Another Mother's Life [Paperback]

Rowan Coleman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2008

Can you ever mend a shattered friendship?

From Rowan Coleman, author of the acclaimed bestseller The Accidental Mother, comes a deeply moving novel for every woman who was ever a teenager in love, a mother, or made a heartbreaking decision.

For wealthy Alison James, moving with her family to her hometown of Farmington presents more than a case of relocation jitters. Fifteen years ago, she fled town, eloping with her best friend's boyfriend. Now, blessed with three children, but uneasy in her marriage, she wonders if that decision led her away from the life she was meant to lead.

Catherine Ashley, broke, the mother of two and almost divorced, can't help but wonder the same thing. Although she's content with her children, she finds herself returning again and again to those few weeks fifteen years ago when she fell deeply in love, only to be betrayed by her most trusted friend.

Now, once more living in the same town, Alison and Catherine are about to find out just how different their lives could still be. But this time around they are adults, and while their own happiness is at stake, so is their children's.

Wise and warmhearted, Another Mother's Life will make you laugh and cry -- and think about what you would do when confronted by some of life's most difficult choices.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Coleman explores in her underwhelming second novel (after The Accidental Mother) the long-term repercussions of rash, romantic and destructive decisions made in mercurial youth. Growing up, outgoing, attractive Alison James and introverted beauty-who-doesn't-know-it Catherine Ashley were inseparable in the way that only teenage girls can be. That is, until 17-year-old Alison, in a moment of youthful passion, runs off with Catherine's boyfriend, Marc, leaving an emotionally scarred Catherine and a bad reputation in her wake. Sixteen years later, Alison and Marc–now married—move back to the girls' hometown, forcing Alison and Catherine to finally confront their pasts and one other. The book's concept is promising, but clunky dialogue detracts, and the many passages of introspection grow tiresome, repetitive and melodramatic. It's like listening to a romantically inept friend recount the latest relationship woes: it's amusing enough, but after a while you'd like to change the subject. (Oct.)
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About the Author

Rowan Coleman worked in bookselling and publishing for seven years, during which time she won the Company magazine Young Writer of the Year award. She lives in England, where she is working on her next novel.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416583025
• ISBN-13: 978-1416583028
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,259,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm Rowan Coleman, I live in England with my husband, children and a poodle called Polly. I've been a published writer for almost ten years, although a story teller since I could speak. I've written a total of eight novels for women, including the bestselling THE ACCIDENTAL MOTHER and ANOTHER MOTHER'S LIFE and my most recent book THE HOME FOR BROKEN HEARTS has just been published. Growing up as a dyslexic made my dream of becoming a writer seem impossible, but I never gave up trying and in 2001 I won Young Writer of the Year competition in Company Magazine. This lead the publication of my first novel I've never looked back since.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Poignant Look at "What Could Have Been", November 3, 2008

By 

Jodi "languagejunkie" (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Another Mother's Life (Paperback)

(What's this?)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for several reasons. Firstly, it was very well written and easy to read. The plot moves along smoothly and all the loose ends are neatly tied into pretty little bows.

Secondly, I found the plot to be interesting and creative. Something similar happened to me in high school, which probably means I was somewhat biased before I even started reading this book, but that doesn't change the fact that this was a terrific story.

Thirdly, the characters were all very well rounded and believable. I got a huge kick out of "Kirsty" and her crazy antics and I would absolutely LOVE to come across her in a future book. I wanted to strangle Alison, but I guess that makes her a well-written character as well, otherwise she wouldn't have irritated me so much.

Fourthly, the book ended the way I was really hoping it would. I won't give anything away, but the ending was sweet and exactly what I was wanted. This book gave me a bittersweet trip dowm Memory Lane and I truly enjoyed the ride!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What If You Got Someone Else's Life?, December 1, 2008

By 

Tamela Mccann "taminator40" (Nashville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Another Mother's Life (Paperback)

(What's this?)

Catherine and Alison were the best of friends from a very young age, sharing everything and sticking up for one another at all times. They assumed their relationship would never change and it didn't; that is, until the age of seventeen when shy Catherine meets the mysterious, sexy Marc and decides to keep him to herself. Alison, unused to being left out, follows Catherine to one of her trysts with Marc and in a decision that changes everything, entices him not only into bed, but away from Catherine completely. When the two run off together, Catherine is left behind in their small Farmington community, alone and pregnant, to pick up the pieces of her life.

Fast forward fifteen years: Alison, mother of three, finds herself returning to the scene of the crime when Marc persuades her to bring their family back to Farmington. He is hoping for a new start after his affairs and the problems their oldest son is facing; Alison is wary as she sees her dreams for the future evaporating with Marc's loyalty. Catherine, who has never left the area, is separated from her husband Jimmy, and raising two young daughters of her own, and still trying to come to terms with her own identity. When their paths cross, the women must decide if they can bury the past or if they will allow it to continue to affect their futures.

Coleman has a gift for pulling you into the lives of her characters, and I found myself drawn to both women, despite my negative feelings for what Alison did to her former best friend. While I could see what would happen a long way off, I still enjoyed the story and the characters' reactions to uncomfortable situations. There's no new ground broken here; this is a relationship book that unfolds predictably, yet somehow you care deeply for all of the people involved, especially the defenseless children. Coleman helps us to understand motivations that perhaps aren't always so clear cut, and she uses gentle humor to bring out the best in her characters. While at times a bit cliched, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will continue to look for more works by this author.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An ok read, but not an enjoyable read, November 13, 2008

By 

M. McQueen (Kentucky) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Another Mother's Life (Paperback)

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I found I didn't much care for the characters in this novel, and in fact outright disliked most of them. Both husbands cheated on their wives, and one of the wives was also looking to stray with an old flame. The story line started out intriguing--a teenager runs off with her best friend's boyfriend and then returns to the town years later. Then it starts to go downhill. The jilted best friend ended up marrying the other girl's biggest crush. So these two women imagine what it would be like to have the other's husband. Both couples have kids now, and surprise, surprise, they end up in the same school and become friends with one another. And then as the marriage of the elopers begins to crumble, events come into play that make the interactions between these characters seem as though the only people who live in this town are these four people and their children.

All in all, it was an ok read, but I probably would not read it again because it was just too far-fetched, and I thought the ending tried to bring closure to these people's lives too quickly, so much so that it seemed very unrealistic given the amount of hurt these characters suffered over the years...