Listen to a sample
What Kind of Mother?
- Author
- Sheila Norton
- Narrator
- Penelope Freeman, Gemma Lawrence
- Publisher
- Boldwood Books
- Publish Date
- 11 August 2026
- Run Time
- 8 hours 25 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
What to expect
A year ago, I kissed my three-year-old goodbye before a work trip and promised I’d be home before she knew it.
I wasn’t.
When I went missing, everyone searched for me but eventually they had to admit the worst: that I was dead.
And maybe the woman I was did die.
Because now I’m back, finally home after surviving the unthinkable, and nothing fits anymore. My family looks at me differently. They listen to my story, what I’ve been through – and I can tell they don’t quite believe it.
Because the truth sounds impossible. Even to me.
And then there’s Phoebe. Who looks up at me with those eyes that mean the world, and sees… a stranger.
Will life ever be the same? Can I be the mother my daughter needs after so long away? And after everything I’ve been through, can anyone ever trust me again?
A gripping, emotionally powerful novel about the unbreakable bond between mother and child. Perfect for readers of Jodi Picoult.
Praise for Sheila Norton:
'A well-crafted and brilliantly suspenseful novel that kept me guessing until the end.' Jo Bartlett
‘A remarkable tale depicting a family's journey through the complexities of emotional challenges. Norton's storytelling kept engrossed me from start to finish, leaving a lasting impact… Truly captivating.’ Reader review
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Details
- Author
- Sheila Norton
- Narrator
- Penelope Freeman, Gemma Lawrence
- Duration
- 8 hours 25 minutes
- Release Date
- 11 August 2026
- ISBN
- 9781806565801
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- Boldwood Books
- Genre
- Family life fiction, Psychological thriller, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Narrative theme: Interior life, Narrative theme: displacement, exile, migration, Narrative theme: Sense of place, Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: Identity / belonging
Synopsis
A year ago, I kissed my three-year-old goodbye before a work trip and promised I’d be home before she knew it.I wasn’t.When I went missing, everyone searched for me but eventually they had to admit the worst: that I was dead.And maybe the woman I was did die.Because now I’m back, finally home after surviving the unthinkable, and nothing fits anymore. My family looks at me differently. They listen to my story, what I’ve been through – and I can tell they don’t quite believe it.Because the truth sounds impossible. Even to me.And then there’s Phoebe. Who looks up at me with those eyes that mean the world, and sees… a stranger.Will life ever be the same? Can I be the mother my daughter needs after so long away? And after everything I’ve been through, can anyone ever trust me again?A gripping, emotionally powerful novel about the unbreakable bond between mother and child. Perfect for readers of Jodi Picoult.Praise for Sheila Norton:'A well-crafted and brilliantly suspenseful novel that kept me guessing until the end.' Jo Bartlett‘A remarkable tale depicting a family's journey through the complexities of emotional challenges. Norton's storytelling kept engrossed me from start to finish, leaving a lasting impact… Truly captivating.’ Reader review
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