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Mother's Boy

A beautifully crafted novel of war, Cornwall, and the relationship between a mother and son

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Mother's Boy

By: Patrick Gale
Narrated by: Patrick Gale
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About this listen

 From the bestselling author of A PLACE CALLED WINTER comes MOTHER'S BOY, a superb historical novel of Cornwall, class, desire and two world wars.

'One of the joys of Gale's writing is how even the smallest of characters can appear fully formed, due to a charming wickedness alongside deeper observations' Irish Times

Laura, an impoverished Cornish girl, meets her husband when they are both in service in Teignmouth in 1916. They have a baby, Charles, but Laura's husband returns home from the trenches a damaged man, already ill with the tuberculosis that will soon leave her a widow. In a small, class-obsessed town she raises her boy alone, working as a laundress, and gradually becomes aware that he is some kind of genius.

As an intensely private young man, Charles signs up for the navy with the new rank of coder. His escape from the tight, gossipy confines of Launceston to the colour and violence of war sees him blossom as he experiences not only the possibility of death, but the constant danger of a love that is as clandestine as his work.

MOTHER'S BOY is the story of a man who is among, yet apart from his fellows, in thrall to, yet at a distance from his own mother; a man being shaped for a long, remarkable and revered life spent hiding in plain sight. But it is equally the story of the dauntless mother who will continue to shield him long after the dangers of war are past.

'A writer with heart, soul, and a dark and naughty wit, one whose company you relish and trust' Observer

(P) 2022 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©2022 Patrick Gale 20th Century Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction War Marriage

Critic Reviews

'A tender, evocative retelling of the life of the poet Charles Causley . . . Patrick Gale's descriptions of the power of ordinary things in two very different lives make Mother's Boy a moving biographical tribute'
A wonderful novel about relationships, particularly between a mother and son. A compelling read, beautifully crafted and sensitively written. Highly recommended
'Richly engaging . . . Brilliantly evokes Causley's native county in the first part of the 20th century . . .This deeply felt, elegantly written novel will be relished by admirers of both the author and his subject. '
'A powerful novel. The all-important relationship between mother and son is evoked with skill and vivacity'
A characteristically tender novel about a young man growing up in the shadow of one war and the whispers of the next, with his mother always watching over him
The complex, near-incestuous bond between mother and son is drawn with sharp-eyed affection, as is the small-town Cornish setting. It stands with the best queer literary fiction of a historical bent, illuminated as it is by Gale's devilish wit and talent for both social observation and intricacies of character
The magic happens though when Gale takes his inspiration from lines of poetry or fragments of Charles' diary and gives him, and Laura, a rich and poignant life. A nicely woven, gentle tale of an ordinary life in extraordinary times, a tale of a boy born into hardship with no sense of self-pity, raised by his mother to be who he shall be. It's quite lovely
'Gentle . . . evocative'
A touching, utterly convincing portrait of the nascent artist'
A gorgeous coming-of-age story - this tender novel will touch hearts
Mother's Boy is further proof that Patrick Gale is that rare kind of storyteller - utterly engaging, compelling and unputdownable
I loved it. It's an incredibly evocative, enjoyable read...I didn't want it to stop. I wanted to stay in the world and carry on.
A lovely, generous, absorbing novel. Charles is made both 'of' and belonging to his place and world, while also not fitting into it. The war sections are so very good, so terrible and ugly and gritty. I absolutely believed all of it
You know sometimes, from the very first page of a book, you feel so at home and so involved with the story, it's as if you've walked alongside the characters all your life? Mother's Boy is one of those books. A sign of an incredible storyteller
Mother's Boy beautifully celebrates the underdog. It is a celebration of love in hidden places, and love in ordinary places, and the courage required to be true to the person you are, when there is no road map to guide you. A sublime piece of storytelling'
All stars
Most relevant
I knew nothing about Charles Causley, and was interested and moved by this depiction of what certainly would have been true for some. Life in shadows, lived superficially - as was expected.

Beautifully written and wonderfully narrated

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I love Patrick Gale’s writing and this was no exception. What a wonderful storyline and creative way to tell the life’s tale of a Cornish poet. This will sit with me for a long time.

Absolutely brilliant

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This book is one of his best although I love all of them. Highly recommend.

I love Patrick Gales writing and he is also a wonderful narrator.

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I needed to listen to this book for my book group. I found it slow and quite frankly not my genre.

Boring

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