La mamma tatuata

Marigold loves her daughters a lot. But she loves herself far more. She sees them as children to be formed in her own egotistical image to reflect what she wants the world to think of her. She has one adoring child and one who is beginning to want her own life and not want to look after her mother a Leggi tutto

I'm pretty stunned by the middling rating for this book. Sure, it's a little dated: we don't say "manic depressive" anymore and nor do many of us still see tattoos as particularly shocking (though I can say from experience that being covered in them oftentimes begets loud and unsavoury opinions from Leggi tutto

🐬 A few days ago I had a spell where I simply could not concentrate on reading. Just over three days. I know because I was keeping track in my journal! Since I read whenever I get the chance, it always throws me off when this happens. I caught up on some episodes of the TV show Heartland , which I lo Leggi tutto

I think this is one of Wilson's darker and more depressing novels, geared toward slightly older children. Marigold is great at getting tattoos, not so great at anything else. Especially naming children - poor Dolphin. Dolphin doesn't even like dolphins. I remember that. The novel focuses on Marigold Leggi tutto

Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge , based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003. This was much better. Probably because it is "for older readers" but more on why that's a load of bollocks later. Darker, and not at all twee, so definitely better all round. Full review to follow. Blog | Leggi tutto

The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson is a book that really relates to my childhood experiences whilst growing up. Marigold is a mother who is eccentric to say the least; is covered in crazy tattoos, and tends to put the needs of her two daughters Star and Dolphin, last. Her daughters adore her b Leggi tutto

Jacqueline Wilson never fails to express important messages through her writing and this is no exception! This book touches on the difficulties of being on welfare and the bullying that occurs due to living arrangements and money. It also talks about binge drinking, mood swings and delusion. Yet it

First up, I loved the title. I was tickled pink by this fresh badge for a heavily-tattooed individual. It immediately flooded my mind with images of a lean young woman whose pale skin was totally blanketed by inked crosses, cryptic motifs and a host of Celtic symbols. And the story itself floods you Leggi tutto

So, the story in a nutshell, follows Dolphin (yep, that’s her name…), and her sister Star (which is a name that doesn’t actually seem that bizarre in comparison to some children I’ve met…) who live with their mother Marigold who is clearly suffering from some sort of manic depression throughout the Leggi tutto

This is possibly one of my very favourite Wilson books. Like most of her books, I read it many times as a child. Looking back as an adult, it's clear the mother is living with some form of mental illness, most likely bipolar disorder. As a child reading this, and from the perspective of the child fr Leggi tutto