Monday 14 July 2014

The Housemaid's Daughter in the USA... 6 months on



My novel, The Housemaid's Daughter was published by St Martin's Press in the USA in Dec 2013. Six months have passed and I have been fascinated by the reader response to the book. From the wilds of Montana, to the urban jungle of New York, folk have been getting in touch with me to tell what they thought of the story. You can get a feel for the reviews if you look up the book on amazon.com or on Goodreads, the massive online book club that has millions of members.

The feedback that really interests me is when the reader contributes his/her own experience to a review. It is extraordinary how many people have spent part of their lives in Africa and bring their own background to bear. But it is equally extraordinary to hear from readers who have never set foot on the continent and yet can empathise with Ada and Cath in their fight for survival. I guess that a story of love, hope and redemption - as it says in the blurb - shows how we are inter-connected, wherever we live.

The longing of a heart draws me like no other. It speaks to me because it reminds me how to feel. You will be brought back in time to South Africa.

This book was moving and showed the reality that exists that divide the races. The system of apartheid in Africa was used as the setting, but we find radical racism in our own country.

In terms of official media reviews, the best I have received to date is from USA TODAY. Do have a read of it. You will find it on the Media-Print page of my website, barbaramutch.com

Keep spreading the word to your American friends!

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