Jo saw her own parents’ marriage fracture, although not collapse completely, after her mother’s affair. What do you think Jo brings from this experience to her own marriage? And how do you think it relates to Jo’s need for control?
While I set out to make Jo a confident and self-assured career woman, there was a vulnerable side to her that was only revealed to those she trusted. In her adult life, that had been her husband but Jo had also turned to her mum as a teenager when she started suffering from anxiety attacks. Back then, she had been let down by her mum who refused to appreciate how her own behaviour was contributing to her daughter’s problems, and Jo was also let down by her GP who didn’t take her seriously. Jo learned to manage her anxiety on her own and took comfort from being organised which gave her a sense of control over her life and to some extent, David’s too. David was a project manager so when he planned out their future, it made Jo feel secure, and their problems only began when he deviated from that plan. After he disappeared, Jo spiralled into despair and her mental health suffered as a result and it was this aspect of her life that I was most interested in as the story developed. I hope readers will be able to relate to someone who could slip from having a relatively healthy state of mind, albeit with the odd quirk of character, to someone whose mental health suffered to the extent that she wasn’t able to function on a daily basis.
You write hauntingly around themes of motherhood and what it means to have children. Does this come from your own experiences?
Of all my life experiences so far, the most rewarding, demanding, challenging, life reaffirming and truly devastating have come from my role as a mother. I always wanted to have children and although being a single mum has been tough at times, the love I have for my son and daughter is such a powerful emotion and it’s that kind of intense relationship between a mother and child that I love to write about. However, experience has also taught me that while a mother’s love is incredibly strong, life is all too fragile, as I unfortunately discovered when my son died, and aspects of that particular emotional journey are threaded through my novels too. I’d like to think that by writing along the themes of motherhood, I’m reinforcing my love for that little boy who changed my life forever.
At the end of the book in an incredibly moving and bittersweet scene, Jo discovers David’s dreams for their life together, including the growth of their family and all his plans for travelling. If you looked ahead to your own future, where would you see it going? And where would be on your ‘must-see’ world tour?
I’m the first to admit that I’m a bit of a home bird so it would have to be somewhere special to tempt me away. Top of my must-see list would be a trip to Iceland even though I’ve already been there once. The sights are stunning and the blue lagoon an experience in itself although what I’d really like to go back for are the Northern Lights which failed to appear the last time we were there. Also on my list would be trips to visit places that have a history, whether that’s a landscape created by glaciers, imposing castles or ancient ruins. I love being somewhere where I can imagine what might have happened centuries or even thousands of years earlier. Oh, and I’d really, really love to go scuba diving and discover all those amazing sights beneath the ocean waves. Unfortunately, I’m a little too much like Jo and travelling does tend to stress me out and put me off – but if ever someone invents a teleporter, I’ll be the first to sign up!
What would you like the reader to take away from this story?
Possibly the most important thing to take away from this novel is that life isn’t as predictable or as secure as any of us would like to imagine and when we give our love to others, it has to be with a sense of hope rather than certainty.
Tell me about your writing habits – do you have to be in a certain place, listen to certain music? Do you work better at a certain time of day?
How I write varies depending upon whether it’s a week day or the weekend. I still work full time so I have to squeeze in my writing where I can as if it was still a hobby, albeit one that consumes much of my free time and comes with deadlines. I’m usually home from my day job by late afternoon and fire up the computer as soon as I step through the door. There’s a quick break to feed myself and my daughter and then it’s back to my writing until I’ve finished whatever daily target I’ve set myself such as a specific word count. I can finish as early as 7pm but often it stretches beyond 9pm. Weekends are another matter entirely and I tend to write only in the mornings because I love being able to spend the rest of the day pottering around with the scenes I’ve just written still lurking inside my head – that’s usually when I’ll get a sudden flash of inspiration that will set me up for the next day’s labours.
Can you tell us a bit about your next book?
My next novel is about Sam, who works as a gardener in Calderstones Park in Liverpool and the story opens when he falls under suspicion after a young girl goes missing. The girl in question is eight year old Jasmine who visits the park one day on a school trip. Sam is giving a guided tour and tells her class about the park’s thousand year old tree, which is called the Allerton Oak. He tells them that the tree has magical powers and can grant wishes, and it’s Sam’s determination to make Jasmine’s wishes come true that gets him embroiled in the police investigation.
Reading Group Questions
Did you believe that David had left Jo and their baby, or did you cling with Jo to the idea that something had happened to him. Why?
Discuss Jo’s mental state before and after David’s disappearance. Did you feel this was a realistic portrayal?
How did you feel about Jo’s reluctance to care for her baby when he was first born?
How does the front door of Jo’s house function as an element in the story?
What stages of grief does Jo go through and how does she cope during each stage during the novel?
Discuss the parental relationships portrayed in the novel: David and Irene, Jo and Liz, Steph and Lauren, Jo and Archie.
If you enjoyed The Missing Husband, why not try Amanda’s other books:
Yesterday’s Sun – a Richard & Judy book club pick, Amanda’s debut asks how you choose between your own life and the life of your child
Click here to buy now
Another Way to Fall – Emma’s long battle with cancer is drawing to a close, but as she starts to write the story of the life she has always wanted to lead, the line between truth and reality starts to blur …
Click here to buy now
Where I Found You – separated by Maggie and Elsie face motherhood against the odds. But can Maggie help Elsie unravel the secrets of the past before it’s too late?
Click here to buy now
Look out for Amanda’s two short stories as well:
The Keeper of Secrets – Elle’s perfect façade is hiding the cracks in her marriage. But what happens when a message from her past threatens to expose everything?
Click here to buy now
If I Should Go – Rachel’s first chance at love in years forces her to consider what she could give up for love …
Click here to buy now
About the Author
Amanda Brooke is a single mum in her forties who lives in Liverpool with her daughter Jessica, two cats, and a laptop within easy reach. Her debut novel, Yesterday’s Sun, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick in spring 2012. The Missing Husband is her fourth novel.
www.amanda-brooke.com
@AmandaBrookeAB
www.facebook.com/AmandaBrookeAuthor
Also by Amanda Brooke
Yesterday’s Sun
Another Way to Fall
Where I Found You
Ebook-only short stories
The Keeper of Secrets
If I Should Go
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
http://www.harperc
ollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East – 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada
http://www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London, SE1 9GF
http://www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
http://www.harpercollins.com
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