Three women, one girl and the vow that binds them

Despite dealing with some very tough subjects – ovarian cancer, infertility, domestic violence and social anxiety, for a start – The Mother’s Promise is an absorbing book to read.

The main character is Alice, single mother of fifteen-year-old Zoe and when we first meet Alice she is at a doctor’s surgery being given the news she has ovarian cancer. Her reaction is to worry about her daughter.

We are introduced to Kate, her oncology nurse and to Sonja her social worker, both women seeming to have perfect lives.

As the blurb of the book says, the lives of the three women become ‘inextricably tied’. It is Sally Hepworth’s great skill as a novelist that she binds these three women together in a thoroughly convincing way. We are fed the details of their lives in small pieces as Alice’s illness takes its toll.

We learn the perfection of Kate’s and Sonja’s lives is only on the surface, and the imperfections are slowly and skilfully revealed by the author.

Central to all these women is Zoe. Zoe is fifteen, deeply attached to her mother. There is no other family, except alcoholic Paul, Alice’s brother. Zoe’s father is a mystery, a mystery which Sally Hepworth gradually reveals. Zoe has a social anxiety disorder and attending high school is torture for her. Being around people is tortuous, except for young children and old people. The author is very skilful in communicating Zoe’s fears and reactions and helping the reader understand her position.

The teenage world described is one of the story’s great strengths. The awkwardness, the cruelty and the kindness and support of those years is all there. Zoe’s classmates with their strengths and weaknesses are sensitively described.

Sally Hepworth’s portrayal of ovarian cancer, infertility, domestic violence and social anxiety is sensitive and thorough and she is to be congratulated on her research and empathy.

The men in the story vary from the weak or insensitive to criminal. Some develop redeeming features as the story progresses. Paul’s attempts to support Alice and Kate’s father’s attempts to articulate his support are very positive. However, the men are not fully rounded characters as the women and the young people are.

The story takes place just outside San Francisco, but the setting could be an Australian story. There are differences, of course in the medical and education systems, but the personal interaction remains much the same. The process of public speaking in Australian schools is very like that described in the novel.

The writing is light and easy and engages the reader. I read the book over three nights. Liane Moriarty recommends the book with, ‘This is women’s fiction at its finest’. So, if you are a Liane Moriarty fan, I think you’d like this.

I won’t divulge the reason for the title, as to do so would be a real ‘spoiler’ and expose the vow that Alice, Kate and Sonja make to keep that promise. I find the cover picture of three closed heart lockets a lovely symbol of the story and I am pleased to have the chance to read and review. 

The Mother’s Promise by Sally Hepworth is a story for those who have a curiosity about people and like to empathise with others’ stories. It is available from Dymocks. Click here to learn more.