M is for Mummy

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Stan is a delightful four year old that immediately had my heart refering to his parents as 'Excuse me'.

I thought these parts were very well written, beautifully touching in parts and looking at questions of how families cope when they don't look like they had expected. The end of the book was done well I thought, no spoilers here, but it wasn't too saccharine and neat, and as a reader I felt satisfied with the ending. M Is for Mummy is a frank and funny story about a unique family who don't quite fit in to any mould in society, and about a mother doing everything she can to help her extraordinary son find his place in an ordinary world.Lucy is a fantastic, though knackered mother, and I applauded her for recognising something within her child, and wanting to act upon it. Lucy is about to learn that mums are the true superheroes in this world who can achieve anything – providing they believe in themselves. Endless photos of clean houses with not a toy in sight, glamorous hair and make up on the school run with a Starbucks in hand and well-dressed children that behave and are well mannered. Her struggles through everything that she is going through and coming to terms with in this book are so well-paced and believable that I felt I knew Lucy and I was part of her friendship group. It doesn't change her relationship with her son at all, and actually serves to give her more confidence in her parenting.

Funny, feel-good and fabulous, M Is For Mummy is a charming tale full of moments that will have readers roaring with laughter and others that will have them reaching for the tissues. As the mother of a child with additional needs I found myself agreeing with so much of what was said, and of reliving memories that I had forgotten from when they were small. Katy manages to portray the difficult aspects of raising a family and motherhood – particularly a neuro diverse family – but does it without seeming moany or dissatisfied. The obsessions that change with the wind, social difficulties, meltdowns etc etc are all there and recognisable and I loved how Stanley was loved for every part of his personality.

I admired how Lucy doesn’t pretend that everything is ok, she faces the tantrums, the meltdowns head on and deals with them. The struggles that Lucy faces with having a baby and a four year old who is autistic are extremely relatable to any parent who is going through the same experience. I found the story full of humour with a diet plan, that left me feeling heartbroken for Lucy, when her diet plan leaves her frustrated.