Gwendoline Riley (London, 1979) is one of the most important writers of contemporary British literature. She studied English at Manchester Metropolitan University. She gained a loyal readership with her insightful works, and she attracted special attention with her unique characters, impeccable dialogues and black humor. She is the author of several novels, including Cold Water , Sick Notes , Joshua Spassky and First Love . For her works, she received numerous awards and recognitions, such as: Geoffrey Faber Memorial Award, Betty Trask Award and Somerset Maugham Award. In addition, her prose has been shortlisted for a whole range of prestigious awards: the Dylan Thomas Award, the Women's Literary Award, the John Llewellyn Rhys Award, the Goldsmiths Award, the Folio Award and many others. In 2018, the Times Literary Supplement named her one of the twenty best British authors of our time. My Spirits is her latest novel.
Helen was always a great mystery to her daughter. Bridget is an academic in her forties and sees her mother once a year for a joint birthday dinner. They occasionally exchange messages about The Boys from Madison and Ferrante, feigning mutual interests. A strained peace was finally established. But when Helen makes it clear that she wants more, Bridget's childhood hurts come to the surface. And as it becomes clear that her mother's life may end sooner than she thinks, Bridget struggles to find out what forgiveness means and whether it's possible to find meaning in a fading past and a relationship that never existed. Looking back on the stormy relationship with the mother, on small and big disappointments, the question arises as to why they cannot become a part of each other's lives and whether there is still enough time for that to change...