Book Review: Who Do You Think You Are Maggie Pink? by Janet Hoggarth

I am pleased to be welcoming back Janet Hoggarth to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, Who Do You Think You Are Maggie Pink

Maggie Pink is a lot of things to a lot of people, but does she know who she really is?

Maggie is a mother to a stroppy teenager, a wife to a befuddled husband, and a daughter to two very different women. She has always known she’s adopted, but has she ever understood what that means? Not really.

Following the death of her mother, Maggie finally feels able to go in search of her birth mother Morag, and heads to the Highlands of Scotland with her disgruntled daughter Roxie in tow, leaving her crumbling marriage to worry about another day.

The family reunion is bittersweet, but everything is blown wide open when Roxie unearths Morag’s explosive teenage diaries. Why did Morag give Maggie away? What really happened all those years ago, and how have the echoes of the past resounded through the generations, like ripples in a puddle?

And when all the secrets and promises are out in the open, will Maggie finally have an answer to the question – who do you think you are Maggie Pink?

*****

Maggie Pink is a wife to Adam and a mother to teenager, Roxie. Mother and daughter do not have the best relationship.

Maggie has also always known that she was adopted.

When her mother dies, Maggie feels that it’s time to go looking for her birth mother, Morag.

However, the secrets and revelations are only just beginning.

I have previously had the opportunity on this blog to share an extract from Janet’s novel, The Single Mums Move On, and so when I was invited onto the blog tour for her latest novel, Who Do You Think You Are Maggie Pink?, I jumped at the chance and couldn’t wait to get started.

I knew from the books description that this novel was going to be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster and I wasn’t wrong.

I did like the multiple viewpoints as it gave a real overall picture of what all these women were going through and thinking.

Maggie was someone I could relate to, having lost my own mother in my 30’s. To start with, she’s a hard character to get to know. She’s a closed book but as the plot progressed, you begin to understand why.

Roxie is a typical teenager but, like with Maggie, empathy for her builds throughout the novel as you see things from her point of view.

The plot, in my opinion, moves well and the characters are well rounded. The supporting characters, Fiona, Issy and Angus especially are wonderful.

This description of this Scottish town by the sea reminded me of where I grew up and I felt as though I was there. I could see the shops, smell the sea.

As usual, my aim is to give minimum spoilers. I found this novel had plenty of heart, warmth and many moments where I laughed out loud. It was a poignant, thought-provoking story that I will be thinking about for a long time yet.

Who Do You Think You Are Maggie Pink? is about identity, roots and family. It explores multiple generations of women who all come to realise that we all have secrets and experiences that have the power to either bring us together or pull us apart, if we allow them to as well as how we all have the capacity to misinterpret, misunderstand and have an incorrect perspective on what other people are going through.

I really enjoyed this novel. I hope you do too.

About Janet Hoggarth:

Janet Hoggarth is the number one bestselling author of The Single Mums’ Mansion and the highly successful Single Mums’ subsequent series.

She has worked on a chicken farm, as a bookseller, a children’s book editor, a children’s author, and as a DJ (under the name of Whitney and Britney!).

She lives with her family in East Dulwich, London. Her first book for Boldwood was published in 2022.

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Who Do You Think You Are Maggie Pink? was released by Boldwood Books on 16th June 2022. Click here to buy on Amazon and Waterstones.

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.