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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 Witty Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Inspiring Funny Thought-Provoking

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)
All stars
Most relevant
I hate to nitpick because I thought that this was a fine memoir and as a life-writing teacher I read lots of them. But unfortunately, a mistake on the technical side lets the audio version down.

When speaking aloud the often scathing remarks made by Deborah's mother, the narrator switches accents from Scottish to English which is fair enough - the fact that her mother was an English woman living in Motherwell is pivotal to the story - but the trouble is that she also lowers her voice at the same time, making these remarks almost inaudible. Why didn't the person in charge of the sound realise that this was happening and turn up the volume?

It sounds like a tiny point but when you also consider that Deborah's hugely complex relationship with her mother is also pivotal to the story makes this technical error much more important than it sounds.

An outstanding memoir but..

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Weird title for a Mid 30s guy to choose but I live near Motherwell so thought why not. I Laughed, welled up, felt agry, sad.. The works.

Laughs, sadness, anger.. This story has it all.

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I really enjoyed this as the author was born just two years before me, so many of the references, despite the geographical distances, were familiar. I related to many aspects of her life and the story was beautifully woven through with the political climate of the times and its impact on this one local area, as well as the attitudes of her parents' generation.

The reading was done well and brought real feeling to the various ups and downs of the author's life. My only criticism here is that the lowered voice used for quoting characters (particularly the mother) were so low that they were very fuzzy and unclear. I had to rewind several times, and had to rewind one quote four times to get what was being said.

Fascinating memoir

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An exquisite, courageous & insightful book that leaves you wishing you had known Deborah Orr personally. A story that will resonate with so many. Highly recommended.

Motherwell by Deborah Orr. A must read.

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A story about family and their own relationships with one another. Even more powerful because Deborah Orr died RIP.

What a wonderful story

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