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Whatever You Love by Louise Doughty (view source)
Revision as of 07:37, 1 September 2023
, 07:37, 1 September 2023no edit summary
{{infoboxinfobox1
|title=Whatever You Love
|author=Louise Doughty
|reviewer=Luci Davin
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=320
|publisher=Faber and Faber
|date=June 2010
|isbn=978-0571254750
|amazonukcover=<amazonuk>0571254756</amazonuk>|amazonusaznuk=0571254756|aznus=<amazonus>0571254756</amazonus>
}}
Two police officers knock on Laura's door. They break the news to her that her 9 year old daughter Betty has been run over and killed. Betty's friend Willow is in hospital. Immediately, I was drawn into this story of a mother's worst nightmare coming true.
I hesitate to read stories about bad things happening to children, especially now I have my own, but I have enjoyed several of Louise Doughty's five previous novels, and I decided to take the risk of reading something that might upset me. I did find it upsetting, unsettling, thought -provoking and utterly compelling, as Laura contemplates taking a terrible revenge:
''I am calm as I make this promise: I am going to find out what you love, then whatever it is, I am going to track it down and I am going to take it away from you''.
Thank you to Faber & Faber for sending a copy of Whatever You Love to The Bookbag.
I cannot think of anything similar to recommend but another novel about motherhood and about a relationship, told from the viewpoint of a woman remembering her past, is [[Repeat After Me by Rachel DeWoskin]]. For more from Doughty, try [[A Bird in Winter by Louise Doughty|A Bird in Winter]].
{{amazontext|amazon=0571254756}} {{waterstonestextamazonUStext|waterstonesamazon=73771540571254756}}
{{toptentext|list=Orange Prize 2011}}
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