Unbecoming

Summary

Three women. Three generations. Three secrets.

Katie’s life is falling apart. Her best friend thinks she’s a freak; her mother, Caroline, controls every aspect of her life; and her estranged grandmother, Mary, appears as if out of nowhere.

Mary has dementia and needs lots of care, and when Katie starts putting together Mary’s life story, secrets and lies are uncovered: Mary’s illegitimate baby, her zest for life and freedom and men; the way she lived her life to the full yet suffered huge sacrifices along the way. As the relationship between Mary and Caroline is explored, Katie begins to understand her own mother’s behavior, and from that insight, the terrors about her sexuality, her future, and her younger brother are all put into perspective.

Funny, sad, honest, and wise, this powerful multigenerational novel from author Jenny Downham celebrates life like no book before.