Jun 8

Jun 8 Soldier Sailor

About the book

Author: Claire Kilroy
Publisher: Scribner

More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.

Buy and support indie bookstores (+ I earn a small commission):
Bookshop.org (print) | Libro.fm (audio)

My Review

I’m glad that Soldier Sailor was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, because that’s why I read it. What a novel, and what a look at motherhood — raw, emotional, sharp, and a million other adjectives besides.

The book is narrated by the stay-at-home mother of a precocious toddler, and much of it is addressed from her to him. She’s deep in the throes of postpartum depression and her husband is, frankly, worse than useless. We witness her frustration, rage, helplessness, and occasional shining joy as she all but unravels. Kilroy has given us an incredibly skillful novel of interiority, and a look at motherhood that isn’t really that new, just heightened in its intensity and exactness.

I read this while very pregnant, and many people warned me it might be tough to read. I felt for our main character (and I’m sure the impact would have been different if I’d read it post-delivery), but mostly I just hated her husband! It’s been a long time since I wanted to punch a character in the face like that.

I would recommend this quick read to anyone who feels like they’re in the right head space to handle it. The audiobook was also very well done!