KATE LONG

“A definite contender for my Book of the Year… It is emotional, engaging and full of wonderfully comic and recognisable moments.”

“Kate Long’s moving and funny novel will have mums and daughters laughing in recognition…It’s not quite happy families, but all the more believable for it.”

“Chock-full of northern charm…”

“Long creates three credible voices that avoid the pitfalls of caricature, and builds a funny and wise picture of the impatience and indestructible love of families.”

“…a heart-warming read on what it means to be a mum.”

“…extremely enjoyable; funny, perceptive and cleverly told…a well-crafted book that will be life-affirming and popular.”

“…a really cracking read …brilliantly unwinsome.”

“It’s such a grabby title and the book is full of quirky ideas…[it’s] both perceptive and funny.”

I had the same feeling reading this as I did Kate Atkinson’s Behind the Scenes at the Museum. It is very special. Related in the different voices of the three generations of women living together through one momentous year, it has a north country lilt and an infectious style that really captures the period, for although we only travel a contemporary year, in reflection and flashbacks we travel some three-quarters of a century. Life, circumstances, attitudes and issues change but the spirit of family remains across the generations. I cannot praise it highly enough.

“Tragic, very funny, and above all truthful. The Bad Mother’s Handbook is very strongly recommended.”

"The Bad Mother's Handbook reminds us that there is neither the perfect time nor the perfect way to be a mother, and that life, in fact, is what happens when you're busy making other plans. For the sheer laughter and love and crankiness of the entire parenting endeavor, spend some time with the three generations of Cooper women. This is a book for anyone who's ever been part of a family (and you know who you are).

"Precious few are ever truly ready to become a mother. For the rest of us, thank God, there is The Bad Mother's Handbook. In a juggling act as impressive as motherhood itself, Kate Long manages to brilliantly balance equal parts heartbreak and hilarity in a novel that you will love unconditionally."

"The Bad Mother's Handbook is a bittersweet comedy, a glimpse into the lives of three generations of women that gives the reader a poignant reminder of the highs, the lows and the sheer bewilderment we all experience in love, life and growing up. A must-read for mothers and daughters everywhere."

"This is a book to press tearfully on all your friends saying how much it will make them laugh. Kudos to Kate Long!"

“Lots of cranky and skilfully artless charm goes into pulling the inevitable heartstrings.”

“…this funny, touching and utterly winning debut.”