Motherwell cover art

Motherwell

A Girlhood

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Motherwell

By: Deborah Orr
Narrated by: Gabriel Quigley
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About this listen

The number three Sunday Times best seller.

Just shy of 18, Deborah Orr left Motherwell - the town she both loved and hated - to go to university. It was a decision her mother railed against from the moment the idea was raised. Win had very little agency in the world, every choice was determined by the men in her life. And strangely, she wanted the same for her daughter. Attending university wasn't for the likes of the Orr family. Worse still, it would mean leaving Win behind - and Win wanted Deborah with her at all times, rather like she wanted her arm with her at all times. But while she managed to escape, Deborah's severing from her family was only superficial. She continued to travel back to Motherwell, fantasising about the day that Win might come to accept her as good enough. Though of course it was never meant to be.

Motherwell is a sharp, candid and often humorous memoir about the long shadow that can be cast when the core relationship in your life compromises every effort you make to become an individual. It is about what we inherit - the good and the very bad - and how a deeper understanding of the place and people you have come from can bring you towards redemption.

©2020 Deborah Orr (P)2020 Orion Publishing Group Biographies & Memoirs Witty

Critic Reviews

"Raw, compelling, wise and tender." (Dolly Alderton)

"Motherwell is razor-sharp, fearless and wonderful." (Adam Kay)

"Utterly candid and staggeringly good, both as the history of a woman and the history of a place." (India Knight)

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Profile Image for wendy palmer

An Extraordinary Memoir

Deborah Orr is a brilliant writer who shares her story with a brutal truth. I wish I could have met her. The absence of her unique voice will forever sadden.

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