Being Tommy’s mother is too much for Sonya.
Too much love, too much fear, too much longing for the cool wine she gulps from the bottle each night. Because Sonya is burning the fish fingers, and driving too fast, and swimming too far from the shore, and Tommy’s life is in her hands.
Once there was the thrill of a London stage, a glowing acting career, fast cars, handsome men. But now there are blackouts and bare cupboards, and her estranged father showing up uninvited. There is Mrs O’Malley spying from across the road. There is the risk of losing Tommy – forever.
For those of you who haven’t heard of her, Lisa Harding is an award-winning writer, actress, playwright and author of one previous novel, Harvesting, which was a bestselling Irish sensation, and is currently in development for film. Now she returns with Bright Burning Things, a powerful and moving story of addiction, recovery and motherhood, perfect for readers who enjoyed Douglas Stuart’s Booker Prize winner Shuggie Bain.
The novel follows former actress and single mum Sonya Moriarty as she spirals into alcoholism and struggles to properly care for her four-year-old son Tommy. The story is, at its heart, a character-study, and Sonya is an infinitely fascinating and nuanced protagonist – she’s reckless yet vulnerable, dryly funny and insightful, unreliable yet honest, and completely unfiltered. Told in raw and luminous prose, Sonya’s story reads like a monologue, and it’s impossible not to be drawn into her messy inner world. I cared for her, and though at times I wanted to reach out and shake some sense into her, I always hoped she’d pull through. Her relationship with her son Tommy is also poignantly portrayed on page, and while she makes plenty of mistakes – especially where Tommy is concerned – her love for him is never in question.
Tender, honest and quietly devastating, Bright Burning Things offers readers a startling portrait of an addict’s journey from rock bottom towards recovery. Written with courage and sensitivity, Harding has created a stunning novel that is at once gripping and immersive, heart-breaking, yet ultimately hopeful. Bright Burning Things is a must-read.
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