Naima Brown’s sophomore piece, Mother Tongue, follows the butterfly effect that plays out after young mother Brynn wakes from a coma suddenly speaking French. Her husband Eric –10 years her senior – becomes more conservative by the day, and her best friend Lisa wishes she married Eric instead. Brynn’s picture-perfect all-American life was already teetering on the edge, but it’s this catalyst that unravels everything.
The book follows multiple perspectives – from Brynn herself, to her daughter Jenny, as well as Lisa and Eric – and features two timelines. Most character development happens in the second timeline, when Brynn has disappeared from her family’s life.
At no point does the book feel rushed or hard to follow. Each individual perspective is distinctly different, even down to the different dinkuses that reveal their significance as the plot continues. You’ll find yourself growing sympathetic to characters you couldn’t stand and more frustrated with those you initially loved. These messy people are just people, and it’s easy to cry for them even when you never initially thought that was possible.
Many have noted the intricacies of Mother Tongue to be ‘perfect’ for book clubs, but it’s more than a discussion subject. Brown’s novel forces you to evaluate what you would do if you woke up speaking another language. You’re also prompted to have conversations with yourself about how real Eric’s far-right ideologies are in our world, and how to exist with people like that and counter them. It forces an internal reflection not necessary for discussion with others; it’s deeply personal and effortlessly connects you to the characters as if you’re there alongside them.
However, the marketing of the book causes it to seem as if it carries a completely different narrative. On the cover a quote reads “full of suspense and bubbling with tension”. Even the cover image evokes that of a fervent, suspenseful thriller. Instead, it’s actually a critique on societal expectations of women (especially mothers), on extreme right wing politics, and on guardianship issues when not blood-related. Ultimately, it’s a tale of language, of the power of words and how they can be used to abuse, to silence others or to give someone agency.
Read: Book review: After the Fall, Kirsten Alexander
If you’re looking for a thrilling suspense, this isn’t the next read for you. Mother Tongue is unpredictable, but it’s a page-turner that hooks you in and drags you deeper with each paragraph. Brown has solidified herself in the industry with this insane second book and it will be exciting to see what she comes up with next.
Mother Tongue, Naima Brown
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9781761260797
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384pp
Publication date: 25 March 2025
RRP: $34.99
