Behind Closed Doors
Mothers are supposed to be the foundation of life. They are there to support their children through life, especially their hardships. It is not that way in this novel. Instead, the mothers are villainesses whose selfish ways are harmful to Tasha and Josie. Through-out the entire novel, readers cannot help but hate these two woman who put their daughters at harm.
In Josie’s situation, her mother is a hoarder. I don’t know much about them. I hear jokes here and there and know there are TV shows about them. My mom teases me and says with all the books I have, I am going to turn into a hoarder. But the thing is from what I am starting to understand, is that hoarding is an illness just like any addiction is. While all you want to do is take Josie’s mom by the shoulders and shake her and make her snap, it just simply isn’t that easy.
Tasha’s mother is another story. Something that is even harder for me to understand. Tasha’s story is something you hear more about and is too sick of what the reality of the world is today. Becoming the prey of someone you should be able to trust is heartbreaking and the fact that Tasha is alone makes you want to open your eyes and causes you to wonder if anyone in your life is like that.
In my opinion, Miriam weaves these stories together to remind readers that even in the darkness, there will always be a light. The light in the darkness here is the unlikely friendship the two girls form. The bond of struggling together against the woman who should be their protectors.
I am very blessed and fortunate to have a loving and supporting mom and have no idea how I would survive without her help and love in my life. This story gave me a reminder that not every person is as lucky as me to have that type of mom and to always be thankful for what I have. Miriam is an outstanding writer and I highly recommend her book.
Miriam took the time to kindly answer a few questions for me, here are her answers below.
1. What book are you currently reading?
I am reading A Library of Lemons by Jo Cotterill, a very moving book about a girl how is dealing with personal grief and the difficulties her father is experiencing. Highly recommended.
2. What is your favorite childhood book and or author?
My favourite book from my childhood is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I loved this book and won it as a school prize when I was nine. I loved the way the two children in the book, Mary and Colin, start out as such bad tempered, miserable children and then through the magic of the secret garden and their friend Dickon, their lives are transformed.
3. Are you a tea or coffee drinker?
Both. I have a small cup of green tea when I wake up in the morning. Then I drink a cafetiere full of very strong coffee to get the day going. But I only drink tea for the rest of the day. Life without either would be unbearable!!
4. Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Hayling Island, which is a small quiet island off the south coast of England. I set my book HIDDEN on the Island. My family lived there for 25 years and I have been visiting the Island for most of my life. My husband and I frequently go down for weekends but every summer, in July, we rent an apartment on the beach facing the sea for three weeks. We love it!
5. In the end, it didn't feel too much like Tash had a clear wrap up, was that because you might be writing a sequel for her?
I think that it is always good to leave the reader wondering what might happen next. I became very interested in Tasha and Dom's developing feelings over the course of the book and I do have an idea for a book just about them. So who knows? Watch this space.
6. What made you decide to write about a hoarder?
I wanted to write about a girl who couldn't bring anyone home. In recent years there have been a lot of programmes about hoarders on TV in England and so I felt this could be a very interesting idea to explore. During the course of writing the book I discovered that there were two people in houses very close to me who are hoarders. One lady actually ate her meals on the doorstep in recent years probably because there was nowhere left in the house to eat. But each day she went out to work looking clean and neat. It is a fascinating and very surprising world to explore.
7. Can you give us a hint on what your next book will be about?
I am very concerned about some of the current dangers for young people on the Internet. So without giving anymore away, some aspect of this issue will be at the heart of my next book.
