Mother Country
A Story of Love and Lies

Despite the rather unpromising premise --- a memoir about the author discovering her mother's secrets after her death -- this book is an absolute page turner. It's not the kind of thing that I would usually pick up, but someone bought if for me and I always make a point of reading books that were gi......more

This book moved me very much because there were so many parallels between Monique's mother Inge and my own mother. The complex relationship stemming from a young girl living through the horrors of the Nazi period (as Inge and my mother did) and then finding themselves responsible for bringing up a c......more

Tears, love, nazis and lies - a brilliant read. I thought I'd like this book based on the basic premise: a woman clearing out her deceased mum's flat finds out her mum is not who she thought she was. I was wrong. I loved it. My expectations were continually exceeded as the plot unravelled. Part detec......more

The author relates to us an intimate work that truly appealed to me. As the pages are turned, there are new twists and surprises throughout, giving the reader many details of her family’s past. I loved the development and descriptions of the people we come to know, especially the author’s mother. The......more