Her Mother's Face [Hardcover]

Roddy Doyle (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Award winners Roddy Doyle and Freya Blackwood team up to create a heartwarming story of loss, love, and what it means to be a family.

When Siobhan was just three years old, her mother died, leaving Siobhan and her father alone in their house in Dublin. They never talk about her, and now, at ten years old, Siobhan no longer remembers her mother's face.

One day, Siobhan meets a mysterious woman in the park who tells her that to remember her mother, she just needs to look in a mirror. As Siobhan grows older, she sees more and more of her mother's face in her own reflection. With time, she and her father and her own daughter are able to remember Siobhan's mother with joy and laughter instead of tears.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

“Her mother had died when Siobhán was only three.” In this quiet story set in Dublin, a girl is left with a father so sad he never speaks to her about her mother. By the time she is 10, Siobhán can no longer remember her mother’s face; it’s an “empty space” that causes painful unhappiness. One day, Siobhán meets a beautiful woman who recognizes the girl’s sadness and listens to her story. The woman tells her to look in the mirror to find her mother’s face and whispers a message for Siobhán’s father. Siobhán keeps looking in the mirror, and as an adult, her reflection is that of the woman she met in the park. This would not seem to be a book for every child, though it is certainly a tender tale for those who have lost a parent. Yet Blackwood’s wonderful watercolor-and-charcoal art, reminiscent of Patricia Polacco’s pictures, has a lightness that, while not diminishing the story’s heartbreaking core, adds a hopeful, soothing dimension. Life goes on, the book informs readers, and so can individuals. Grades K-3. --Ilene Cooper

About the Author

RODDY DOYLE won the Booker Prize in 1993 for his adult novel, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. Once a Geography and English teacher in North Dublin, Roddy Doyle has written four novels for children. This is his first picture book.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439815010
• ISBN-13: 978-0439815017
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,342,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Roddy Doyle is the author of eight novels, a collection of stories, and Rory & Ita, a memoir of his parents. He won the Booker Prize in 1993 for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha. He lives and works in Dublin.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, February 9, 2009

By 

Steven R. McEvoy "MCWPP" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Her Mother's Face (Hardcover)

This is an amazing story of a young girl learning to come to terms with her mother's death. Siobhan is like most little girls - she runs, and plays and has fun. But at ten she can no longer remember her mother's face; she is sad about this but cannot talk to her father, as he too is overcome with his grief. One day in the park she meets a strange lady, and the woman tells her to look in the mirror and she will see her mother there in her own face.

This is a magnificent book. Books written for children that deal with grief are either very good or very bad. This one is very good. Roddy Doyle tells a great story, and in the tradition of great Irish writers, he is a master storyteller and this is truly a masterpiece. The illustrations by Freya Blackwood are done in a simple understated style. Yet they bring a great depth to the story.

So pick it up and journey with Siobhan as she grows up and becomes a mother herself, yet always with the memory of her own mother. It is a good story to share with the children in your life, especially if they have lost someone close.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great condition, great service., March 15, 2010

By 

Pauline Mary Curley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Her Mother's Face (Hardcover)

This book was in great condition, in keeping with the description given by the seller. And it arrived in good time.