First up, I loved the title. I was tickled pink by this fresh badge for a heavily-tattooed individual. It immediately flooded my mind with images of a lean young woman whose pale skin was totally blanketed by inked crosses, cryptic motifs and a host of Celtic symbols.And the story itself floods you with a bucket load of emotion.
It’s a tale of Marigold; a free-spirited, auburn-haired, rocker-vibe infused, covered-with-tattoos mother. She has two young daughters Star and Dolphin, both from different fathers. Marigold sounds like a free-thinker’s dream. You expect the story to be about a fiercely independent heroine who fights against a disapproving society so that she can raise her daughters in the way that she wants them to be raised. You expect the pages to be bursting with flower-power and righteous indignation.
Sadly, life is rarely a walk down a garden path.
Marigold suffers from Manic-Depression. She refuses to believe that she has a problem and the possibility of taking treatment is a non-existent option. Star and Dolphin have become accustomed to their mother’s weird spells. But getting used to something does not necessarily mean that you are resigned to it and willing to accept it with a weary roll of your eyes. Marigold parties hard, gets herself inked at regular intervals, pulls all-nighters with random men, drinks indiscriminately and leaves behind a sorry train-wreck for her daughters.
Star, the elder daughter, used to love her mother’s uniqueness but as she grows up, she seeks the safety of conformity. She cannot excuse Marigold’s "episodes" anymore and just wants a normal life. Dolphin, on the other hand, still loves her mother to distraction. She adores her brightly coloured, covered-like-a-comic-strip parent. She cherishes the little gestures Marigold does in her brief moments of sanity. Dolphin loves Star too and though the affection is reciprocated from both corners, she knows that things will soon come to an ugly head. ‘The Illustrated Mum’ is a book that explains Dolphin’s journey of trying to be an adult in a world that is unpredictable and at times downright scary.
Jacqueline Wilson is a children’s author who has always been credited with taking up serious issues in a child’s life and handling it with a winning combination of sensitivity and humour. In ’The Illustrated Mum’, she tackles a grave issue and leaves you with a little knot in your throat. The comical quips were few, but she makes you ache for Dolphin and her earnestness. Wilson’s preteen heroines are usually full-of-beans and ready to take on the world amidst their own private hells. Dolphin is no different. She raises all your dormant maternal instincts and makes you want to crush her in a big, squishy comforting hug. My only grouse was with the abrupt ending. I didn’t particular appreciate the convenient tying up of odd ends. It felt like a cop-out.
And yet, you clamber till the end since you want a happy-ending for Dolphin.
