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Mim’s husband is missing. No one knows where Ben is, but everyone wants to find him – especially The Department. And they should know, the all-seeing government body has fitted the entire population with a universal tracking chip to keep them ‘safe’.
But suddenly Ben can’t be tracked. And Mim is questioned, made to surrender her passport and threatened with the unthinkable – her two children being taken into care at the notorious BestLife.
Cornered, Mim risks everything to go on the run to find her husband – and a part of herself, long gone, that is brave enough to tackle the journey ahead.
From the stark backroads of the Australian outback to a terrifying sea voyage, Mim is forced to shuck off who she was – mother, daughter, wife, sister – and become the woman she needs to be to save her family and herself.

The Mother Fault by Kate Mildenhall taught me why I read little adult fiction. I’ve said, many times, about my dislike of romance and today I realised I can bundle most women main characters with that.

To be honest and fair, The Mother Fault has excellent writing and would make an excellent movie. Kate paints an enthralling picture of Mim and Mim’s life. We have her love and protectiveness of her children, battling her past and missed opportunities, a missing husband, a dystopian Australia. I was enthralled, but as I just messaged a friend, Mim would be in Gryffindor. She’s loyal, impulsive and definitely does not have a plan. She makes stupid decisions, and it only comes together because of other people.

I think I’ve said enough about Mim. There are other parts of The Mother Fault that I love and want to know more about. The dystopian world Kate created is just half a step from current Australia. While I don’t think we’ll go as far as government mandated microchips and complete control over where we go and our bank accounts, I’d love to learn more of the world. Especially how it came about and the public’s reaction. The other part I want to know more about is Ben, Mim’s husband. We get a quick summary, but, to me, Ben’s story is more interesting. What happened during the time he was missing? The rebels? There’s an amazing story there waiting to be written. More stories, please.

Is you’re a fan of Kate Mildenhall’s first book, Skylarking, you may not like The Mother Fault. It’s a very different book for a different audience which is a credit to Kate’s writing.

Photo by Haran Amorim on Unsplash