- Unknown Binding
- Publisher: Picador; paperback / softback edition (1 Jan 2004)
- ASIN: B002C1KJ6A
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've waited a long time for a book like this. Kate Long tells it like it is. She understands the lives the 'real' women lead. There are no handsome barristers waiting to make their way into the pages of a woman's diary, no impossibly glossy homes, and designer clothes. These women live in a cramped council house, struggling to get along with each other, and manage their relationships outside the home.
This is a book full of warmth and honesty, some of it painfully so.
Nan, Karen and Charlotte (Charlie), three generations of the same family, live in uneasy and sometimes suffocating circumstances. Karen has to care for Nan, who is not as far off her rocker as Karen believes, and try to control her teenage daughter Charlie, whilst still trying to have a life of her own, which may or may not include a new relationship with the head of the school where she works as a classroom assistant. Told from the perspective of each woman, this book neatly, but without preaching, explains how misunderstandings happen within families, and how, at times, we can all feel the victim. As the mother of a teenager and having been one myself, I could relate to both Karen and Charlotte in equal measure (and if I'm honest, Nan's elderly dottiness strikes a bit close to home too!)
I hope that this is the first of many books by Kate Long.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book in the airport when I was going on holiday, I'd forgotten to bring any and couldn't face a 5 hour flight with nothing to do. I skimmed the shelves of the book shop and decided to go with The Bad Mother's Handbook because I liked the cover. They say you should never judge a book by it's cover - how wrong where they?!
It's an amazing story that manages to portray so many of life's most terrible moments yet makes them enjoyable and funny. The story follows three ladies - Charlotte (who is pregnant at 17), her mother (who is outraged that her daughter should follow the same path that she did at 17), and Nan (whose incoherent ramblings actually make more sense than anyone would give her credit).
You follow the story of all three characters at the same time, each one trying to come to terms with their own private issues that tears them all apart, yet at the same time brings them closer together.
It was a few months ago when I went on holiday and read this, and I think I may have left the book on the beach. This is what brought me to this page - it was so good I'm buying it again!
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I laughed and cried my way through this book.
Three generations of women living under the same roof. It's full of northern charm and honesty. Long writes with warmth and wisdom, her words flow naturally from the page. She has a unique style and this book is an original.
I read it over a couple of days - couldn't put it down. Nan, Karen and Charlotte are now etched in my memory, I lived in that house with them. Their pain was raw and yet this story is written with such humour - an extremely funny book.
The Bad Mother's Handbook is a must read for all ages.
I don't think this is the last we've heard of Kate Long!
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
I really like Kate Long
I've read this book a while a go, lent to a friend and not got back, so buying a replacment as I'd happily read again, also like swallowing grandma and have a brand new book to... Read more
Published 11 months ago by too young for a book club?
Mediocre, at best.
Now that I have read the book I am surprised that so many glorious reviews have been given for it.
I did find some interest in the fact that the author points out how... Read more
I did find some interest in the fact that the author points out how... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Cleo P
A poignant, funny page-turner
I started reading this book on Friday and finished it on Sunday. This is a page-turningly good read, focussing on the relationships between three generations of women in one... Read more
Published 14 months ago by LoveReading
Don't judge the book by its cover - but read it anyway...
I picked this up expecting a light, fluffy, humorous little read, perfect for a day off in the sunshine. Well, it wasn't quite as fluffy as I'd thought. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Miss E. Potten
A great book to read
I really enjoyed this book, its a sweet story dealing with realistic issues - teenage pregnancy, adoption etc. I really enjoyed the film and then decided to read the book. Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2009 by Harryy
a family we can all relate to !!!
this story about three generations of woman living together ( NAN, KAREN AND CHARLOTTE) is so true to life in this book you almost think they are your neigbours........ Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2008 by magic
So True to life
It made me feel a whole lot better about my own experiences. Well done Kate
Published on 31 Jan 2008 by Russian Doll
One of the most amazing books I have ever read!!
This is a great book from start to finish!! It is funny, it is entertaining and it is such a well written story about three stong women based not too far from where I live. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2007 by M. C. Batson
bad mothers, great novel
I'm no fan of chicklit, and thought this book would just see me through a "proper" book-less couple of days. ButI ate my pompous words- I loved it. Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2007 by cowpatch
Don't keep passing it over forever
The last time I counted I had sixteen books in a pile on my chest of drawers to get through. This was one of them. Read more
Published on 11 Aug 2006 by any
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
