An inspiring and tear-jerking true-life narrative.
A photograph of ‘Mum’s List – St John Greene.
'A mother’s life lessons to the husband and sons she left behind.'
When I first picked up ‘Mum’s List’ and read the blurb, I was immediately gripped by the tragic and intense story of Kate Greene, a mother of two boys who sadly lost her battle to cancer. In her last days, Kate worked on leaving behind a written guide for her husband who was left to bring up their children by himself.
However, whilst the story of the Greene family is very upsetting and I completely emphathise with their heart-breaking loss, I couldn’t help but feel disconnected to St John (known to the readers as Singe) as the book itself was written by a ghost writer. The parts of the book I felt were the most authentic and touching, were those where we received a glimpse of Kate’s list in its original and honest format.
Due to the fact the book was written as a memoir, some of the conversations had been fabricated for the readers benefit – in my opinion this perhaps wasn’t necessary as it detracted from the main story line which was already powerful enough in itself.
It is without a doubt that ‘Mum’s List’ is a story which is both unique and motivating as it encourages us to live our days with passion and no regrets, I just feel as though the connection between the narrator and the reader is restricted by the presence of the ghost writer.
Let me know your thoughts.
You can watch an interview with St John Greene here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdiVx-1pRZ8