An Othered Mother

An Othered Mother is an innovative collection of existential panic (of sometimes Biblical proportions), in which the comfort of family and relationships still carry within them some unspoken threat; we do not know what it is, or if it will ever come to fruition, but this book walks the line between vigilance and acceptance of fate, be it good or bad. At times colloquial and confiding, Henderson uses shifting distances of tone which make visceral attempts at simulating fears of abandonment within the reader; you are loved and isolated, you are held and alone. There are places where childhood and adulthood converge, timelines interfering with one another, family trees and earth. An Othered Mother carries an important message through the magic and confessionalism found in Henderson's dry, uncynical tone: this book may not have the optimistic message or answer that you were hoping for, but that's life. We do not always need to feel hopeful, our answers may not be found on motivational slogans printed on notebooks. But we do not always have to feel doomed, either. When reading this book, you will not be given the secret sentiment that unlocks the doors to all of your happinesses. But you will, for the moment, find somebody sitting beside you on the sofa, offering you a slice of pizza, and when somebody gets the answer wrong on the gameshow you are watching, you will laugh. You'll say, "I can't remember the last time I laughed like that", and for an hour or two before bed, you won't even think about what happened.



Scout Tzofiya Bolton, author of A Terrific Uproar (Broken Sleep Books), and Wild Heather (Civil Coping Mechanisms).