raw content

'An unervingly honest and uncensored account of the claustrophobic intensity of new motherhood . . . a rare gift' Yorkshire Life

'A harsh and haunted Northern landscape mirrors the fears and fragilities of a new mother as she gradually discovers new ways of living - and of loving' Alice Jolly

When Grace becomes unexpectedly pregnant, the rush of excitement and fear that she experiences is like joyriding again. Grace welcomes a partner and baby into her life, but after the euphoria of giving birth, she is overwhelmed by terrifying visions. The awesome beauty and dark history of Grace's childhood in Yorkshire moorland re-surface; she lives in terror of her baby's vulnerability and of her own capacity for violence.

Grace's father is a police-officer haunted by an infamous case; her sister arrives with her own damaged and exuberant chaos. Learning how to mother forces Grace to revisit all her most intimate relationships - including with her own mother; it transforms how she understands her place in the world; it ushers in new forms of care that become sources of revelation.

Tender, vivid and brave, raw content explores the most unsettling and taboo experiences of mothering with illuminating power.

'The landscape of Yorkshire is beautifully depicted . . . Another five-star read from Naomi Booth' NB Magazine

'Beautifully written, honest and gritty' The Sun