GROUP MEMBER REVIEW:

Warning: This review contains potentially distressing content

The Godmothers is a novel full of warmth, with supportive relationships and love at the centre of its narrative. Eliza, a young woman living in Melbourne, is the main character of The Godmothers and her strongest relationships are with her two godmothers Olivia and Maxie.

The story begins with Eliza and her troubled yet loving mother Jeannie. Tragedy strikes when Eliza is 17, following her idyllic holiday with Maxie. The Godmothers then moves forward in time to Eliza aged 30 and becomes a mystery and romance novel as Eliza tries to uncover secrets of her past as she visits Olivia and her family in Edinburgh.

Throughout the book, the reader is left wondering if Olivia and Maxie know more about Jeannie and her life and death and what they are hiding from Eliza.

Jeannie is a complex but realistic character and at the novel’s best, Jeannie is portrayed as a three dimensional character who happens to be suffering from bipolar disorder. Author Monica McInerney is keen to reveal the many different aspects of Jeannie’s personality. She is popular and loved by her close friends but is also self-destructive and it is Olivia and Maxie who provide Eliza with love and stability as a grown up.

Full of warm and engaging characters, this easy to read novel provides an important perspective on the value of friendship, family and love. Despite its bleak premise, The Godmothers is a moving and heartfelt book.