Mothers and Sons
Ratings1
Average rating4.5
15
Ratings1
Average rating4.5
A mother and son, estranged for years, must grapple with the shared secret that drove their lives apart in this enthralling story about family, forgiveness, and how a fleeting act of violence can change a life forever, by "one of the country's most talented writers" (Wall Street Journal)
At forty, Peter, an asylum lawyer in New York City, is overworked and isolated. He spends his days immersed in the struggles of immigrants only to return to an empty apartment and occasional hook-ups with a man who wants more than Peter can give. But when the asylum case of a young gay man pierces Peter's numbness, the event that he has avoided for twenty years returns to haunt him.
Ann, his mother, who runs a women's retreat center she founded after leaving his father, is hurt by the estrangement from Peter but cherishes the world she has built. She long ago put behind her the decision that divided her from her son. But as Peter’s case plunges him further into the fraught memory of his first love and the night of violence that changed his life, he and his mother must confront the secret that tore them apart.
With unsurpassed emotional depth, Mothers and Sons reveals all that is lost by looking away from the past and the love that might be restored by facing it. In his spellbinding new novel, Adam Haslett demonstrates yet again his mastery of “a rich assortment of literary gifts” (New York Times).
Reviews with the most likes.
There is always a dance between the truth and self-justification, between what happened and what we tell ourselves. This dance is central to Mothers and Sons, Adam Haslett’s new novel. This one is for you if you have grappled with personal history and family relationships. And it marks an impressive start to my 2025 reading.
Mothers and Sons focuses on Peter, a gay asylum lawyer, and his estranged mother, Ann, a co-founder of a women's retreat. Through their interweaving narratives, Haslett examines how we construct stories about ourselves and our past—sometimes to heal, sometimes to hide, and sometimes to justify. The novel's genius lies in how it reveals how these personal narratives can simultaneously illuminate and obscure the truth, much like holding a flashlight in a dark room: what we choose to illuminate often leaves other areas in shadow.
The prose is precise and evocative, never wasting a word. Late in the novel, it dawned on me that Peter’s professional work—helping asylum seekers craft their narratives to justify their stay in America—is similar to his struggle to write his own story. Meanwhile, Ann's role as a source of healing for other women while struggling to connect with her son creates a poignant tension that drives the narrative forward. I found myself more drawn to the chapters featuring Peter than Ann, but perhaps that is my bias shining through.
If you are not familiar with Adam Haslett, he is one of the stronger writers out there today. I’d also recommend his last work, Imagine Me Gone. It contains similar themes about the impact of the past and how that shapes the present, family dynamics, and individual struggles. Imagine Me Gone presents a broader family canvas and focuses on a brother-brother relationship; Mothers and Sons—well, the title says it all.
This book will resonate with readers who appreciate nuanced family dramas, those interested in the psychology of relationships, and anyone who has ever struggled to bridge the gap between their perspective and that of a family member. It's also a strong addition to the canon of queer literature, though its universal themes of connection, understanding, and self-discovery transcend any categorization. This book reminds me of my favorites from last year: Hollinghurt’s Our Evenings Rapp’s Wolf at the Table and Attenberg’s A Reason to See You Again. I suppose I have a thing for family dramas since they help me understand my own experiences or at least provide catharsis to process what I've been through.
Bottom Line: This novel not only entertains but also serves as a lesson about our own tendencies to shape and reshape our personal histories. It is an excellent choice to begin the reading year with.
Originally posted at judgemebymycover.substack.com.
