The New Mother by Nora Murphy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Natalie is a new mom. Her whole world has changed. Her husband Tyler’s life has not.

Nora Murphy’s The New Mother is a horrifying look at post-partum depression and psychosis. The novel is written in both single first and single third point of view. I found myself relating to Natalie’s feelings (even if mine were not as extreme) and empathizing with the position she finds herself in.

Natalie and Tyler are a young successful couple who seem to have it all including a new home and a new colicky baby boy, Oliver. Natalie is having a hard time dealing due to her lack of sleep and the pain her body is in (due to a 3rd degree tear and subsequent C-section). Tyler is doing the best he can to be supportive while continuing to live what seems to Natalie to be the exact same life he had before Oliver. Natalie’s mother died and she really has no other family to support her so she looks to her neighbor Paul, a stay at home dad, for the support she needs. Little doe she know, Paul has a hidden agenda of his own.

I will say that Murphy does a fabulous job of describing what Natalie is going through. I will warn that some of the description is not for the faint of heart. I do however suggest every man read it before getting their significant other pregnant. LOL

I will say, I am not sure I would categorize this book as a thriller. It definitely was slow to develop and may lose many readers in the post-partum description, but it does pull itself together in the end. I will say as well that most readers will see the end coming. It is still a good read.

I would like to thank MacMillan and the author, Nora Murphy, for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

Publication date ~ May 30, 2023
Page Count ~ 304
Audio length ~ 11 hours 51 minutes
Narrators ~ Dylan Moore & Lee Osorio
POV ~ single 1st & single 3rd

View all my reviews