Tuesday 14 July 2015

My real Children - Jo Walton

It's 2015, and Patricia Cowan is very old. "Confused today," read the notes clipped to the end of her bed. She forgets things she should know-what year it is, major events in the lives of her children. But she remembers things that don't seem possible. She remembers marrying Mark and having four children. And she remembers not marrying Mark and raising three children with Bee instead. She remembers the bomb that killed President Kennedy in 1963, and she remembers Kennedy in 1964, declining to run again after the nuclear exchange that took out Miami and Kiev.

Her childhood, her years at Oxford during the Second World War-those were solid things. But after that, did she marry Mark or not? Did her friends all call her Trish, or Pat? Had she been a housewife who escaped a terrible marriage after her children were grown, or a successful travel writer with homes in Britain and Italy? And the moon outside her window: does it host a benign research station, or a command post bristling with nuclear missiles?

Two lives, two worlds, two versions of modern history; each with their loves and losses, their sorrows and triumphs. Jo Walton's My Real Children is the tale of both of Patricia Cowan's lives...and of how every life means the entire world. 

My thoughts:
So intriguing. What is real, what is not? Maybe both are real and she can see them when her life is ending?

This is the life of Patricia. She goes to uni, she becomes a teacher. She marries Mark. She has 4 children. Her homelife is not happy, but the world is a nice place.

It is also the story of Patricia. She goes to uni, she becomes a teacher, she leaves Mark. She meets Bee. She has a wonderful life where she travels to Italy each summer. She has 3 children. But the world is a horrible place where countries nuke each other, and being gay you have no rights like you have in her other world.

In her old age Patricia remembers both these lives, but does not know which one is real. We get to read about them side by side. 40s Pat, 40s Tricia and so it goes on. It moves splendidly, I never got confused. Her two lives are so different. In one world she is not always happy, but the world is good. In the other life she is truly happy, but the world truly sucks. Which world do I want to be real?

Conclusion:
A great premise to a story, that turned out well. I am glad I finally had the chance to read Walton, she truly is a good writer.

Cover 
nice

Paperback, 336 pages
Published May 19th 2015 by Tor Books (first published May 20th 2014)
Fiction
Own

48 comments:

  1. I downloaded this as part of the awards packet for the Aurora awards, so I intend to give it a read over the summer. Glad you enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, can you imagine living like that? You've piqued my interest.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've had this book on my shelf for a long time, and I mean to read it. Jo Walton has written many good looking books though, I just have to choose my first one and it's a toss up between this and Among Others :)

    ~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There was this other Walton book that I so wanted to read, i can't remember the name now...but she has several so :)

      Delete
  4. Oooo such an interesting premise! I love that she can remember both lives but we're not sure which is the one she actually lived:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I so wanna now! And why only when she was old and suffered from dementia?

      Delete
  5. The premise is interesting and glad to hear that it worked well in the story

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds thought-provoking!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This book looks like totally my thing!!! The word 'intruiging' has made me yearning for this book!!!
    Haniya
    booknauthors.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I really enjoyed this one. I need to read more of her books.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have read a couple fo reviews on this one and I am most curious.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is new for me but sounds so good.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sounds really interesting with the two alternative life possibilities. Haven't heard of it before or seen anyone else posting it. Intriguing indeed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a strange and cool book. made you think about every choice you make

      Delete
  12. I've read a few of Jo Walton's books and they're always so wonderfully weird. This one sounds like it follows that pattern! She comes up with the most original storylines.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I really need to read more of her books. I love wonderfully weird

      Delete
  13. Sounds good, I don't think anybody will complain about this review.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh wow. What an interesting book. Two lives and almost two universes. Curiouser and curiouser.

    ReplyDelete
  15. As I told you I'm glad to see you had a good time with the story too.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've read a couple of other 'alternate life' books this year - it's an interesting plot device!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I saw this the other day, and must admit I am curious to try this :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hmm. This sounds like the Bookseller that I just finished - but better!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL, well it should be. It's up for awards

      Delete
  19. That is it! I HAVE to read this now! I did come across a couple of other reviews, and they were just as complimentary. If I get any more curious, my spleen will pop, lol :)))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL. Take care of that spleen now. DO not get too excited

      Delete
  20. Love confusing!!
    We still need to write our book.

    ReplyDelete
  21. First review I've read and I have to have it!! I want to know more ... right now!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Kind of like that movie, Sliding Doors (I think?). Such an interesting premise!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well sort of, just that here there was no, that happened and life when in two directions. There were always two lives

      Delete

Contributors

Copyright © 2008-2020 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell All Rights Reserved. Proudly powered by Blogger

  © Blogger template Starry by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008 Modified by Lea

Back to TOP