Synopsis
*Shortlisted for the 2026 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction*
‘I raced through it’ – Daily Mail
‘A bold, brilliant and bonkers caper’ – Alexandra Potter, author of Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k Up
‘Brilliantly original and hilariously executed’ – Rosie Walsh, author of The Love of My Life
Are you sick of slogging your guts out without recognition, covering for other people, running on empty? Sometimes all you need is a break.
Meet Barri Brown. Respected teacher. Upstanding citizen of gorgeous Guernsey. Recently passed over for a promotion and then dumped by her husband, she’s totally desperate for some time off.
So, she tells a tiny white lie and suddenly it snowballs into a grand plan for a year off. Before she knows it, she’s so busy pretending to be something she’s not that she’s forgotten what was important in the first place.
All she wanted was a bit of time to herself. She couldn’t have imagined where that would lead her . . .
From award-winning comedy writer Anna Brook-Mitchell, Motherfaker is the perfect read for fans of Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey and All The Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman.
‘Funny, moving, relatable and keeps you on the edge of your seat’ – Libby Page, author of The Lido
‘Brilliantly funny’ – Stylist
‘This book will make you guffaw out loud’ – Prima
Readers love Motherfaker!
‘A rare mix of laugh-out-loud funny, moving and compelling’
‘Clever, tender, and impossible to put down – an absolute joy from start to finish’
‘Funny, emotional, heart-wrenching and action-packed, with an idyllic Guernsey location’
‘Hilarious, touching, emotional, infuriating and a bit bonkers’
‘A fantastic debut that I just wanted to keep reading!’
Details
Reviews
“Motherfaker is an unforgettable story with an unforgettable main character. I couldn't put it down. It is a tale that is all at once funny, moving and relatable and keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. I loved the themes around found family and know it is going to resonate with many readers. A five-star read!”Libby Page, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lido
“I couldn’t put this down! Hilarious, surprising, and sneakily tender. I was rooting for the witty main character, Barri, who has an uncanny knack for getting herself into trouble as she navigates the chaos of her own making. While packed with shenanigans, it’s also a tale of heartwarming connections, set in a charming small island, and the beautiful mess that comes with finding out where you belong.”Natalie Sue, author of I Hope This Finds You Well
“Motherfaker is a crazy, screwball comedy with real heart and soul. I was enticed in by the hilarious premise and stayed for the brilliantly-crafted storytelling. Barri Brown is a sometimes exasperating, always entertaining, character - as logical and resourceful as she is eccentric and impetuous . . . A joyful novel of family (in all its forms), friendship and staying true to oneself.”Sarah Haywood, New York Times bestselling author of The Cactus
“Anna Brook-Mitchell has given birth to a genius of an idea. A bold, brilliant and bonkers caper about how sometimes you have to fake it, to discover who you really are”Alexandra Potter, bestselling author of Confessions of a Forty-Something F##k-Up
