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A Perfect Mother
Katri Skala combines a plot-driven narrative with insightful commentary on motherhood, mental illness, identity and love. A Perfect Mother is honest, multi-layered, and emotionally demanding of its reader.
When Jacob, on a trip to Trieste in Northern Italy to research his long-lost great- grandfather, meets Charlotte and Jane the trio are forced to confront their individual and shared histories. Their sense of identity is challenged and they must piece together a future none of them saw coming.
Skala asks the big questions: What do we inherit from the broken histories of our parents and our grandparents and how does this shape our own sense of identity? Can we ever overcome the past? Are stories, the ones we are told and the ones we tell, integral to how we know each other and how we love? What does it mean to be a good parent, let alone the perfect mother?
Brilliantly mixing a novel of ideas with a psychological morality tale, A Perfect Mother digs deep into the heart of these questions in a subtle intense prose that keeps the reader on a knife's edge until its final pages. A novel of our times.
When Jacob, on a trip to Trieste in Northern Italy to research his long-lost great- grandfather, meets Charlotte and Jane the trio are forced to confront their individual and shared histories. Their sense of identity is challenged and they must piece together a future none of them saw coming.
Skala asks the big questions: What do we inherit from the broken histories of our parents and our grandparents and how does this shape our own sense of identity? Can we ever overcome the past? Are stories, the ones we are told and the ones we tell, integral to how we know each other and how we love? What does it mean to be a good parent, let alone the perfect mother?
Brilliantly mixing a novel of ideas with a psychological morality tale, A Perfect Mother digs deep into the heart of these questions in a subtle intense prose that keeps the reader on a knife's edge until its final pages. A novel of our times.
- GenresFiction
220 pages, Hardcover
First published July 19, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 28, 2018
Novel set in TRIESTE (and Gloucestershire)
3.5*
Jacob is writing a travel piece in the city of Trieste. He is a rather mournful character searching for his great grandfather, last heard of in 1938, when a postcard was sent in the December.
Trieste is beautifully captured - it had the only death camp in Italy during WW2 at San Sabba; the author extols the beautiful views to be had from Opacina; James Joyce spent time in the city and Lucia Joyce, his daughter, also gets quite a mention in the novel. This is a city that really deserves a visit, the author conjures it up so well!
Jacob happens upon Jane and Charlotte, who are involved in a book group and they settle into an amicable interchange. It transpires that Jane and Charlotte have had a client/therapist relationship since the day Charlotte lost her small baby in a cot death.
Jane spends time with Jacob in a quasi vetting capacity (as he suspects in retrospect) assessing him as a potential suitable match for Charlotte to loosen her up and disengage her from her old and traumatic history – at least that is his interpretation. She has had an abusive mother, she was abandoned thrice by her husband Alex and, then, once she lost her own child, she slipped into Post Natal Depression. Charlotte has now found some solace in working for a charity in Bosnia.
Jane elucidates Charlotte’s story, describing intimate details to Jacob, recounting in great detail her psychological past and her present psychological demeanour. The symbiotic relationship Jane seems to have with Charlotte is described as though “… she was earthed to her friend by a live wire. Every slight shift in Charlotte’s behaviour was felt by Jane“. We are, however, in no doubt of the enmeshed relationship that has developed ever since Jane took it upon herself to take on the cause that is Charlotte. This is projection and projective identification, coupled with a real Karpman Drama Triangle, for anyone minded to explore the deeper psychological fit between the three – and yes, they seem to be reworking mother issues.
It is clear that the author is interested in psychology, and particularly the Freudian hypothesis that early trauma will manifest in the present.
For me, the relationship between Jane and Charlotte, and with the ultimately hapless Jacob just doesn’t ring true. A professional therapist – who attended as a witness at court – simply wouldn’t relate a client’s history to someone they have just encountered (it is clearly a device to get Charlotte’s history on the page). She would have been thrown out of the profession for doing this.
They all meet up back in England and Jacob is once again hankering after a sexual encounter with the inimitable Charlotte. Of course, there are consequences…..
This is a beautifully presented novel, with a striking cover and a lovely and warm yellow on the inside covers. In many ways it is an ambitious novel and the writing is good. The ending works quite well. I do think, however, that overall there were too many themes explored in just over 200 pages – Trieste as a place, the hunt for a great grandfather who came to Trieste from Vienna (where he ran a Fez-making factory), Nazi death camps, psychology (in terms of childhood trauma, loss, abandonment, abuse, couple relationships), death, James Joyce and co – plus a smattering of typos and occasional odd use of words (treaded for example should probably have been trod). The book had a lot of potential that to my mind wasn’t fully realised.
3.5*
Jacob is writing a travel piece in the city of Trieste. He is a rather mournful character searching for his great grandfather, last heard of in 1938, when a postcard was sent in the December.
Trieste is beautifully captured - it had the only death camp in Italy during WW2 at San Sabba; the author extols the beautiful views to be had from Opacina; James Joyce spent time in the city and Lucia Joyce, his daughter, also gets quite a mention in the novel. This is a city that really deserves a visit, the author conjures it up so well!
Jacob happens upon Jane and Charlotte, who are involved in a book group and they settle into an amicable interchange. It transpires that Jane and Charlotte have had a client/therapist relationship since the day Charlotte lost her small baby in a cot death.
Jane spends time with Jacob in a quasi vetting capacity (as he suspects in retrospect) assessing him as a potential suitable match for Charlotte to loosen her up and disengage her from her old and traumatic history – at least that is his interpretation. She has had an abusive mother, she was abandoned thrice by her husband Alex and, then, once she lost her own child, she slipped into Post Natal Depression. Charlotte has now found some solace in working for a charity in Bosnia.
Jane elucidates Charlotte’s story, describing intimate details to Jacob, recounting in great detail her psychological past and her present psychological demeanour. The symbiotic relationship Jane seems to have with Charlotte is described as though “… she was earthed to her friend by a live wire. Every slight shift in Charlotte’s behaviour was felt by Jane“. We are, however, in no doubt of the enmeshed relationship that has developed ever since Jane took it upon herself to take on the cause that is Charlotte. This is projection and projective identification, coupled with a real Karpman Drama Triangle, for anyone minded to explore the deeper psychological fit between the three – and yes, they seem to be reworking mother issues.
It is clear that the author is interested in psychology, and particularly the Freudian hypothesis that early trauma will manifest in the present.
For me, the relationship between Jane and Charlotte, and with the ultimately hapless Jacob just doesn’t ring true. A professional therapist – who attended as a witness at court – simply wouldn’t relate a client’s history to someone they have just encountered (it is clearly a device to get Charlotte’s history on the page). She would have been thrown out of the profession for doing this.
They all meet up back in England and Jacob is once again hankering after a sexual encounter with the inimitable Charlotte. Of course, there are consequences…..
This is a beautifully presented novel, with a striking cover and a lovely and warm yellow on the inside covers. In many ways it is an ambitious novel and the writing is good. The ending works quite well. I do think, however, that overall there were too many themes explored in just over 200 pages – Trieste as a place, the hunt for a great grandfather who came to Trieste from Vienna (where he ran a Fez-making factory), Nazi death camps, psychology (in terms of childhood trauma, loss, abandonment, abuse, couple relationships), death, James Joyce and co – plus a smattering of typos and occasional odd use of words (treaded for example should probably have been trod). The book had a lot of potential that to my mind wasn’t fully realised.
August 28, 2018
A Perfect Mother, by Katri Skala, explores the scars inflicted by family across generations. It opens in Trieste where a middle aged journalist, Jacob Bedford, has arrived to research an article he has been commissioned to write, about the city for a magazine. While there he plans to dig deeper into his family history. Jacob’s great-grandfather sent his last known communication from Trieste in 1938. Unlike other members of the Jewish family, his name is not on lists of holocaust victims.
Jacob is separated from his wife and doing his best to retain regular contact with his beloved teenage sons. He is familiar with the attention he garners from women and has indulged in many infidelities over the years. He recognises that his allure is fading as he ages. Desiring company he is pleased when Jane Worth, in Trieste with her book group to enjoy the Lucia Joyce connection, offers to buy him a drink. Jacob hopes for sex. What he receives is a story she offloads about an old friend, Charlotte, who is also in the city.
Charlotte has a difficult history involving her child, a mental breakdown and a wealthy, neglectful husband. She married to escape her mother who subsequently killed herself. Jane is a psychotherapist and met Charlotte professionally before becoming personally involved in her difficulties.
Jacob, Charlotte and Jane are drawn to each other, their lives intersecting in ways they did not predict. Back in England they keep in touch, coming together at Jane’s house in Gloucester where Charlotte offloads more painful memories. Jacob is frustrated by the role they have assigned him but is now caught in their web.
The writing ebbs and flows as family histories and their lasting impacts are revealed. Charlotte may be damaged but Jacob craves her attention. Jane’s concern for her friend may not be as selfless as it seems.
This is a complex tale of love and loyalties, of mental illness, the impact of loss and the fragility of trust. The protagonists each seek an identity, to perform their desired roles as good people. Hovering within their friendship is the question of how much of another’s thoughts, desires and motivations can ever be truly known or understood.
The unusual tense of the writing adds to the stark intensity of the portrayal. This is a literary thriller that does not baulk at challenging threads. Jacob’s multi layered thoughts on the unfolding situation are presented with relatable honesty. As a parent there is much to ponder, much of which is somewhat perturbing.
A dark tale with depth that draws the reader in. An impressive debut.
Jacob is separated from his wife and doing his best to retain regular contact with his beloved teenage sons. He is familiar with the attention he garners from women and has indulged in many infidelities over the years. He recognises that his allure is fading as he ages. Desiring company he is pleased when Jane Worth, in Trieste with her book group to enjoy the Lucia Joyce connection, offers to buy him a drink. Jacob hopes for sex. What he receives is a story she offloads about an old friend, Charlotte, who is also in the city.
Charlotte has a difficult history involving her child, a mental breakdown and a wealthy, neglectful husband. She married to escape her mother who subsequently killed herself. Jane is a psychotherapist and met Charlotte professionally before becoming personally involved in her difficulties.
Jacob, Charlotte and Jane are drawn to each other, their lives intersecting in ways they did not predict. Back in England they keep in touch, coming together at Jane’s house in Gloucester where Charlotte offloads more painful memories. Jacob is frustrated by the role they have assigned him but is now caught in their web.
The writing ebbs and flows as family histories and their lasting impacts are revealed. Charlotte may be damaged but Jacob craves her attention. Jane’s concern for her friend may not be as selfless as it seems.
This is a complex tale of love and loyalties, of mental illness, the impact of loss and the fragility of trust. The protagonists each seek an identity, to perform their desired roles as good people. Hovering within their friendship is the question of how much of another’s thoughts, desires and motivations can ever be truly known or understood.
The unusual tense of the writing adds to the stark intensity of the portrayal. This is a literary thriller that does not baulk at challenging threads. Jacob’s multi layered thoughts on the unfolding situation are presented with relatable honesty. As a parent there is much to ponder, much of which is somewhat perturbing.
A dark tale with depth that draws the reader in. An impressive debut.
September 8, 2018
I thought that A Perfect Mother was going to be quite heavy going, but I was pleasantly surprised as it is perfectly paced with interesting characters and an intriguing storyline. It definitely has the feel of a modern classic and Katri Skala has created such depth of character that made me really care about Charlotte, Jane and Jacob.
It feels very much like a slow-burner with Jacob bumping into Jane and then meeting Charlotte in his quest to interrogate his family tree, but the tangled web that Jacob weaves really picks up the pace of the story. What I thought was going to be an intriguing glimpse into Jacob's family's wartime past became an even more intriguing examination of a fated relationship and the secrets that sculpted it.
To be honest, I didn't really warm to Jacob; he seems to be floating through life, leaving his family behind as he researches his book. His research brings him to Trieste in Northern Italy where he meets Jane; now Jane may be married, but not happily, which makes her very honourably put the brakes on anything that may have happened between her and Jacob. Jane is such a complex character who has such strength in her convictions that I would welcome her being on my side in an argument. Jane's friend, Charlotte, conversely, is like a fragile butterfly who Jacob somehow seems to ensnare in his net. I never really feared that Jacob would hurt Charlotte, as he always came across as so indifferent and I could never really tell what he was feeling. I always had the feeling that that someone was about to get hurt, though...but who?
For me, the story was all about Charlotte and Jane: they met under such difficult circumstances that forged an unbreakable friendship. Jane was kind of like a mother figure to Charlotte so I thought she was the perfect mother in the story until Charlotte proves how far she is willing to go to protect her child. Such is the depth of emotion in the story, that I have a lump in my throat just thinking about it.
A Perfect Mother certainly tugged at my heartstrings as it both shocked and surprised me. I really felt as if I had read a proper grown up novel, such is the standard of Katri Skala's writing. I have to say that I am completely astounded that this is the author's first novel; there is not a single word out of place and it certainly has the feel of a literary classic. If you're looking for something a little deeper and yet slightly dark, look no further than A Perfect Mother.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
It feels very much like a slow-burner with Jacob bumping into Jane and then meeting Charlotte in his quest to interrogate his family tree, but the tangled web that Jacob weaves really picks up the pace of the story. What I thought was going to be an intriguing glimpse into Jacob's family's wartime past became an even more intriguing examination of a fated relationship and the secrets that sculpted it.
To be honest, I didn't really warm to Jacob; he seems to be floating through life, leaving his family behind as he researches his book. His research brings him to Trieste in Northern Italy where he meets Jane; now Jane may be married, but not happily, which makes her very honourably put the brakes on anything that may have happened between her and Jacob. Jane is such a complex character who has such strength in her convictions that I would welcome her being on my side in an argument. Jane's friend, Charlotte, conversely, is like a fragile butterfly who Jacob somehow seems to ensnare in his net. I never really feared that Jacob would hurt Charlotte, as he always came across as so indifferent and I could never really tell what he was feeling. I always had the feeling that that someone was about to get hurt, though...but who?
For me, the story was all about Charlotte and Jane: they met under such difficult circumstances that forged an unbreakable friendship. Jane was kind of like a mother figure to Charlotte so I thought she was the perfect mother in the story until Charlotte proves how far she is willing to go to protect her child. Such is the depth of emotion in the story, that I have a lump in my throat just thinking about it.
A Perfect Mother certainly tugged at my heartstrings as it both shocked and surprised me. I really felt as if I had read a proper grown up novel, such is the standard of Katri Skala's writing. I have to say that I am completely astounded that this is the author's first novel; there is not a single word out of place and it certainly has the feel of a literary classic. If you're looking for something a little deeper and yet slightly dark, look no further than A Perfect Mother.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
September 3, 2018
The story follows Jacob Bedford who has arrived in Trieste in Northern Italy, Jacob who is a journalist is researching for a magazine article about the city. But there is more to Jacob’s visit to Trieste. While he is in the city, he is going to some personal research about his great-grandfather.
Jacob’s Jewish great-grandfather went missing here in 1938. Many of his family were victims of the Nazis but there is nothing to say that his great-grandfather was also killed in the Holocaust many of the Jewish Population perished in Italy’s only death camp. It is highly likely than many of Jacob’s ancestors were murdered here.
It is here that Jacob meets Jane who is visiting the city as part of her book group and through Jane Jacob is introduced to Charlotte. Jacob who is facing a divorce is hoping the visit will also bring some romance to his life despite his past affairs.
What Jacob, Charlotte and Jane have to confront is there past and much deeper family histories that interconnect in their own lives. Charlotte is much scarred of an abusive childhood and then losing her own child.
When Jacob arrives home he decides to keep in touch with Charlotte and Jane, and this is where Charlotte now reveals more of her painful past. But Jacob is attracted to her and is seeking something more.
A Perfect Mother is a novel that delves into the past and how that can influence who we are. The past cannot be escaped it is there no matter how painful. A deeply complex novel of families and relationships past and present. Katri Skala is not afraid of bringing challenging subjects into what is at times a dark storyline. A Perfect Mother is superb first novel and one I highly recommend.
My thanks to Ruth Killick PR for the review copy.
220 Pages.
Jacob’s Jewish great-grandfather went missing here in 1938. Many of his family were victims of the Nazis but there is nothing to say that his great-grandfather was also killed in the Holocaust many of the Jewish Population perished in Italy’s only death camp. It is highly likely than many of Jacob’s ancestors were murdered here.
It is here that Jacob meets Jane who is visiting the city as part of her book group and through Jane Jacob is introduced to Charlotte. Jacob who is facing a divorce is hoping the visit will also bring some romance to his life despite his past affairs.
What Jacob, Charlotte and Jane have to confront is there past and much deeper family histories that interconnect in their own lives. Charlotte is much scarred of an abusive childhood and then losing her own child.
When Jacob arrives home he decides to keep in touch with Charlotte and Jane, and this is where Charlotte now reveals more of her painful past. But Jacob is attracted to her and is seeking something more.
A Perfect Mother is a novel that delves into the past and how that can influence who we are. The past cannot be escaped it is there no matter how painful. A deeply complex novel of families and relationships past and present. Katri Skala is not afraid of bringing challenging subjects into what is at times a dark storyline. A Perfect Mother is superb first novel and one I highly recommend.
My thanks to Ruth Killick PR for the review copy.
220 Pages.
February 23, 2020
My mum suggested I read this because she said it’s set in Trieste and discusses the Nazi occupation and the persecution of Jews there. That was what would have interested me most, but that’s only a minor theme in the book. Mostly it is centred on the personal lives of three English people and it isn’t set in Trieste, which is kind of disappointing/misleading, seeing that the cover has a picture of Trieste on it.
I think the characters are very vivid and have many different facets with which the reader can sympathise with or feel engaged by. Sometimes the language and tone is too “try-hard”, for want of a better word. One sentence I remember near the end of the book is, “The brightness diminished an infinitesimal notch as the planet turned,” which seems like a ridiculous way to say, “It became darker.” Obviously I wouldn’t write off the whole book because of one sentence, but there is quite a lot of this overladen language.
I think the characters are very vivid and have many different facets with which the reader can sympathise with or feel engaged by. Sometimes the language and tone is too “try-hard”, for want of a better word. One sentence I remember near the end of the book is, “The brightness diminished an infinitesimal notch as the planet turned,” which seems like a ridiculous way to say, “It became darker.” Obviously I wouldn’t write off the whole book because of one sentence, but there is quite a lot of this overladen language.
October 1, 2018
This book takes place in Trieste and London. It is a short book, 220 pages, and it is in four parts. It is hard to write a review without giving away too much so I will just say I was able to put it down after Part 1, only to have a burning need to pick it back up and get through part two, again able to put it down to watch the Packer game but needing to pick it up and finish it. I did not see the ending coming and yet, it was the perfect ending. And I really have a burning desire to so to Trieste.
November 11, 2018
I found this a riveting, page turning read about the intriguing story of Jacob, Charlotte and Jane. Charlotte, the mother in question, had suffered a breakdown after the tragic cot death of her infant daughter. Jacob, recently separated, meets Jane by chance whilst on a visit to Trieste, and is drawn into her strange and incomprehensible relationship with Charlotte. The characters and relationships of the three are beautifully drawn, with layers of emotion embedded in the confusion of adult relationships and tragedy. This was an excellent and wholly unexpected read to the very last word.
November 1, 2018
That was a decent short book, not bad, not great either. I enjoyed the depictions of Trieste, a city which seems to create a literature all of its own.
The author was born in France of an American mother and a Viennese father so it is not a surprise to see the 3 main (and not very likeable in my opinion, especially the 2 women) characters travelling a lot between countries.
Interestingly to me, Katri Skala said in an interview that she was inspired by the work of Marguerite Duras to create her story and characters. She also rates Marguerite Yourcenar as the most underrated author.
The author was born in France of an American mother and a Viennese father so it is not a surprise to see the 3 main (and not very likeable in my opinion, especially the 2 women) characters travelling a lot between countries.
Interestingly to me, Katri Skala said in an interview that she was inspired by the work of Marguerite Duras to create her story and characters. She also rates Marguerite Yourcenar as the most underrated author.
July 3, 2019
This is a real gem: a clever, constantly surprising and beautifully written story set in Trieste and England about human frailty and the unknowingness of personal relationships and background.
July 9, 2019
Far from perfect. I didn't like the characters or the plot. I can't see why The Economist liked it.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews