Trigger Warning: Sexual assault

This is a story about three generations of woman from 1937, 1952 and 2019— dealing with issues like abuse, single motherhood and abandonment. Over all this book deals with generational trauma as well. Each chapter is from a different time and point of view. Overall I enjoyed the style of writing by the author but I did find many of the topics extremely triggering and anxiety inducing.

Fairly early on in the story I was able to predict the secrets and determine what happened to some of the character in their past the hints were a bit too blatant for me. I was hoping for more of a hunting or magical realism with the painting in the novel — so the concept there kind of fell flat for me unfortunately. The book as a whole had a good plot but sometimes too much information .
I was invested in Emma (2019) as a character and her journey which is what motivated me to finish the story.


Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC . This is my honest review.

The Girl in the Midnight Maze by Cathy Hayward is a poignant and gripping story about motherhood and mother-daughter relationships told in multiple timelines and perspectives. Characters are realistically portrayed and the though there is grief and pain there is also love and tenderness.

Emma has a loving husband and children and a great job. But her mother Margaret bequeathes her unique painting of a little girl to a stranger rather than her, causing her anguish. Emma has a daughter of her own whom she cherishes but she laments her nonexistent relationship with her own mother. She journeys into introspection during a time of healing and learning. As layers are peeled, she becomes wiser. The back stories are crushing and emotive.

The allegorical painting added to the mystique of the story and caused me to really think about the emotions displayed. Mother-daughter stories grip my heart as I am extremely close to my mom. My heart ached for the characters as they experienced loneliness and sorrow. Hayward's writing is gorgeous. However, I do feel some readers may benefit from trigger warnings as deeply sensitive topics are graphically detailed.

My sincere thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this captivating and different novel.

Betty, her mother, and Emma, her daughter, unravel the story of Margaret in this dual time line novel set in 1937 and the present. Emma's shocked by the fact that Margaret left the beloved painting Girl in the Maze to someone else and, while cleaning out her mother's things, finally understands not only that decision but a lot more. There wee some serious family secrets, largely due to attitudes of the time, that colored Margaret and her relationship with Emma. it's nicely layered tale with strong storytelling and good characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This book was VERY WELL WRITTEN and I did enjoy reading this book BUT trigger warnings were definitely needed. This hit very close to home and at times was difficult to read. I really felt the pain written, so I would recommend this to those who like books about difficult family relationships.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

"The Girl in the Maze" is a moving novel that explores the intricacies of mother-daughter relationships across three generations. Through a series of uncovered secrets and a mysterious painting, the story unravels the traumatic pasts of Emma, her mother Margaret, and grandmother Betty, revealing how societal expectations and personal struggles shaped their lives and choices. The novel delves into difficult themes of loss, adoption, and societal judgment, particularly towards single mothers in the 1930s, with sensitivity and depth. While heartbreaking at times, "The Girl in the Maze" is ultimately a powerful story about family secrets, the enduring impact of the past, and the importance of understanding and forgiveness.

The Girl in the Midnight Maze
by: Cathy Hayward
Release Date: November 1, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Trigger Warning: Sexual assault of a minor
I am not in the majority of other readers when it comes to this book.
The Girl in the Midnight Maze is a story about three generation of woman from 1937, 1952 and 2019. Each chapter is from a different time and point of view from the woman of this family. First, Betty is jilted at the alter and discovers she is pregnant and in 1937 that was a huge no no that ostracized you everywhere you went. Betty loved her daughter deeply a decided to keep her instead of giving her up for adoption like most unmarried girls of that time. Next, Emma finds that after her mother, Margaret, passed she had several deep secrets that shaped the way she grew as a mother. Lastly, Margaret takes you through the deep secrets of her passed that influenced not only her future but her daughters as well.
About a quarter of the way through the book I was pretty certain I knew what the secrets were and what happened to Margaret. At that point honestly the book could have wrapped up and concluded. I felt like the last 75 percent was just content rambling and avoiding what happened to extend the book length. The book as a whole had a good plot but too much information that was dragged out. Also, I get Margaret did the Maze art piece when everything in her past was happening but it didn’t seem to fit into the overall story. It really felt forced and again repetitive. I was very close to not finishing but because this book had so many good reviews, I held out hope that there was something more shocking about to happen in the end.
Nothing else happened. Everything was confirmed that was alluded to in the earlier chapters.
Thank you NetGalley, Cathy Hayward and Lake Union Publishing for the digital ARC.

Book: The Girl in the Midnight Maze
Author: Cathy Hayward
Genre: Women’s Fiction,
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pub Date: November 1, 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 313

Emma Bowen and her mother Margaret Chapman never had a strong bond.
Although Emma and her mother’s relationship was strained, Emma cries when she learns of her death and as the only child she feels she should have been there. As she continues to cry, her husband Nick says, I believe you are mourning the relationship you never had.
This story is about relationships between mothers and daughters.
I was disappointed that I didn't love this story .
I believe I needed to be in the right frame of mind to thoroughly enjoy it

Want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 1, 2024.

“The Girl in the Midnight Maze,” by Cathy Hayward, is a revised previously published version of “The Girl in the Maze.” I have really mixed feelings about this book. First - I think it needs a list of trigger warnings (my version didn’t have any listed) and while usually I’m okay not having a list of TW, in this case, I think I would’ve liked to have known what I was in for from the beginning. This book delves into the topic of mother-daughter relationships, but it’s more than “just” that. There’s adoption, there’s a comparison of women’s choices (or lack there of) over time, and there’s also addressing mental health. In some ways I think this book tried a bit too much to address a lot of things without sugar coating, but at the same time I had difficulties reading about those things. This wasn’t the book for me (though I did read it and found myself engaged with the book - though some parts I’ll admit to skimming due to really not wanting to read difficult sections). I think if you like books about family relationships, this might be one for you to pick up. I'm giving this review three stars because while it wasn't a bad book, it wasn't a book I'd want to read again and parts were difficult to get through.

The premise of this book is very intriguing! I also felt like there were twists that I did not see coming, specifically the things found by Emma while cleaning her mother's flat. I will say that while an enjoyable read, there was a bit of a slow pacing issue in the beginning. I would have liked to get to that middle part a little faster. I felt like while we got to know Emma, it would have been nice to also get to know Clare and Mr. Eals, specifically more on their relationships with Margaret. I also would have loved an expansion on the relationship between Margaret and Betty through the adult years. That being said, I think this book was beautifully written. I also enjoyed reading it and being along for the ride.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
At its heart, this is basically a mother-daughter story. It is told from three points of view (which is three generations). The closest to the present time is told by Emma. When her mother, Margaret, dies Emma discovers some letters in her mother's things. This leads her on a quest to find out more about her mother. I enjoyed this book. It kept my attention, and the characters were well written. I could feel the pain of the mothers and the daughters. I would like to read more books by this author. I recommend this book if you like books about family relationships.

First, let me say that this book was not for me. Not because it was a bad book, but because I found the subject matter rather difficult. Primarily this book is about complicated relationships between mothers and daughters…and I have a complicated relationship with my late mother. So it’s hard for me - take my review with a grain of salt.

That being said, if you are a person that appreciates trigger warnings, I would HIGHLY encourage you to find a list of trigger warnings and read that list carefully. Nothing is “glossed over.” Everything is so visceral - thanks in part to excellent writing by the author.

Solid 2.5 stars (rounded up because the author can write so well).

Do you like books that describe family secrets? If so, Yhe Girl in the Midnight Maze should be high on your TBR list.

Great book - enjoyed this story. Sad in parts. Loved the hertiage of the picture. lovely that the sister met in the end. Strange how things can change with just a letter left

A decent read about family history, dynamics and intergenerational trauma. It’s a book that can get a bit confusing in places as the different narrative voices are quite similar in places, making it difficult to situate yourself in the different historical periods. But the plot is suitably gripping and the writing well crafted.

Fantastic. Love the way there are three different timelines for three generations. The mystery of the painting and who the girl could be is great. Brilliant read.


Thank you Cathy Hayward, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed reading this story as I was intrigued from the beginning and I also liked the way the author wrote - it was quite beautiful.

Emma hasn't ever been close to her mother and when she dies, she's surprised that she's left her home to her daughter (someone who her mother had never liked, had quite openly dismissed and had no time for), and is shocked that the painting she always admired has been left to someone she's not heard of before. As Emma begins to look into who this person is, she learns that there was more to her mother...

This is a dual-timeline, we also go back to Emma's grandmother too and this leaves us trying to guess how the two stories link.

It was cleverly written and it did leave me guessing.

The only criticism is that some of the chapters were quite short so this meant I wasn't fully invested in one time before then jumping to the next one again.

I really enjoyed this book. The description of the painting the book is named after (The Girl In The Midnight Maze) is so evocative. Surrounding this is a beautiful and tragic tale of parental love and sacrifice, with the past cleverly woven into the present day.

*** SPOILERS BELOW ***
I particularly liked the descriptions of Emma meeting Elizabeth for the first time. I found my brothers when I was 30 and they were 39, and can testify that the emotion involved was portrayed very well in this book.

Good story overall, but struggled a bit at times. Hard to see young girls being wrenched away from their newborns, isolated mother-daughter relations, etc. Still though, kept my interest to see how it ends, and would recommend.

This book was absolutely beautiful and devastating and unlike anything I’ve read so far. Although at times I feel like the plot could be a little bit more streamlined, I think this book was a beautiful story about a generation of mothers and the stories they left behind.