The Truth about Her
Published on 20. January 2022
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-0-00-852017-5 (ISBN)
Description
'Electrifying, deeply unsettling and so, so satisfying' Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and Bliss
'I raced through this compelling tale about shame, single motherhood, and the lies we tell ourselves and other people' Daily Mail
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, 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 several ill-advised 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 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.
'I raced through this compelling tale about shame, single motherhood, and the lies we tell ourselves and other people' Daily Mail
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, 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 several ill-advised 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 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.
Reviews / Votes
'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 raced through this compelling tale about shame, single motherhood, and the lies we tell ourselves and other people' Daily Mail
'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
'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 addictive' Readings
'A stunning novel, sharply observed, beautifully written, enthralling' Julia Baird, author of Phosphorescence
'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
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Dimensions
Height: 259 mm
Width: 292 mm
Thickness: 36 mm
Weight
616 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-852017-5 (9780008520175)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Jacqueline Maley
The Truth about Her
E-Book
08/2021
1st Edition
The Borough Press
€6.29
Available for download
Person
Jacqueline Maley is an award-winning journalist
and columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald and
The Age. She lives in Sydney. This is her first book.
and columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald and
The Age. She lives in Sydney. This is her first book.