Moya. The M Word. Whisper it. Conceal it. But, please, never mention it ...
Maggie Yates tells her best mate Moya everything.
She tells her about Mum losing her job - how Mum's taken to crying in secret. She even tells her about her foolproof plan to cheer Mum up: find her a fella with cash to splash.
Moya's with her every step of the way. I'll help, she smiles. Though you're surfing a rainbow if you think someone like that exists round here.
But at the back of her mind Maggie knows that Mum's crying is more than sadness. That there are no easy fixes. And that she shouldn't be speaking to Moya any more. Because Moya died months ago.
An unforgettable novel about grief and healing from Costa Children's and Irish Book Award-winner Brian Conaghan
Maggie Yates tells her best mate Moya everything.
She tells her about Mum losing her job - how Mum's taken to crying in secret. She even tells her about her foolproof plan to cheer Mum up: find her a fella with cash to splash.
Moya's with her every step of the way. I'll help, she smiles. Though you're surfing a rainbow if you think someone like that exists round here.
But at the back of her mind Maggie knows that Mum's crying is more than sadness. That there are no easy fixes. And that she shouldn't be speaking to Moya any more. Because Moya died months ago.
An unforgettable novel about grief and healing from Costa Children's and Irish Book Award-winner Brian Conaghan
The M Word delivered everything I expect from Conaghan: searingly inventive language; characters with their emotional dials turned all the way up; a journey through real-world trauma that feels authentic and really connects. And add funny to that list - properly, genuinely funny. A welcome addition to an already-outstanding body of work Martin Stewart, author of Riverkeep
The relationship between Maggie and her mother is the strength of the novel ... Strong stuff, but expertly handled by Conaghan