Looking Past

By Katharine E. Smith

Looking Past is a tale of family, friendship, love, life and death – not necessarily in that order. A perfect read for Mother's Day, this book will strike a chord with mothers, daughters, and daughters-in-law, everywhere.


Sarah Marchley is eleven years old when her mother dies. Suffering an acute sense of loss, she and her father continue quietly, communicating far too little.


At university, Sarah begins her first serious relationship. Along with her new boyfriend comes his mother, the indomitable Hazel Poole. Despite some misgivings, Sarah finds herself drawn into the matriarchal Poole family. She discovers that gaining a mother figure in her life brings mixed blessings but she also realises her own mother's love has never died.


If you enjoy psychological fiction with a dry sense of humour, this is for you.


Looking Past was selected for the People's Book Prize Winter 2015 Collection.