Mum Face by Grace Timothy – One very late kind of ish’ review

There’s something very daunting about reviewing a book, you’re writing your opinion of a real and published writers writing, knowing full well that they are the professional in all of this and you, well you just have your opinion.
Book reviews weren’t something I thought I’d end up doing, it feels almost a little too critical for me as I don’t feel rightly placed to be assessing the published works of an actual writer. Can you imagine how it must feel writing that many words, putting them all in order and getting them all to make sense, meeting with publishers, working on endless edits to finally see your book, your actual book published with a cover and everything and then somebody shits all over it with their opinion. That just doesn’t sit well with me, but I am aware that you can’t please all of the people all of the time and what’s good for one isn’t good for another.
So I’m not a fan of a harsh review, I’d rather not say anything if I haven’t got anything good to say, it definitely seems like my mother’s efforts to drum that one into me certainly paid off.

After reading the book I just completed, I felt that I had to share at least a little something about it and luckily, I have got something good to say so here it goes.

I must admit that it has taken me far too long to complete Mum Face by Grace Timothy. I first downloaded the book from the Google play book store when she first released it and I believe that was back in February, Ok, so I didn’t realise it had taken me THAT long. So clearly, I’m a little late to the review party with this but if you are a Mum and haven’t yet read this, then do so.
Grace doesn’t offer any parental advice or guidance in the book, just a very honest account of pregnancy, birth and being a mum. Dealing with an issue any parent would dread, speaking openly about her relationship and sex life post birth, her career and finding herself again but not in a hippy way, just a very real account.
Honestly I have never read something so relatable, it made me want to sit down with her and say “Omg yeah, me too! I’m so glad you get it!” I found myself recognising the feelings and understanding so many of her comments. I mentioned the book to my best friend saying, “She gets it you know, she says the same things we’ve been saying, you should read it.” Grace’s account of the early days post birth leaves you thinking “It’s not just me, I felt like that too” There’s something very comforting in knowing that you aren’t alone in your thoughts and frustrations, when you have those moments where you question whether you are doing things the right way, whether you are cut out for this, whether or not you are a good enough parent.

As Grace’s daughter gets older in the book she is quoted a few times and the kid is the epitome of cool. As weird as this sounds you kind of want to know her, you want to sit and build things out of Lego with her whilst getting to hear all the funny and wonderful things she comes out with. Reading those quotes made me look forward to Ophelia getting older with a mixture of excitement and dread because I know I’ll be in public or talking to someone’s Nan when she comes out with a cracking one liner leaving me completely red faced.

I messaged Grace a little while ago to ask for the name of a paint she was using, Shut up! We are all still young and fun despite becoming parents we can enjoy the many shades of green by Farrow & Ball aswell you know. I told Grace that I was enjoying her book and loved how relatable it was and she seemed grateful for the feedback, but I hadn’t finished reading it at that point so I didn’t tell her that the book made me laugh, but it also made me cry real big tears all down my face when I read on and felt her fear, her anxiety, her worry. She really got me and she managed that not only through her way with words but because she let us in, she let us see the truth and that makes for a very good book.
If you want comfort, to know that your parenting journey is actually quite alike to somebody elses, to laugh, to cry and to relate then pick up this book and read, preferably quicker than I did!

Grace, thank you for making me feel like a normal parent.

You can get your copy of Mum Face by Grace Timothy here