Become a Readings Member to make your shopping experience even easier. Sign in or sign up for free!

Become a Readings Member. Sign in or sign up for free!

Hello Readings Member! Go to the member centre to view your orders, change your details, or view your lists, or sign out.

Hello Readings Member! Go to the member centre or sign out.

Georgina, a heavily pregnant teenager, has run away from home. Estranged from her parents she flees to her grandmother’s, only to find that she has passed away.

Told in ultra-short chapters, the story that follows takes place mostly in a small country hospital, where Georgina now finds herself afraid and alone. The narrative between present and past as we learn how Georgina came to be in her current predicament. Ben Beaton, a male secondary school teacher, writes with unflinching honesty and is not afraid to delve into challenging territory. Indeed he handles his subjects - teenage sex, childbirth, and pregnancy - with aplomb.

There is a lyricism and immediacy to the writing that is very engaging. But also refreshing is the lack of any moralising. Georgina has made mistakes but is never judged for them, and you can’t help but respect the way she confronts the choices she has made head-on.

Although Mama’s Song is short it certainly doesn’t lack emotional punch. YA for mature readers, but with some crossover appeal.