October book of the month: Mother by Hannah Begbie - read and join the discussion and author webchat MONDAY 29 October at 9pm

[RachelMumsnet]

Our October book of the month is Hannah Beebie’s debut novel Mother.

Cath has just 25 days of 'normality' with her newborn baby, before her daughter is diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. As her relationship with her husband cracks under the pressure, Cath joins a CF parental support group. It's here that she meets Richard, whose daughter also has CF.

Hannah Begbie’s novel was inspired by her own experience; her son was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was five weeks old. Through the novel she explores how parents respond when their worst fears are imagined and the expectations and judgements of those around them.

Find out what the MN book bloggers thought about the novel and read or listen to an extract. Buy a copy or download the ebook for 99p and read with us this month ahead of the author webchat on 29th October at 9pm.

@Paulastribe

Phew, pleased I just remembered about the webchat as I was keen to join and say congratulations on such an accomplished debut. Like others I'm keen to read more of your novels. Do you think there's a lot of pressure on new authors on their second novel? Also can you tell us about your experience of writing / being published for your debut - how hard was it to find an agent and how long before you got a book deal? Had you written the whole book before getting the deal? As a blogger and keen writer I'm interested to hear about the process. Thank you.

Thank you Paulastribe. In haste as I'm aware we don't have much time. Yes, heaps on pressure on the second novel if only in a writer's mind. You have the gift of time with the first, to walk and mull and think and change and try on different ideas. The second one, it's time to apply all you've learnt and speed up the process a bit. That's fine, I wouldn't do a shred of work without the deadline. I live on the fear. Kind of. My experience of being published was brilliant. I have a wonderful, supportive agent and a brilliant editor who I love talking with and an amazing team of people of Harper Colins. They are brilliant at what they do. In answer to the last bit: I wrote half the book, got an agent, wrote the second half and had a deal a few months later. yes, it was a nice process. I do not have any horror stories.

@SallySwann

Dave seems very understanding or extremely naive whilst Cath goes off to the various meetings. He offered to accompany Cath to a meeting but was turned down flat. Would you say that Dave had strong suspicions that Cath was being unfaithful? I presume a child being diagnosed with C.F. must put a tremendous strain on a partnership.

thanks sally swann. Yes, well I think Dave is also struggling but not showing Cath those struggles. I think his withdrawal into football and pints is in part about not facing up to some of the harder feelings and not taking a look at how they operate as a couple under extreme pressure. He's a good guy but he's not the right guy for Cath. He may or may not know about the affair.

@FernieB

Thanks for answering my question Hannah.

Like some other readers I found the ending inevitable but from the back story you gave in the book, I felt the marriage was doomed long before Mia's diagnosis and the extra stress this brought. Dave seemed to have a very close bond with Mia (more so than Cath). Did you consider a custody battle?

Hi FernieB yes I think you are right that they were doomed long before this experience. No, I didn't consider a custody battle. In a way I can't bear the thought of them both going through that too. Haven't they been through enough FernieB?

@Celama

Hi Hannah What a great storyline, not what I expected and it was refreshing to read quite a dark take on the issue. I’ve never forgotten a school talk 30 years ago where the parent of a child with CF spoke about their daily routine and how harrowing they found it.

I found that I found Cath irritating for the first couple of chapters but was then completely won over; I can completely sympathise with how she reacted to the stresses in her life and her wish just to run away from it all and pretend that her life could be “normal” by making decisions that, in hindsight, were completely irrational but at the time, the consequences were just not thought through and how she just needed to be herself with no additional demands upon her. She felt that Richard offered her a lifeline as he was further down the journey than her and I found Dave’s character quite believable in his detachment to Cath’s emotions.

Congratulations on the film rights being sold; do you think Mother could lend itself to a sequel a few years later in Cath’s life?

thank you Celama. Sounds like you were right there with her. Interesting question about a sequel... I don't know. I feel like I should leave the poor woman in peace to re-build her life.

@SnazzyBadger

Love the book. Have you had any feedback on it from other parents of kids born with medical conditions? Do people relate, or at least recognise the stresses and strains you depict?

Will your next book mine such personal terrain? Or will you go another way entirely?

thanks Snazzy Badger. Yes, I think there are some parents who've been through similar who have certainly recognised much about it. In part, though, I'd hope it points to something more universal about the gaps that grow between people at difficult times. And that, in reading about that, in knowing therefore that other people struggle, a story like Mother might make you feel a bit less alone.

Sadly that brings us to the end of the hour. Thanks for getting through so many questions Hannah and to everyone for joining the webchat this evening.

Congratulations again Hannah on Mother which has been such a brilliant addition to our bookclub this year and we look forward to reading your future novels.

We'll shortly be drawing names out of the Mumsnet hat of those who have been allocated copies of our November bookclub choice: One Day in December by Josie Silver

@RachelMumsnet

Sadly that brings us to the end of the hour. Thanks for getting through so many questions Hannah and to everyone for joining the webchat this evening.

Congratulations again Hannah on Mother which has been such a brilliant addition to our bookclub this year and we look forward to reading your future novels.

We'll shortly be drawing names out of the Mumsnet hat of those who have been allocated copies of our November bookclub choice: ]] by Josie Silver

Thank you Rachel, all at Mumsnet, and to everyone who asked such great questions. It's been a pleasure. See you next time.

Thanks Hannah, good luck with future books.

I literally couldn't put this book down!