Beside the Sea

Beautifully written and translated, this is the powerful story of a mother who kills her young children because she simply cannot cope.

On a rainy night, a mother sets out on a bus journey to the seaside with her two small sons, knowing that it will be the last trip they ever make. What she hopes will be a happy last memory for them becomes yet another nightmare: sleeping in a shabby brown hotel, being laughed at by the locals, going to the beach in the rain.

As the mother tells her story, it becomes clear how hard it is for her to cope with even the simplest things - a trip to the shop to buy biscuits, asking for directions from strangers, getting up in the morning. Her nine-year-old son Stan is growing old before his time, while little Kevin longs for the security of school and the 'noo-noo' blanket that his mother left behind.

Dramatist Veronique Olmi creates a unique and convincing voice in the character of the mother, with many touching moments. This is a heart-breaking and gripping short novel which challenges assumptions that motherhood comes easily to everybody.