Nutmeg

By Maria Goodin

'A delicious confection. A tender fable about love and the power of the imagination to both sustain and heal us.' --Laura Harrington, author of Alice Bliss

'A beautifully quirky gem of a novel.' --Laissez Faire

'[A] quirky and touching tale...' --Woman's Weekly

'If you like a good fairy tale then you may well like this...' --New Books Magazine

'...a heartwarming story about love and the reasons why it's sometimes easier and kinder to tell lies rather than the truth... simply enchanting.' --Bookish Magpie

Meg is growing up in a world of food-filled fantasy; where her first tooth was so sharp her mother used her as a can opener, and eating too many apples once left her spitting pips. Then, age five, she is humiliated in front of the other children at school and turns her back on the world of fiction, deciding to let logic rule her everyday thoughts and deeds.

Years later, Meg's mother falls ill, and as she struggles to deal with the situation in an orderly fashion, her mother remains cocooned in her obsession with cookery, refusing to face up to her illness.

Slowly, Meg uncovers the truth about her childhood and is now faced with a humbling decision: to live in a cold harsh reality, or envelop herself in a wonderful world of make-believe.

Maybe life isn't defined as fact or fiction perhaps it can include truth, lies, and everything in between.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Legend Press
• Release date: Mar 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9781908775573

Maria Goodin

Maria Goodin's debut novel Nutmeg was published in 2012. The End is Where We Begin is her second novel. Maria lives in Hertfordshire with her husband, son and cat. @mariagoodin1

Reviews for Nutmeg

[sueincyprus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Meg's mother is a compulsive and eccentric cook, who has told Meg all kinds of crazy stories about her birth and early childhood. Meg believed everything until her schoolfriends started calling her a liar. She can't remember anything herself, so when she realises that her mother's stories are not true, she feels quite lost. She gives up on fiction and grows up to become a brilliant scientist. Then when her mother is dying, she has the chance to find out about her real past... and it's quite disturbing.

Very well-written; the characters are a little caricatured, but it didn't matter. Quite thought-provoking, too, showing how difficult it can be to separate fact from fiction, and leaving open the question of whether it may sometimes be best to live in a world of fantasy. I loved the odd stories that Meg's mother told her, and found parts of the story very moving. I was surprised at how positive and satisfying the bittersweet ending was, too.

Recommended.

[arkgirl1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Meg May has sought refuge in science and fact after her mother's fantastical upbringing brought her ridicule at school but her mother's illness means time is running out to discover the truth about her father and early days - this is an excellent read that explores the mother/daughter relationship beautifully. The relationship between Meg and her mother is at the core of the story; their different slants on life are explored and explained in a moving way that draws you into the story. I found Mark, Meg's boyfriend, difficult to see as a fully rounded character and that would be my one gripe with the book but I forgive the author because the rest has some lovely story-telling and it also made me think.If you enjoy imaginative and creative stories with emotional heart this is a great read.