Idioglossia by Eleanor Bailey

Idioglossia

Eleanor Bailey

Great female characters, (men are pretty incidental here), all touched by the shadow of madness. From the awful Great Aunt Edie - everyone's nightmare of an aging relative - to desperate, raging Sarah this is a great 'generational' read with some powerful writing.

Extract
'My life is practical. I see you. I work. I look after your mother.' She smiled and took a sideways look at Grace's immobility. 'You know you still owe me for that one. I see Sarah. I listen to her problems. I worry about her. But she hasn't made a mess of it, at least' she paused - 'not like I did. She's got more sense.'
Parallels
  • Frost in May by Antonia White
  • White Teeth by Zadie Smith