Bloodmining

by Laura Wilkinson

Megan Evens appears to have it brains, beauty, a successful career as a foreign correspondent. But deep down she is lonely and rootless. Pregnant, craving love but unable to trust after the destructive affair with her baby's father she returns to the security of her birthplace in Wales. When Megan's son is later diagnosed with a terminal condition, a degenerative, hereditary disease, everything she believed to be true about her origins is thrown into question. To save her son Megan must unearth the truth; she must excavate family history and memory. Enlisting the help of former colleague Jack North, a man with a secret of his own, Megan embarks on a journey of self discovery and into the heart of what it means to be a parent.

372 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 2011

About the author

Laura Wilkinson grew up in a Welsh market town and now lives in Brighton with her husband and two boys. Her novels: Skin Deep, The Family Line, Public Battles, Private Wars and Redemption Song are published by award-winning Welsh press, Accent. What does all her work have in common? Compelling stories, fascinating characters, and ideas that make you think a little. At least she hopes so! As well as writing fiction, she works as an editor & mentor for literary consultancy, Cornerstones, and The Writing Coach. Find out more here: http://laura-wilkinson.co.uk. Or follow her on Twitter: @ScorpioScribble. She loves to hear from readers.

Reviews

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Family Line is set in the not too distant future, a world recovering from a catastrophe caused by the effects of humans on the environment. It's a future that we can all relate to and I think that this is why the book is so powerful, it taps into all of our fears for future generations.
The novel is split into three parts, present, past and future and follows Megan, a young journalist who returns to her welsh home after working as a journalist in far flung and dangerous parts of the world, when she becomes pregnant. Her strained relationship with her mother is put to the test when her young son is diagnosed with a life threatening disease.
Secrets, lies and deceits are uncovered, which leave Megan questioning everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.
The storyline builds slowly through the first and second parts and I really enjoyed this, I didn't think that the faster pace in the third part worked as well as it seemed a little rushed.
However, I enjoyed the book very much. It is thought provoking, disturbing and only too believable.
My thanks to TBC on FB and the author for the opportunity to review this book.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the future, this harrowing story follows the lives of Megan, and her mother, Elizabeth (whom she has a very difficult relationship with). When Megan returns to the family home in Wales, as a single mother, having given up her career as a foreign correspondent, she is devastated when her son is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Desperate to find a cure, and in a race against time, she must unlock the secrets of her past, to have any chance of saving his life!
This vivid, unusual, and clever story, is very well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! I loved the strong female characters! It was emotional, and very thought-provoking - making me consider ethical issues raised, and the potential consequences for our planet in the future.
Many thanks to TBC on FB, and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really needs to be reviewed in 3 parts. He book is split into the present the past and the future. Following a family in the year 2048. The past and the first 25% of he book was slow and I found hard to understand where the story was going so would recommend any reader to just persevere as the past is simply 5*. Well written and twists and turns everywhere leading nicely into the future when all becomes clear. Give his book the time and patience it deserves as it is extremely well written for a first time author and isn't like any other book I have read before.

[Mary Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Enjoyed the way it was written.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really clever idea for a novel. There are some diverse and very interesting themes going on here – the rather grim future in store for us if we don’t change our ways, the harm that secrets and lies can do, the consequences of thinking only of ourselves, and the strength there is in family and love.
The book begins in 2048, the world coping with the consequences of climate change and the aftermath of a terrible plague. Megan, a correspondent, is pregnant and returns home to her naïve Wales to live with her mother. The details of how the world has changed are subtly done, introduced through the way the characters live and their surroundings. This works really well.
We then move forward a few years to Megan finding out that her son has a degenerative disease. Megan needs to delve into her family’s past in order to find a way to save him. Her mother has always been secretive, but circumstances force her to tell Megan the truth, and what she recalls takes Megan to Romania to discover their true origins.
I did have a couple of issues with this novel. It was very slow to get started and did drag a little. I didn’t really engage with it until I came to Elizabeth’s story. It was here that the narrative seemed to come alive. The build up to the plague and the devastating consequences was brilliantly done and really gripping. Elizabeth is a fantastic character, warm, three-dimensional and relatable. I didn’t feel like this about Megan however, and found her very difficult to like. She seemed selfish and her lack of empathy or sympathy for Elizabeth made it hard for me to care about her. She was too hard and too cold and while she may have had reason to be so, those reasons didn’t come across clearly enough for me to like her.
I also felt that the storyline around her son was wrapped up too quickly. I won’t go into detail because of spoilers, but it just seemed too easy.
That said, there are parts of this novel that are absolutely brilliant, really page-turning and emotional. Elizabeth’s grief and suffering is harrowing to read and so well done. Laura Wilkinson is a great storyteller, and this book has a lot to commend it. She’s certainly an author to look out for.

[Rachel Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an accomplished and thought-provoking debut. Set in a near and far future, which are both unfamiliar and yet not so different as to be unrecognisable, this novel asks important questions about the ethics of technological assistance in conception and the creation of children. It presents ways of raising children in alternatives to the traditional nuclear family and imagines a return to self sufficiency in a post-climate-change context. If anything, there could be more of this, perhaps; but the political and geographical context is a backdrop, rather than a central concern. In this book, it's the people who matter, and their stories.

Because - above all - this is a compelling and page turning story. It manages to be both global in scale (the action begins in China and reader is taken from there to London, to Wales, to Eastern Europe and back again) and in its concerns. The questions asked - is motherhood biological or cultural? - have a universal significance. Yet Wilkinson also gives us the details of home and the domestic in poignant and important scenes - a family picnic on a beach; meals at the kitchen table; a grandmother and her grandson spending time together. The structure of the novel (in which the backstory sandwiched in the middle section) creates suspense but, more importantly, allows the reader to draw parallels between the three main female characters in the novel and their situations. Three very different people, and yet each has their own identity as a mother. The primary narrative is an old fashioned quest, one which is believable and emotionally driven and closes with a satisfying resolution.

This would be an excellent book group choice - and indeed the novel presents the reader with questions and issues for reflection at the back of the book. BloodMining is a timely and unsettling novel. It will be very interesting indeed to see where the author goes next. Laura Wilkinson is certainly one to watch.

[Michelle Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was offered a review copy of the book by the author, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. It’s published by a very small publisher, but it very much deserves a larger publisher who can get it on the high street shelves.

The heart of this story is about the relationships between mother and daughter, questioning what it means to be a parent. Megan and Elizabeth provide the central characters, and as we find out more about them, we also watch their relationship grow and evolve. It’s a story any mother or daughter will take something from.

The timing and setting of the story adds a fascinating layer. The story starts in 2048, where things are recognisable, whilst slightly different. It’s not the technological driven future of sci-fi books, nor is it instantly recognisable as a dystopia. There are, however, hints of something which has happened to change life completely for many people.

The second part of the story brings us back to 2015, where these events are explored in more detail. Whereas the first part tells us Megan’s story, with her journey into parenthood, and the pain of having an ill child, this second part belongs to Elizabeth, her mother. It allows us to explore her character more, set to the background of the events which changed her life.

Finally we return to Megan’s story, as she continues the fight for her son, and her own personal struggle to understand her past.

This is an interesting and emotional début, and is highly recommended.

[Rebecca Emin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Wilkinson's debut novel BloodMining is a book I have read slowly but surely, and savoured. They say the key to great writing is to make every word count. Wilkinson certainly makes every single word count, and is clearly an intelligent and highly skilled writer.

This book draws you in, and although there are quite a few characters you get to know them all in just the right amount of detail. It amazed me when the book moved into the past, as I usually find time changes in books hard to get into, but again, the characters drew me in, and I felt reluctant to leave their section when it came to an end.

The story makes you think, "what if?" as it is possible that the situations described could happen. Very cleverly, it gets you thinking about the global population as a whole, as well as the world as it is observed by the main character, Megan.

I loved everything about this book. I have already been reading some short stories by the author and I will be keeping an eye out for her future novels.

I think this novel would make a magnificent movie.

This book is going on my "read again" pile.

[Donna Irwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was set in the future and that is not a likely genre for me but this was a very plausible future and I loved the book. At its heart is a desperate mother trying to save her terminally ill child, looking for a donor match , and discovering unspoken truths about her family history along the way. Part family dramas, part thriller, the book looks back from the future over what happened to the human race - and it's all a bit uncomfortably believable. This was really well written. Thanks to TBC and the author for a review copy

[Monica Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very interesting book. It is set slightly in the future, which adds to the enjoyment of the read, since events happened in the book which I can easily see happen to us in the future as well, quite believable.

Meg has an exciting life as a journalist, covering stories in all sorts of far-flung and dangerous places. However, she is a mother as well, and when her child needs help, she will put her journalistic skills to good use to help him.

This is mainly a story of family ties: like many of us, Meg's family history is quite complicated and as she explores her family history, all sorts of truths emerge.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was well written and edited. Looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Highly recommended read.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. With thanks to The Book Club and the author.

[Roz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Megan is a former foreign correspondent whose life is thrown into turmoil when her son is diagnosed with a terminal illness: a degenerative disease passed down the mother’s line. In order to save him, Megan will have to unearth the truth about her origins and about a catastrophic event from the past. She must confront the strained relationship she has with her mother, make sense of the family history that has been hidden from her all her life, and embark on a journey of self-discovery that stretches halfway around the world.

I struggled for the first few chapters but I'm so glad I persevered. Different to the books I would usually read I found it engrossing and moving.

[E.L. Lindley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Family Line by Laura Wilkinson is an unusual but gripping story set in the near future. Wilkinson cleverly uses her novel to construct a world that acts as a cautionary tale of what could become of us if we fail to mend our ways.

We are introduced to the main character, foreign correspondent Megan Evens, in a prologue where the independent, sparky thirty something is trying to escape a militarised Muslim area to return to London. The impression is immediately created that Megan is a tough, no-nonsense, driven woman.

These are qualities that serve her well when she finds herself a single mother and opts to return to her family home in Wales. Her life is turned upside down even further when she discovers that her young son has a hereditary condition called AMNA and without a bone marrow transplant he will not survive into adulthood. Megan determines that she will stop at nothing to find a genetic match for her child but in doing so uncovers life changing family secrets.

Wilkinson separates her novel into three parts: the present, the past and the future. During the first part (present) of the novel, we are given clues that the world has been dramatically altered, for example there is food and water rationing and restrictions on travelling. However, it is not until the second section (past) that we learn the truth. The ‘past’ is told from Megan’s mother, Elizabeth’s, point of view and she describes how in 2025 a plague wiped out 50% of the UK population which has unspeakable ramifications for both Elizabeth and the unwitting Megan. The final section (future) of the novel sees Megan travelling to Romania with her mentor, friend and fellow journalist, Jack North, in an attempt to unravel the past and find a bone marrow match for Megan’s child.

I found the novel to be extremely dark and in places truly disturbing. My favourite section of the novel is the ‘past’ and it is in this section that Wilkinson’s writing evokes terrifying imagery in the way she describes the onset of the plague. She presents us with a realistic scenario where infestations of rats, some as big as small dogs, act as the harbinger of the terror that is to come. The terrible suffering that the people endured is also made heartbreakingly real by Wilkinson’s vivid imagery.

What I particularly like about Wilkinson’s novel is the way in which she explores very relevant issues by taking them to their extreme potential trajectory. For example, the plague is a man-made one created for warfare that is somehow released. The rats are breeding because of the amount of waste people discard and they consequently spread the plague like wild fire. There are also climate changes causing droughts and floods brought about by mankind’s selfish disregard for the environment. After the plague, people determine to be more mindful of the problems they are causing but, little more than thirty years later they are already neglecting the environment once more and the suggestion is the whole 2025 catastrophe could be repeated.

As a result of the plague, the population is massively depleted and a ‘breeding frenzy’ ensues. This leads to women who are past natural child bearing age or infertile seeking out donated eggs. As egg donation becomes big business, poor countries become exploited as young women and girls are offered money for their eggs. The consequences of this are dire as none of the donors are checked for any health implications. Wilkinson raises the question of whether it is a woman’s right to bear a child just because she wants one. The idea is taken to its extreme when we are presented with the grotesque image of a pregnant woman in her seventies.

Wilkinson also explores the guilt associated with hereditary conditions. AMNA is a disease where females are the carriers and males the sufferers. However, this is made even more complex because not every mother will pass it onto her sons; it’s a random condition that can skip a generation or strike just one boy in a family. If this were the case, would you risk having children and how would you live with yourself if you passed a life limiting, terrible disease onto your child. Wilkinson touches upon genetic engineering and the question of where it would stop. If we used it to eradicate potential illness is it not then human nature to become even more demanding in a quest for perfection?

Another question raised by the novel is the impact of nurture over nature. Although nature dictates our physical attributes and weaknesses, nurture can be just as life limiting. Megan has been nurtured by a mother who is defined by secrets. This has had a disastrous effect on their relationship as Elizabeth has seemed emotionally absent to Megan. Megan herself is a cold, aloof character who, despite her passion for social justice, doesn’t give of herself emotionally. Her relationships with others seem functional rather than warm and caring.

I really liked The Family Line; I found it interesting and thought provoking. My only slight criticism is that because the book has such a dark and uncertain tone throughout, the ending, when it comes, seems a little bit neat and tidy. That being said, lots of readers do prefer books with a definitive conclusion.

The Family Line is not a light summer read but it is a thoughtful and well written story of where we could all potentially end up. If you like a novel that is unusual and makes you think, then this one is for you.

[Steve Lawless · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Interesting plot. Characterizations were good was not convinced by the time settings but the idea of the plague was a good one.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author herself describes her work as “diverse”, but adds that what all her books have in common are “emotional, compelling stories, fascinating characters, and ideas that make you think a little”. This book was a very different proposition from Redemption Song, but was one of those wonderful books where I found myself reading the first few pages only to be drawn into a story that totally took me over for the couple of days I was reading. Not only that – it’s almost a week since I finished reading, and it’s still very much in my mind and daily thoughts.

The book’s structure is excellent. The first part focuses on the book’s present – a very believable and vividly described near future – and the story of Megan Evens, returning to her childhood home in North Wales as a single mother after a life of danger as a foreign correspondent. She now faces new challenges – a difficult relationship with her mother, a hidden family history that she struggles to understand, and finding that her son is suffering from a life limiting hereditary disease. The second part looks more closely at recent history, through the eyes of her mother, Elizabeth: it’s an absolutely gripping story, full of visual and emotional detail, about an appalling and horrifying chain of events that changed lives and the world itself. It helps us understand Elizabeth’s state of mind, the relationship between the two women, and some of the differences – described but not explained earlier – between this new world and our own.

The author tells a harrowing story, with some appalling images (oh my word, those rats…), with a real warning about the possibilities in our future. The way in which the world changes also forces changes in people’s behaviour – with the need for repopulation driving the most dreadful behaviours that have other life-changing and emotional consequences. The third part – where Megan travels to Romania to find a bone marrow match to save her son’s life becomes almost a thriller, but also something of a love story and a putting to rest of all the issues around identity and belonging that have gone before.

When a review turns into telling the story – as this one rather has – it never really works, does it? Especially when you’re trying hard not to tell the whole story – and I do really think it’s important to come to this book without preconceptions and expectations and see what you think of it. If I’m honest, had it not been written by Laura Wilkinson, it’s a book I might not have picked up – but I’m so very glad I did, because I found it totally enthralling. While some of its elements belong to the world of post-apocalyptic and science fiction, there are wonderfully powerful female characters at its centre, tackling moral and practical issues that most certainly do make you think, and more than just a little. The themes are immense – family bonds, the meaning of family and belonging, being a mother, mother-daughter relationships, nature and nurture, and identity itself… and that’s without even touching on some of the wider environmental issues and the consequences of human misbehaviour.

I really feel I’m really not making a very good job of this. but there’s one thing that I really do need to say. And that is that this book totally blew me away: ok, parts of it made me quite emotional and it sometimes really disturbed me, but it’s one I’d recommend without reservation to anyone who’d similarly like to step outside their area of comfort a little. Laura Wilkinson is a quite magnificent story-teller – and this really was an unforgettable read. And don’t neglect to read the very personal postscript about the inspiration behind the novel – it makes the whole experience of reading all the more moving and emotionally affecting.

[Alison Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the emotional resonance of a Maggie O’ Farrell and hints of Ishiguro’s Never let me go, Bloodmining is a vivid and believable rendering of a familiar but crucially altered near future. A compelling debut novel from Laura Wilkinson that I read in one sitting, this is well worth the read.

Over the course of the novel we develop great sympathy and affinity with the characters: Megan who must chart her past to save her child’s future, Elizabeth, whose story is both shocking and profoundly moving as well as Megan’s colleague Jack North who introduces resourcefulness and humour to a difficult quest. I enjoyed Megan’s tough exterior which is paired with a fierce love for her son Cerdic who develops a life threatening hereditary illness.

What Megan learns as she tries to find a suitable donor for her son’s treatment is central to the plot and there will be no spoilers from this quarter. We visit two eras, near future and a future right on our doorstep, although one I hope we do not witness. But that’s as far as I’m telling. I strongly urge you to find out for yourselves, Wilkinson’s prose is light, clever and accomplished, the story structure elegant and effective and her descriptions utterly evocative and riveting. She explores ethical dilemmas and decisions that are close at hand. If you want a book to grip, shock, surprise and satisfy you, with plenty of discussion for reading groups this will not disappoint. Bloodmining deserves a wide readership and recognition and I look forward to more from this author.

[Kirsty (Book - Love - Bug) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite dystopian books being massively on trend at the moment, I don't usually particularly enjoy these books that are set in the future and are far too unrealistic for me to be able to relate to. However, Wilkinson doesn't take this too far. BloodMining is set in the not-too-distant future and it's scarily believable.

Part One of the book is set between 2048 and 2052. Part Two then skips back to 2015 to 2020 where we learn the background story to the present characters. Finally Part Three comes back to 2052 to 2053 where the story is concluded. This story is seamlessly put together, the pace is truly excellent and it leaves you wanting more.

I really like that the synopsis didn't give too much away about the storyline, and so I won't give away anymore either. The characters of the story are wonderfully drawn; three very different women with one thing in common - motherhood. This book looks into what mothers will do to protect their children and themselves. Set in Wales but with glimpses of London and international destinations such as China and Romania, this book has a real homely feel to it. Wilkinson grew up in North Wales and some of the descriptive narrative that features in this book is clearly written from the heart.

There isn't anything predictably girly about this book - it's a fantastic debut novel which surpassed my expectations. I totally agree with one Amazon reviewer; this has got BBC 3-part drama written all over it! Simply fabulous!

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

BloodMining began as flash fiction, sparked by a news item about a British woman who became a new mother at the age of 62. The action takes place within two time settings – the immediate, and more distant future.

Wikinson’s future is not, at first glance, so different from the present. Her imagined world is credible because while subtly different, it is rooted in current anxieties.

Gutsy and fiercely independent, Megan Evens - a single mother, fighting to save her son's life after he is diagnosed with a rare, and lethal, hereditary disease- is a very modern heroine. Wilkinson creates a rich internal narrative, allowing readers to connect with her main character. As Megan begins to question her own identity, her loneliness draws us still closer.

As a novel about women, ageing, and the mother-child relationship, BloodMining is compelling, and Wilkinson ably navigates the tender, sometimes fraught exchanges between her protagonists.

Though its scope is ambitious, and could easily have veered off-course, BloodMining’s deft interweaving of complex themes makes for a haunting début. Recommended for fans of contemporary thrillers, with an interest in eco-feminism.

[Pete Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times haunting, at times bleak and continuously stimulating, Blood Mining is a consummate first novel. Laura Wilkinson's prose is both evocative and engaging. The narrative moves freely through different time zones (2015-20 and 2048-53.) Although I would have preferred more of something akin to `newspeak' in the more futuristic sections (the `mulmed' works nicely), the locations and images of life are well imagined and are alien enough to contemporary society to carry the intriguing plot successfully. The main protagonist Megan has immediate appeal. I found myself caring about her, her anxieties, the struggle she has making sense of the world and her familial responsibilities, straightaway.
Blood Mining is essentially about a woman's relationship with her environs, her mother and her son. It is not merely a story for women however. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it unreservedly to other `blokes' who enjoy well-crafted fiction. This is story that raises questions only slightly beyond our immediate reality.

[Katy O'Dowd · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a long time since I've read a book that I've enjoyed as much as BloodMining.
It is an excellent idea which was turned into an excellent, gripping book. One of those books that has you up too late at night reading and thinking about it during the day while you are working, feeling the need to get back to it.
And now that I've finished it, I am feeling a little bereft, and wondering what happened to the characters as they continue on their life's journey.
This is storytelling at its best, written beautifully, with sections that will have you smiling, encouraging the characters on, and others that will have you blubbing.
The characters are vivid and their lives breathtaking, they get into your head and your heart and don't let go of either easily.
BloodMining will definitely be on my list of books to buy people for Christmas and birthdays - a bloody brilliant read.

[Shirley Golden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloodmining is a very well-crafted debut novel. I was hooked from the start and the characters pull you in, getting under your skin.

I particularly liked the futuristic setting of this novel with the slight differences from contemporary life and the survivor aftermath feel following an international disaster. The themes of identity, loss and motherhood are explored in an emotionally engaging way, whilst never becoming mawkish.

The novel is structured using three time periods. Jumping back in time enables the secret Elizabeth carries to be unfolded gradually.

This is a real page turner and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction with a difference.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a huge fan of the "thinking" literature - thinking, what would I do when something happens to me. Something horrible or wickedly evil. And in this book I was thinking throughout that what would I do if I were to be in the same shoes as Megan, having to deal with my son being very very ill, and how to manage life in a tumultous world.
This was an entertaining, thought-provoking and brilliant debut read.
Highly recommended.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The futuristic timescale of this book put me off at first but as I got inot the story you did forget it was all set in the future. The concept behind the story was a good one - a mother searching for a genetic cure for her ill son but I have to say I didn't really engage with any of the characters. It had a Handmaidens Tale feel to it which I studied in school. Thank you to TBC for the chance to read and review this title.

[Roger Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost as good as its reviews.

Very well crafted and long stretches where it was very hard to put down.
In my tiny mind, marred by some contrived sequences and an ending not as strong as the preceding 360 pages.

But I'd recommend it to grandmothers and Hell's Angels alike.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

January book for the Broadway Book Club.

Good read.