the fact that it makes me read books that I would not otherwise have picked up. 'Little Bandaged Days' is definitely one of those books. The first thing that struck me when I began the book was that the narrator refers to her husband and children using only initials - I felt it depersonalised them somewhat. The story begins with a 'normal' family of a mother, father and two children moving to Geneva with the husband's job.

Erika, increasingly alone with the children in a city where she knows no-one and speaks very little of the language, feels isolated and sleep-deprived and her descent into mental disorder begins. It is sometimes difficult to tell where the truth ends and her paranoid mind takes over.

This is a traumatic tale of a woman who loves so much it blinds her to so many truths, including her own.

Little Bandaged Days by Kyra Wilder was sent to me by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Reading this book stressed me out. I mean that in both a good and bad way. Good in the sense that if I have a real, solid reaction to a book then it's connected with me, but bad as I genuinely felt a little anxious as it went on and at some points debated if I should keep reading. I did keep reading though - couldn't stop, it turned out - as I needed to know the climax of this story!

And what is the story? Well, Little Bandaged Days tells of a mother's gradual descent into depression and madness. She has two small children; a baby and a toddler and finds herself living in Geneva when her husband gets a new job there. The change of scenery, inability to speak the language, her husband's constant long working hours and emotional neglect, plus the general monotony of tending to the every need of two small children leaves her isolated, alone and with little adult company or conversation. Due to this, she retreats further and further into her own head, with serious consequences. What makes this so clever is that she is not oblivious to what is happening to her, but there's just nothing she can do, 'It was just a question of practicality, of having to outsmart myself because, well, I couldn't quite trust myself.'

The narrator's children are similar ages to my own, so although this novel portrays an extreme version of events, it was, in places, relatable and certainly had a visceral effect on me. Any book that even hints at something happening to a child is enough to give me heart palpitations. For reasons never explained (although I guess it could be that the whole novel is meant to be her psychiatric report) she refers to her children and husband only by their first initial (baby B, toddler E and husband M). I didn't mind this, but it takes getting used to and makes these characters feel a little 2D, especially her husband.

Overall though, this book is very skilfully written; as the narrator's grip on reality slips, we are right there with her - some of her reasoning even makes a little sense - and, as I mentioned previously, it was so well done as to make me anxious while reading. I really enjoyed the tone and there were some wonderful, clever sentences that summed up huge parenting feelings in such a succinct way: 'With children the future is always unimaginable, it is so uncertain as to be nothing. Less than that.' Also: 'Mothering is a hard job, it needs a lot of space to breathe.' This might not be a book for everyone, but it is a carefully crafted character study of a woman your heart just cries out for. In terms of evocative, emotional writing that addresses an issue many mums might see little elements of themselves in (albeit milder versions), Little Bandaged Days is brilliant.

This was a compelling read. On the surface life for Erika and her children was perfect but alas it wasn't. Erika's life with two young children her isolation made life very difficult for her and it was no surprise her mental health suffered. My heart went out to her.

Very cleverly written account of a mothers descent into madness. Compulsive reading which immerses the reader into the world of the characters. An uncomfortable subject, but relate-able. Not for everyone but I would recommend. My thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Along with Rachel Cusk's 'A Life's Work', I think every woman thinking about having children should read this. Rachel's book was non-fiction, and this is fiction, but so much of it is close to the truth. A woman with 2 young children, moved to another country for her husband's job, left on her own for days and sometimes weeks at a time, unable to speak the language, no friends, always having to keep a smile on her face for the children, smelling perfume on her husband's clothes, unable to tell him she can't cope on her own, the apartment slowly sinking into a state of mess and disrepair, her mental health slowly deteriorating. You find yourself as the reader quietly screaming out for someone to notice what is happening to this poor woman before it's too late.

A riveting, upsetting and emotional read.

This is a beautifully written, lyrical book following a young mother’s descent into madness. In put me in mind of a modern-day The Yellow Wallpaper. The narrator moves to Geneva when her husband starts a new job, and while he is away for increasingly long work days and business trips, she is home alone with their two young children, known only as E and B. Increasingly isolated, experiencing the world around her as sterile and threatening and struggling with the language, the narrator becomes obsessive, paranoid and compulsive. She loses track of time and occasionally is too afraid to leave the apartment. Her efforts to be a good mother and the right kind of wife strain her still further. The writing is beautiful and the imagery is really strong. Powerfully written, the sense of unease lingers after you have finished reading.

Thank you to @netgalley, Kyra Wilder and the publisher for giving me copy of this in exchange for an honest review. For me this book was very cleverly written and I'm surprised that it is a debut novel from a new author. A fantastic insight into the mind of a woman wrought with depression, anxiety and social isolation with the added pressure of 2 young children. The writing style is chaotic yet beautiful and truly allows you to get inside the protagonists train of thought. We see how scattered her mind becomes as the novel progresses and I actually really like the fact she referred to her family members by their initials, it shows us how removed and isolated she feels from the rest of the world, even from her own family. My only issue with this is the second storyline running alongside the main narrative, this alludes to something that is never actually clarified at the end, making that part of the book effectively pointless. The rest of the narrative, although confusing at times, is a representation of the chaos in her mind, the lack of human connection she has and is done brilliantly. I cannot deny the Wilder's skill but the second narrative is really what stopped me from giving this a 5star rating. I'll be looking out for future reads!
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Wilder’s novel is beautifully written, painfully claustrophobic story about a woman’s descent into madness; unpredictable, frighteningly compelling and brutally honest, it grapples with the harsh conditions of motherhood and mother’s own identity.

I received a copy of this book from Pan Macmillan via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. At this moment in time having just finished it my mind is just going WOW and wondering how to review the book. I have had some serious blah books lately but this has just washed away all the boredom associated with them.

We never get to know the names of the main character, her husband and children are referred to merely in initials; in fact very few of the characters in the book are named. This give it a a cadence of it own, abrupt and abbreviated narrative just adds to that (can i say here I don't feel as if i am using the right words) Our MC has moved to Switzerland with her husband for his career. As he becomes increasingly busy - with work or maybe not - we see her spiral downwards into what may be post natal depression or some deeper psychosis. Every corner holds some fear for her she is only able to live on the most basic of levels, sometimes not even that. As the book progresses the storyline splits between her home and a place of detention, who is in this place and why is never explicitly stated although this reader made several guesses and indeed changed her mind from time to time.

I think the beauty of this book is not in what it says but in what it holds beneath the surface of those words and what the reader can see through the lines. I felt a creeping fear or dread as I read this almost in one sitting and when the phone rang with just a few pages to go I was more than ruffled to have to put it down.

So many mixed feelings about this book - I felt the manic feeling she felt- like I was there in the apartment with her, constantly. But I also feel it ended far too soon with so many questions left unanswered. A sequel from Ms point of view, or even E would be great, or a sequel tying up the loose ends? Above all I feel really pleased to have read it, excited for its release and I will definitely be recommending it to everyone!

I don't think I've ever experienced such a strong, and growing sense of dread for a character in a book, as I did with this. Narrated by Erika, wife of M and mother of two children, toddler E and baby B (we never learn their full names), Little Bandaged Days is about a family who move to Geneva because of M's job. Erika is left on her own for much of the time, in a small rented apartment with her two tiny children. No adult company. Unable to speak the language. Hardly ever knowing where her husband is, or with whom. Constantly at the whim of her children at all hours, day and night. As a reader, I was glued to Erika as she slowly but surely slid down the slippery path from loneliness to madness. I was amazed to learn that this book is a debut novel. The writing is so beautiful and the story is told with such compassion, it really did tug at my heart strings. I will be thinking about it for a while to come.

A young mother moves to Switzerland with her husband and two young children thanks to his new job. His new job that has him working all manner of hours and is hardly ever home. Leaving the mum home alone with the kids in a different country, with different customs and a different language that she can’t speak or understand. She’s completely isolated and has no support at all. Little Bandaged Days is her story as her mental health declines and her grasp of reality becomes more and more muddled. Leaving the reader confused as you question whether what you have read is fact or her confused view on reality. Written in an unusual manner as there’s no traditional form of speech in the book and the only name mentioned in the book is the made up name she invents for another mum she comes across in her daily travels. Her children and husband are only referred to by their first initial - keeping the reader detached from these characters as you go along with the mum as her health worsens, and it also helps add to the confusion of her story. You really feel for her whilst she was in the middle of the frightening moments. What was also really poignant for me was how her husband, when he did come home (apparently) spotted no change in his wife’s health and (apparently) did little to support her. Added to the confusion was the snippets interspersed in the book where the mum is (apparently) talking to visitors whilst she’s in a hospital. A really good (confusing) story that was just a little too long in parts.

Little Bandaged Days is the story of a young mother who has moved to Geneva for her husband's high-flying job. While he is working increasingly long hours at the office, or schmoozing clients over steak and champagne, his wife is taking care of their two small children. At great pains to seem like the perfect mother, our narrator - who remains nameless for much of the novel - is the model housewife to begin with: suits are pressed, the children are clean and well-dressed, and dinner is on the table every night. But as her sense of loneliness increases and her grasp on reality seems ever more tenuous, the reader begins to worry: just what is this over taxed young mother really capable of?

It's difficult to believe this is a first novel: Kyra Wilder has created a beautifully wrought work of fiction with gorgeous imagery, and a genuine sense of foreboding. Certain tricks are used to great effect, for example, referring to the children and husband by only initials rather than their full names makes them slightly less real to us than the narrator is; it also made me feel like I was reading a redacted record at times, where the names had been removed for reasons of privacy, which made the world feel even more real, and sinister. The prose itself is beautiful, lending itself more to poetry at times, though never over-flowery.

I was gripped by this book from the start, and spent most of the book hoping that everything turned out well while also being darkly sure it wouldn't (I won't say anything else about that as I don't want to spoil the book for people who haven't read it). Stunning writing from a ridiculously talented new author - I can't wait to see what Kyra Wilder writes next, but consider me first in line for her next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, who provided me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A different sort of book, but easy to read. It took a bit of getting used to as the main character only named her family by their initials. It was fast paced, almost as though you could hear her breathlessly talking and trying to achieve things. It was harrowing in a way as you felt like a bystander, witnessing this woman’s isolation and decline. I felt there were a few unanswered questions - why were there conversations with her mother which suddenly ceased, what was really happening with her husband? All those questions may be in keeping with the narrative of the book, though.

Little Bandaged Days is a profoundly intuitive, deep and compelling novel but I personally found it almost impossible to finish due to the emotions it brought to the fore. It was a very tense read and I feared for the children's safety and the mother's sanity whilst at the same time feeling so very frustrated by the father's apparent ignorance of the situation he had placed his wife and family in.

This was a difficult book to read. It was well written and was a compulsive read, but the undertone of dread and the potential harm to the children made it a pretty heart wrenching read. I just marked it down a star as I didn’t completely understand the ending, and I wasn’t sure if it was just me not understanding it or it was meant to be left open to interpretation.

“I made my face ready to smile just in case she looked back at me but she didn’t, so I let my mouth sag because sometimes it just is what it is”
I really enjoyed Little Bandaged Days. Erika’s slow decline into madness is so beautifully narrated, everything hidden inside Wilder’s intense prose. What I found most interesting were the markers of Erika’s madness beginning to set in, the fort being left up when M returned home, the lipstick in the walls, the constant cleaning until her hands bled and ultimately the candles. The second narrative confused me a little, I assumed she had done something bad and ended up sectioned but the ending suggests otherwise.
Little Bandaged Days is such an honest and heartbreaking account of the struggles that come with mental illness. Erika clearly loves her family, she’s constantly striving to say the right thing to M and look a certain way and be a “good mother” and do good mother things but the resentment and loneliness that plagues her is too much.
Overall a great read, just would have liked a little more clarity with the second narrative. Thank you Netgalley and Picador Books

This is an extremely uncomfortable read. I hurtled through it at a chaotic pace, echoing the protagonist’s frantic attempts at comprehension, primarily because there was a sense of impending doom and I was so concerned for her little family, and I didn’t breathe until the last few pages. I remain confused by the second narrative. Has she been sectioned? Is she in prison? It didn’t seem to add anything to the story apart from perhaps as a comforter given she finally had help.

Parts of this book are really well written and describe the narrators struggle with mental health in a way that can be understood. I thought that other parts were confusing. Is that her in hospital? How much of her life in the apartment is real? The confusion I think added to the story as I tried to work out what was happening with the main character.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.