My Phantoms

Synopsis

A hostile mother-daughter relationship lies at the center of this astonishing, blackly humorous novel by the acclaimed author of First Love.

Helen Grant is a mystery to her daughter. An extrovert with few friends who has sought intimacy in the wrong places, she is a twice-divorced mother of two, now living alone among her memories. To her daughter Bridget, an academic in her forties, Helen has always been a source of unease. Bridget sees her only once a year and believes their difficult relationship is contained. But when Helen makes it clear that she wants more, Bridget is forced to revisit the performances, small deceptions, and cruelties that have shaped their bond. With mordant humor and remarkable precision, Gwendoline Riley explores the complicated terrain of mothers and daughters, intimacy, resentment, and love.

About the Author

Gwendoline Riley is an English novelist born in London. Her novels include Cold Water, First Love, and My Phantoms. First Love was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Literature, the Dylan Thomas Prize, and the Gordon Burn Prize, and won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize. In 2018, the Times Literary Supplement named Riley one of the twenty best British and Irish novelists working today.

Publisher

New York Review Books

Publication Date

September 13, 2022

Format

Paperback

Pages

208

Subjects

Love & Other Disasters · Literary Fiction · Family Life · Mother-Daughter Relationships · Dark Humor · British Fiction

ISBN

9781681376813