Mother's Day

Two powerful and controversial novellas comprise this ironically-titled book, in which very bizarre mother- child relationships are explored.The characters in MOTHER'S DAY all believe that perfection is possible, that destiny can be controlled, that disorder can be kept at bay, and that actions occur without consequences.MOTHER'S DAY is disturbing and disconcerting; its uncluttered and direct style adds to its rawness. The writing is individual and makes for gripping reading. It makes us examine our lives to see how far we manage to keep disorder at bay by ignoring it. And it makes us wonder how narrowly we have escaped fates similar to theirs.This is LEONE SPERLING'S second book, originally published in 1984. Her first book, COINS FOR THE FERRYMAN was published by Pan Books (Australia) in 1981.
About the Author: Leone Sperling was born in Sydney in 1937, attended Sydney Girls' High School and graduated from Sydney University with a BA Honours degree in English literature. She taught English full-time with the NSW Department of TAFE for twenty years, a career that she found rewarding and fulfilling. She regards the fact that she did find time to write as a minor miracle because her marriage ended when her children were very young. Three books, Coins for the Ferryman, Mother's Day and Oasis were published between 1981 and 1990. She was awarded a Literature Board grant in 1985. She has also had several short stories and articles published in national newspapers and Australian anthologies. These are now collected in The Book of Life. After taking early retirement she wrote two novels, What About Love? and Jamie. She then undertook a four-year naturopathic Diploma in Nutrition. Leone now enjoys close, mutually rewarding relationships with her four children and six grandchildren and studies Latin with Continuing Education at Sydney University. Severe hearing impairment has resulted in the need for a Cochlear implant. For several years Leone has been on the Management Committee of Better Hearing Australia's Sydney branch and spends a considerable amount of time as a research volunteer with Cochlear and with the National Acoustic Laboratories. Leone's writing is open and honest. Her style is spare and simple but constantly displays a willingness to confront and examine both the joyful and the darker aspects of human emotions and relationships.