The Truth About Her
A beautiful moving debut literary fiction novel about motherhood for readers of Meg Mason, Emily Maguire and Miranda Cowley Heller
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4.1 • 150 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
How can you write other people's stories, when you won't admit the truth of your own? A critically acclaimed, absorbing, moving, ruefully tender, witty and wise novel of marriage, motherhood and the paths we navigate through both, for fans of Ann Patchett and Anne Tyler.
'I loved The Truth About Her. It's an intelligent, compelling, nuanced tale of guilt, culpability, pride, shame and atonement. But most of all, it's a love letter to daughters, from the mothers who raise them. An astoundingly good debut.' Annabel Crabb
Journalist and single mother Suzy Hamilton gets a phone call one summer morning, and finds out that the subject of one of her investigative exposes, 25-year-old wellness blogger Tracey Doran, has killed herself overnight. Suzy is horrified by this news but copes in the only way she knows how - through work, mothering, and carrying on with her ill-advised, tandem affairs.
The consequences of her actions catch up with Suzy over the course of a sticky Sydney summer. She starts receiving anonymous vindictive letters and is pursued by Tracey's mother wanting her, as a kind of rough justice, to tell Tracey's story, but this time, the right way.
A tender, absorbing, intelligent and moving exploration of guilt, shame, female anger, and, in particular, mothering, with all its trouble and treasure, The Truth About Her is mostly though a story about the nature of stories - who owns them, who gets to tell them, and why we need them. An entirely striking, stylish and contemporary novel, from a talented new writer.
PRAISE FOR THE TRUTH ABOUT HER
'Heartfelt, funny and will resonate with many readers. This tender, witty and beautifully written novel is for fans of Georgia Blain, Charlotte Wood and Ann Patchett.' Books+Publishing
'An intimate world filled with characters I could have lived with a great deal longer... rewarding, enjoyable and utterly addictive.' Readings
'An exceptional debut ... smart, funny, layered and rich ... and shot through with brilliant humour.' Primer
'A stunning novel, sharply observed, beautifully written, enthralling.' Julia Baird
'Read the first sentence of Jacqueline Maley's debut novel, and you will be in it until the end. Electrifying, deeply unsettling and so, so satisfying. And, if you've ever tried to manage the sharp end of a career with the blunt demands of parenthood, fiercely recognisable.' Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and Bliss
'I loved The Truth About Her. I could not put it down - whip-smart, sexy and with so much heart - and god, that ending packed a punch. The sort of book that all mothers need to read.' Eliza Henry- Jones, author of In the Quiet and Ache
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A hard-working journalist recovering from a personal scandal of her own, Suzy Hamilton learns that the young subject of one of her investigative pieces has taken her own life. Juggling a competitive career with the demands of single motherhood, Suzy fields anonymous threats as more facts come to light about the subject of her expose. Unfolding over a single summer in a vibrantly realised Sydney, The Truth About Her is an accomplished fiction debut for award-winning Australian newspaper columnist Jacqueline Maley. It reads like a knife-edged literary thriller, winding through today’s minefields of fake news and social media influencers, while also exploring the strength of the bond between mothers and daughters.
Customer Reviews
Witty, tender and beautiful
This book was such a tender and intimate read. A little slow to get into but beautifully written to capture the complexity and flaws of life. This book deserves to be read and recognised .
A near perfect book
This is what really good writing does for a story - makes it sing and sigh in all the best ways.
A great pleasure to read.
Perfect and pacy
Beautifully written from start to finish. Didn’t want it to end.