I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down!
"No one's a villain, everyone's their own protagonist."
"This is real life. There's right and wrong. You can have empathy for another person's perspective, especially someone you've loved, but there comes a point where too much of it is destructive."
Honestly, both quotes are true at the same time. It is extremely difficult to write about two opposing people without villainizing either character. But Heidi Reimer takes it a step further and pushes us to understand both characters and how they perceive each other. Her dazzling debut novel, "The Mother Act" tells the story of an estranged mother and daughter over two decades, set against the backdrop of theatre. The novel is structured like a six-act play, alternating between the perspectives of mother, Sadie and daughter, Judith.
The book opens with Judith nervously deciding to attend her mother's one-woman show, 'The Mother Act' which was written about their relationship.
We are taken back to a young Judith's perspective. She's performing with her father's Shakespearean theatre group and is anxious about meeting her mother after a long hiatus, her mother who abandoned her as a child.
We also meet a young, Sadie Jones before she was Judith's mother. She is a raging feminist striving to make a name for herself in the theatre scene.
Despite sharing a passion for the performing arts, the two are opposites. Judith, an introvert by nature, finds solace in escaping into a new character. Meanwhile, Sadie's strengths lie in dramatizing fragments of her own life. But despite everything, do we ultimately become versions of our parents? Even when we intentionally try to move away from it?
Reimer has crafted a moving and empathetic story of mothers and daughters that leaves you reflecting on motherhood and relationships. What happens when a mother chooses to prioritize herself? Can a mother put her oxygen mask on first? How does that impact those in her life, especially her young daughter, Judith? Is it possible to "reinvent" what it means to be a mother? Can women subscribe to institutions of marriage and motherhood without feeling stuck? Maybe there are no definite answers.
Ultimately, Reimer acknowledges that we are all doing life for the first time and are prone to errors. There may be decisions you regret for how they impacted others but you can still understand that it was a necessary choice.

Thank you Heidi Reimer and Penguin Random House Publishing for this eARC in exchange for honest review.

The Mother Act is a debut novel by Heidi Reimer and it comes packed with emotion, soul, and wonderful writing. Written in 6 Act play style (brilliant), it explores a complicated Mother daughter relationship with famous, boisterous Sadie Jones and quiet, reserved Jude, and their strained relationship through the years: Jude yearning for Sadie's approval and love, and Sadie dealing with her loss of identity when changing from Sadie Jones to Mom.

A beautiful tale through the years of both of their lives, their different perspectives on how it happened, woven together with heart, tales of feminism, and the struggle of motherhood and how society sees it (at least to Sadie). A poignant look through Sadie's eyes at the transition to becoming a mother when it's not really what you wanted for yourself.

Do yourself a favour and pick this up when it's out! 5 stars, highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to review this book. My opinions are my own.
As a former theatre actor, I was intrigued by this premise. The beginning took a bit to get going, but I am glad I stuck with it. It could have been a memoir. Mother/daughter relationships are tricky. (I’m a mom to two.) It was clear how much the author took care of the characters' development and the theatre world. Now, when is the movie coming out? Who is cast as Jude and Sadie?

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.


In the beginning, this debut novel was a little slow, and it wasn't until I reached almost the 30% mark that I began to feel invested in the mother-daughter-centric tale. The book presents the chaotic mess of Sadie and Jude's complicated relationship through different points in time. Both women are very talented actresses, which only adds to the complexity of their bond.

I did appreciate how author Heidi Reimer weaves the theatre into both women's personalities and how it helps us see their character growth. I found Damian's character interesting as we see him through Jude's eyes for the first half of the book, and then through Sadie's eyes. This helped me to see his strengths and his flaws.

I have a feeling that this novel would be a good book club selection( Reese Witherspoon, are you listening?).

Why the 3 stars? Well, I have mentioned the slow start. I guess it was the ending, too. Hard to know where all the characters go from here. Liked it but didn't love it.



Expected Publication Date 30/04/24
Goodreads Review 31/03/24