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When Kali's mother, Elena, dies, the daughter launches a desperate mission to pin down the elusive woman who infuriated her while she was alive. On the surface an attentive stay-at-home mum, Elena was emotionally remote. She was prone to depression, favoured Kali's sister and refused to discuss her own family, upbringing or youth. Worst of all, she was left cold by her grandson, Kali's treasured toddler, Finn. I read this book quickly, pulled along by the domestic mystery. As Kali blunders into other people's traumas, she unknowingly unleashes long-suppressed emotional pain and endangers both herself and Finn. I'm not sure the flashbacks to Elena's past were needed, but that's a small quibble. The Missing One nails motherhood in all its grunge and glory: the unrelenting demands, clutter and stickiness; the ache of missing your baby; the slow sacrifice of career, romance and self. No mother who reads this will miss the point that it's a bad idea to keep secrets from your kids, in particular the secret of who you really are.
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