The Other Mother

A Novel

By: Carol Goodman

Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of the internationally best-selling The Lake of Dead Languages comes a gripping novel about madness, motherhood, love, and trust.

When Daphne Marist and her infant daughter, Chloe, pull up the gravel drive to the home of Daphne's new employer, it feels like they've entered a whole new world. Tucked in the Catskills, the stone mansion looks like something out of a fairy tale, its lush landscaping hiding the view of the mental asylum just beyond its border. Daphne secured the live-in position using an assumed name and fake credentials, telling no one that she's on the run from a controlling husband who has threatened to take her daughter away.

Daphne's new life is a far cry from the one she had in Westchester, where, just months before, she and her husband welcomed little Chloe. From the start Daphne tries to be a good mother, but she's plagued by dark moods and intrusive thoughts that convince her she's capable of harming her own daughter. When Daphne is diagnosed with postpartum mood disorder, her downward spiral feels unstoppable - until she meets Laurel Hobbes.

Laurel, who also has a daughter named Chloe, is everything Daphne isn't: charismatic, sophisticated, fearless. They immediately form an intense friendship, revealing secrets to one another they thought they'd never share. Soon they start to look alike, dress alike, and talk alike, their lives mirroring one another in strange and disturbing ways. But Daphne realizes only too late that being friends with Laurel will come at a very shocking price - one that will ultimately lead her to that towering mansion in the Catskills where terrifying, long-hidden truths will finally be revealed....

©2018 Carol Goodman (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Hard to follow

This is usually my type of book.
I love a good mystery that makes you think
This one , however, I found very disjointed and the voices in the head of the main character, made the story that much harder to follow
About half way thru, I was so confused, I jumped to the end. Would not recommend

Didn't like it as much as her other books.

It didn't feel like it flowed. I liked that it played with our perceptions of identity and examined the power dynamics between husband and wife. The plot was a little predictable, especially the ending.

Another Great Read

I just love this author. She never disappoints. The premise is at first off putting but stick with it. It is really good. Hated to see it end!

Another winner!

Carol Goodman is one of my favorites and this one is a great example of why!

Interesting read

I first had a hard time with the paranoia exhibited by both Mothers- but it got better as the story progressed and the twists and turns began to come in. I was surprised by the turns near the end of the book..overall it was- great read.

Good Start but Descended into Silly Plot

This book started off well, the story was interesting and the psychological twist of the two women meeting and merging identity was clever. Sadly about two thirds through I realised that this book was going to have a really silly end. The twist in the plot is so unbelievable it is just plain daft to say may is a spoiler alert so can't really expand beyond that. Aside from the plot I never really connected with any of the characters both women were uninteresting and the husbands never really developed as characters. The dialogue did not really hold my attention and the narrator not particularly good. All told a waste of nine hours.