Title: Mothering Sunday
Author: Graham Swift
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 978-1471155239
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 136
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5
I have not read much by Graham Swift. I have always found his books to be slow and kinda dragging, however this time round when I did read his latest, “Mothering Sunday” – I was left with a tingling feeling of melancholy, happiness and some bittersweet feeling that I couldn’t place my finger on. In short, I loved what I read. The book is different. It is short – almost a novella and it takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions like no other book I’ve read in recent past.
“Mothering Sunday” is about a day that changes everything – 30th March 1924. The day is Mothering Sunday. The question is how Jane Fairchild, an orphan, spends her time when she clearly has no mother to visit?
Jane Fairchild is only twenty-two, working at a house as a maid since she was sixteen. She is in love with Paul Sheringham, young heir of a neighbouring house. The two you guessed right, meet again on that Mothering Sunday and life isn’t the same ever again.
The book is about her life, the love that she stumbles on and what happens thereof. I wish I could say more but I just cannot. You would have to read the book to figure that one out. The writing is superlative. People say that “Waterland” or “Last Orders” is his best work. I think hands down this one is. The writing is precise and yet says so much given the scope of the book.
The story is of Jane’s understanding of the world and how she comes to the conclusion and learns to make peace with her situation. All I can say is that the book has these fantastic metaphors and one-liners that will stay with you long after you have finished the book.
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