A constellation of :bright, burning moments

Sonya’s life is not rosy: she is a single mother on benefits, abandoned by the father of her child, and an actress who is not acting anymore. She has a history of abusive relationships, a judgmental, absent father, a nasty stepmother and now prying neighbours to deal with. She also lives for her child, with whom she has the most tender relationship. But the fact that she drowns her fear and insecurities in alcohol makes her dangerous and leads her to rehab. Once out, abusive people have not changed, her son has been estranged from her, and it is not easy to find a valid belief system to sustain sobriety. That’s when the real challenge begins.

I don’t know if I can do justice to Sonya’s wonderful, captivating voice. Her gripping account, her emotional turmoil, her rage and her way to see things ring true and authentic; her self-scrutiny honest, devoid of self-indulgence, and often brimming with humour. Some moments in the narration are heartbreaking, other sheer tenderness and filled with a beautiful sense of wonder: the relationship with her son and shaggy dog is one of the most endearing things I have read about recently. A real page-turner for me, a constellation of “bright, burning” moments.

I am grateful to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bright, Burning Things is my favourite read this year.

Lisa Harding does a remarkable job of painting the relationship between Sonya and her four year old son, Tommy. Tommy's dialogue reminded me of Room by Emma Donoghue. The story is told from a first person viewpoint, which made it come alive. I really felt invested in Sonya's story.

The key issue is Sonya's addiction to alcohol and we follow her journey through rehab and beyond, exploring her relationships with her father and his partner, her neighbour, Sister Ann at the rehab facility and her love interest, David.

What stood out for me was the unique relationship between mother and son and how it prevails over every hurdle. The author brings the threads to a good conclusion.

This was a thought provoking read, which I will highly recommend.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.