The Mother Act

March 15, 2024
Reimer's debut plunges readers into the intricacies of motherhood, sacrifice, and identity. Set in the theater world, the story follows Sadie and Jude, a mother and daughter grappling with the consequences of their choices. Their tumultuous relationship asks, how much is a woman expected to give up when she becomes a mother? Sadie's one-woman show exposes the raw truths of her experiences as a mother; Jude, meanwhile, struggles with years of feeling abandoned and resentful. The tension between them is palpable as they navigate their shared history and conflicting desires. Damian, Sadie's spouse and Jude's father, adds another layer of complexity to the narrative, his desire for fatherhood contrasting sharply with Sadie's reluctance to be a mother. As the story unfolds, readers are left wondering if there is a chance for redemption for Sadie, and if Jude will come to understand the difficult decisions her mother faced. Ultimately, The Mother Act is a poignant reflection on the challenges women face in balancing ambition and family in a world that often demands they choose between the two.

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March 15, 2024
Complicated family dynamics take center stage in this coming-of-age story set in the theater world. When teenage Jude Jones-Linnen stumbles on a copy of The Mother Act--a play written by her mother, Sadie Jones--Jude's feelings crystalize: Sadie, who'd abandoned her when she was 2, had never loved her. It would be hard not to jump to this conclusion. The play, which Sadie has performed to critical acclaim, includes such lines as this: "I hate my child and what her existence has done to my relationship, my life, me." But for Sadie, the situation is not so black and white. In alternating chapters, we get her story, learning how she thought motherhood stripped her of her dreams and sense of self--but that doesn't mean she hates her child. Jude navigates life as a child actress traveling with her father's Shakespearean theater troupe while enduring the occasional stressful visit from her mother. As Jude moves into young adulthood and explores the world of film, she must deal with her ever-strained relationship with her mother, especially now that Sadie is performing a sequel to The Mother Act. Sadie's brand of feminism wears thin pretty quickly (we get it--you think Shakespeare is a misogynist), and the story of her life is not nearly as gripping as Jude's. That being said, readers who are in the acting world will rejoice at Reimer's hyperspecific theater references (no notes on opening night!), and all readers will get lost in Reimer's gift for writing heart-wrenching, multidimensional relationships. An affecting story about love, abandonment, and the murky middle between them.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from April 1, 2024
Reimer debuts with a propulsive and affecting mother-daughter story set in New York City’s theater world. Actor Sadie Jones ascends to stardom in the 1980s’ guerrilla feminist theater scene. When she meets British Shakespearean actor Damian Linnen during his visit to one of her rehearsals, the two are instantly attracted to each other. Though Damian is engaged, it becomes clear that the question is not whether he will leave his fiancée for Sadie, but when. The narrative then shifts back and forth from the ’80s to the present, as Damian and Sadie’s daughter, Jude, comes into her own as an actor. It soon emerges that she grew up barely knowing Sadie, and mostly spent her youth traveling with Damian for his career. Reimer gradually doles out the details of Damian and Sadie’s relationship, as well as the conservative Christian background Sadie turned her back on as a young woman, prompting her to vow never to have children. Questions about what made Sadie have a child after all, and why Jude grew up apart from her, drive the narrative as Sadie performs a one-woman play called The Mother Act and prepares to reunite with her daughter for Jude’s upcoming wedding. Reimer’s insights on art, feminism, and motherhood add to the intrigue. This is worthy of a standing ovation. Agent: Arielle Datz, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary.