The Mother Fault
By: Kate Mildenhall
Imagining a near future as terrifying as Margaret Atwood’s Gilead, a riveting tale of one woman taking on the world to save her own.
‘A triumph of a novel. Five stars. I loved it. Thrilling, confronting, page-turning and heartbreakingly poignant, The Mother Fault is a remarkable story.’ Jane Harper, bestselling author of The Dry
You will not recognise me, she thinks, when I find you . . .
Mim’s husband is missing. No one knows where Ben is, but everyone wants to find him – especially The Department. And they should know, the all-seeing government body has fitted the entire population with a universal tracking chip to keep them ‘safe’.
But suddenly Ben can’t be tracked. And Mim is questioned, made to surrender her passport and threatened with the unthinkable – her two children being taken into care at the notorious BestLife.
Cornered, Mim risks everything to go on the run to find her husband – and a part of herself, long gone, that is brave enough to tackle the journey ahead.
From the stark backroads of the Australian outback to a terrifying sea voyage, Mim is forced to shuck off who she was – mother, daughter, wife, sister – and become the woman she needs to be to save her family and herself.
‘Sublime . . . With its superb storytelling and capacity to spark reflection on the way we live, this timely, riveting, warning bell of a book can be confidently recommended.’ Books+Publishing
‘A shattering lightning bolt of a book.’ Karen Viggers, author of The Lightkeeper’s Wife
‘A clarion call, wrapped in vivid prose, inside a truly thrilling read’ Angela Savage, author of Mother of Pearl and Behind the Night Bazaar
‘Shook me to my core. I could not put it down’ Alice Robinson, author of Anchor Point and The Glad Shout
‘Mildenhall has imagined a world as terrifying and visionary as Margaret Atwood’s Gilead, with the pace of the best thrillers – and characters I’ll never forget’ J.P. Pomare, author of Call Me Evie and In the Clearing
‘With The Mother Fault Mildenhall has achieved that rare thing – a book that at once tackles the big issues and is an addictive page-turner.’ Melanie Cheng, author of Australia Day and Room for a Stranger
‘Compelling and deeply human. The Mother Fault is an urgent call from a future which is at once terrifying and familiar.’ Kristina Olsson, award-winning author of Shell and Boy, Lost
‘Brilliant. A raw, urgent, white-knuckle ride through a world only a heartbeat away’ James Bradley, author of Clade and Ghost Species
‘Clever, political, pacy and exciting. The Mother Fault is pure diamond-edged propulsive power. Book of the year.’ Chris Flynn, author of Mammoth
‘An unvarnished, beautifully written, totally authentic tribute to the everyday badassery and bullshit of motherhood, to the ordinary extraordinariness of women. It’s also a fast-paced edge-of-your-seat, heart-in-your-mouth adventure with an ending worthy of a Homeland season finale.’ Anna Downes, author of The Safe Place
‘A literary thriller that speaks precisely, devastatingly, to its time.’ The Monthly
‘ A stunning account of a possible future, The Mother Fault deserves every bit of the hype it has received in the lead up to its release.’ The AU Review
‘Timely and thoughtful, intelligent and fast paced, this is a propulsive literary thriller that’s likely to appeal to fans of Margaret Atwood and Charlotte Wood’s The Natural Way of Things.’ The Weekend West
‘The true power of this novel is in its appalling plausibility. That, and the fact that it is impossible to put down.’ Readings Monthly
About the author:
Kate Mildenhall is a writer and teacher. Her debut novel, Skylarking, was named in Readings Top Ten Fiction Books of 2016 and longlisted for Best Debut Fiction in The Indie Book Awards 2017 and the 2017 Voss Literary Prize. Kate teaches creative writing to young writers and co-hosts The First Time, a podcast about the first time you publish a book. The Mother Fault is her second novel. Kate lives with her partner and two daughters in Hurstbridge, Victoria.
Content supplied by: Simon & Schuster
Credit: https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/The-Mother-Fault/Kate-Mildenhall/9781760854478
ISBN: 9781760854478
