From Amazon UK:
You aren't stupid. You know there's no such thing as a perfect mother. Plenty of other books will tell you there is, but this one won't lie to you. I was weak and I cheated and I was punished, but my god I loved my child through all of it. Love means you never break, and it means you're stronger than the things they do to you. I know this is true because I have been through fire, and I am the proof that love survives. I am not a perfect mother but I will tell you the perfect truth, because this is you and me talking. This is my story.

This is one of my all time favourite books, originally on its way to J4shaw in Australia for the Wish List Tag Game, but now available as she has it already.

Arvores in Portugal will now be the new owner of this book - don't lose it in the tbr, this is a good one!!!

It has arrived today.
Thank you for sharing.
I will read it ASAP.

I finally got to read this one. Very good book.
I sent it to 4evagreen yesterday, for the wish list tag game. I hope it won't take too long to get to its destination.
Happy readings. Carpe Diem.

Arrived safely. Many thanks for sharing I look forward to reading it.

I loved the first half of this book. I found the woman's emotions raw and touching. Cleave wonderfully evokes not only the horror of the actual event but the knee-jerk responses that the authorities make on civil liberties after the event to supposedly deter further attacks.

Unfortunately this strong start is let down by the second half when it suddenly becomes more about class; a tale of manipulative toffs exploiting an uncultured innocent. I found yuppie Jasper and his equally posh girlfriend Petra, both of them journalists for the Sunday Telegraph, so poorly drawn that they never rose to become anything other than cliches. Worst of all Osama, the person that is supposedly being addressed in the letter, largely disappears for long stretches. Consequently the book becomes less about terrorism and the toll it takes on individuals and more about class conflict in modern Britain.

For a novel about terrorism there is very little suspense. Cleave shows a nice touch when a nurse is suspended from her job because she is a Muslim and therefore might pose a security risk but he doesn't follow it through. Likewise when the narrator learns that the authorities knew about 'May Day' attack beforehand but chose let it happen anyway Cleave seems to have no idea how to exploit it fully. In the age of the internet and video streaming the idea that people would take such explosive information to the papers where it can easily be suppressed is frankly ridiculous.

That said and done some of the writing is really good, I found the woman's voice mesmerizing and I continually turned the page to see what would happen next. However I do think that this is a book of two halves, Cleave either got his thinking muddled or simply ran out of ideas perhaps. This was a great opportunity missed IMHO.

Going out as part of a Reading/ Want it thread. Enjoy!

Received in the post today from 4evagreen along with two other books. Both my husband and myself will probably read this one. Thanks very much and also for the pen which will come in handy.

My husband read around 130 pages of this book before giving up with it. He said it was very violent and used an enormous amount of foul language and that he didn't think I would like it. However, as I believe I actually requested this book I may try it when it fits one of Plum's monthly themes.