Yes, it’s time for a new FlairBookClub . Every month an editor recommends one of her must-reads. One of those books that you just can’t put down. Editor and diehard bookworm Annelies (27) recommends ‘Mother’s Instinct’ by Barbara Abel: ‘Creepy motherhood is my favorite thriller niche.’
What is it about?
Tiphaine and Laetitia are not only neighbors, but also best friends. They live in a beautiful, quiet suburb and their sons, born the same year, grow up as twin brothers. But after a tragic accident, their perfect world comes crashing down. The two women are caught in a whirlwind of grief, guilt and accusations, and no one is safe from the havoc that is wrought.
Favorite quote?
She had read on the internet that a child cannot be mourned, a process that in itself is long and painful if one also tries to bury the memory of the deceased in the silence of mourning.
Finding a quote that wouldn’t reveal too much of the plot was a challenge. But this one really touched me, regardless of the thriller I was reading. Because despite the terrible events and building tension, this is at its core a book about grief and heartbreaking loss. In my opinion, that leaves no one untouched.
Why should you read it?
I clearly have a favorite niche among thrillers, which is a bit strange, to say the least. I call it: creepy motherhood. For example, in the Flairbookclub a while ago I already recommended ‘Everything will be fine’ by Harriet Tyce and ‘De Duw’ by Ashley Audrain is also one of my favorites. ‘Mother’s Instinct’ by Barbara Abel fits that bill perfectly.
This book is by a Belgian author and was originally published in French. Now the story is revived because there is currently a film adaptation in cinema starring Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. Veerle Baetens did it to them years ago in the original French-language film adaptation ‘Duelles’.
The only thing I can say about that is that I regret that I had not read ‘Mother’s Instinct’ much earlier, because the story blew me away. Barbara Abel managed to lure me in with an intriguing concept and was able to hold my attention for the full 300 pages thanks to the tension that kept building. I flew through this in one day because I was afraid I would miss important details and nuances if I put it aside.
The great strength of this book is, on the one hand, its heartbreaking subject. The emotions burst from the pages and it allowed me to completely empathize with the heartbreaking loss of a young child. On the other hand, it is the surprising plot twist. Not because it was sensational and came out of nowhere, as is often the case with other thrillers, but because I found it repulsive and logical at the same time.
Like a magic act, the truth was there for the taking, but I was too busy being distracted by the author’s clever writing style. You’re buried up to your chin in the truth before you finally realize it.
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