Mother Tongue

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Author(s)

Julie Mayhew

Publisher

Candlewick Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

14+

Release Date

August 06, 2019

ISBN

9781536202632

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On the day she brings her sweet little sister, Nika, to school for the first time, eighteen-year-old Darya has already been taking care of her family for years. But a joyous September morning shifts in an instant when Darya’s rural Russian town is attacked by terrorists. While Darya manages to escape, Nika is one of hundreds of children taken hostage in the school in what stretches to a three-day siege and ends in violence. In the confusion and horror that follow, Darya and her family frantically scour hospitals and survivor lists in hopes that Nika has somehow survived. And as journalists and foreign aid workers descend on her small town, Darya is caught in the grip of grief and trauma, trying to recover her life and wondering if there is any hope for her future. From acclaimed author Julie Mayhew comes a difficult but powerful narrative about pain, purpose, and healing in the wake of senseless terror.

Based on the shocking Beslan school siege in 2004, this is a brave and necessary story about grief, resilience, and finding your voice in the aftermath of tragedy.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Devastating, but Beautiful

December 13, 2018

Overall rating

5.0

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As MOTHER TONGUE by Julie Mayhew begins, eighteen-year-old Darya envisions the bits of freedom she'll enjoy once her little sister, Nika, finally starts school. Darya has been Nika's primary caregiver since she was brought home from the hospital--their mother stayed in the hospital longer, and when their mom returned to the family, she confined herself to her bed and couldn't manage her parenting duties. Darya stepped up to fill the void for the new baby, and she loved her little sister like a mother--while resenting the parts of her own childhood that she forfeited.

On Nika's first day of school, a terrorist attack alters the lives of everyone in their town as they all deal with the aftermath of the death of so many loved ones. Nika is one of those who is taken hostage, then among the missing when the hostage situation is resolved, and then lost forever as the family identifies and claims her remains. MOTHER TONGUE chronicles Darya's attempts to deal with her loss, understand the way others manage theirs, and find a new life for herself absent her little sister.

MOTHER TONGUE is devastating to read, and Julie Mayhew's relates the stories of people who are broken in so many different ways. Her writing is beautiful, but spare, and much of the beauty is in her economy of words. I loved Darya's character, and I marveled at how well Mayhew brought her to life despite the book's brevity. MOTHER TONGUE is a coming-of-age book, but it's also one that covers grief, family relationships, dating relationships, and so much more.

I had to take frequent small breaks while I was reading MOTHER TONGUE. There's so much pain in the book that it was hard for me to absorb it all at once. That said, I was always anxious to get started on it again because I was so invested in the characters and their stories.

MOTHER TONGUE is a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it. My thanks to LibraryThing and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Good Points

Beautiful writing
Terrific main character