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So It Goes...
"full of beautiful, quirky little touches..."
Independent.ie
"Jo McMillan's bemusing and charming roman a clef... this superbly penned debut."
Cape Times
“It's a well-structured and written novel with an elegance of the ordinary that makes it stand head and shoulders above most debut works.”
The Stacked Shelf
“...a fascinating insight.”
Girl with her Head in a Book
“...a highly self-assured debut novel shining a light on an aspect of history which feels as though it has been hastily forgotten.”
Peter Hitchens | MailOnline
“...very funny, sometimes desperately embarrassing and sad, always absorbing and moving.”
Latercera | Chile
“Un nuevo libro retrata la nostalgia por la Alemania del Este.”
Lit/Rant
“This remarkable autobiographical novel... full of forgiveness and love.”
iQ | Quantas
“McMillan's debut about life on the losing side of history is both melancholic broken dream and humorous adventure.”
Herald Scotland
“...an ambitious coming-of-age novel from debut author Jo McMillan, which is wonderfully written and filled with quirky details and descriptions.”
Red Magazine
“Funny, smart and packed full of all the melancholy you would expect from a novel that slowly sheds a child’s innocence.”
Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings
“Motherland is McMillan’s debut, and it’s an excellent one – highly recommended!”
The Daily Mail
"A funny and poignant first novel."
We Love This Book
"This assured debut from Jo McMillan was a delight from start to finish."
Van is reading
"...beautiful and poignant and heart-breaking and truly eloquent."
The Book Bag
"A beautiful story tinged with fun, sadness and insight."
The Lady
"...warm and witty portrait of offbeat motherdaughter relations."
Motherland is Book Of The Week in The Lady!
Emerald Street
"At the heart, and most important are the human relationships and which bonds survive."
A Life In Books
"Motherland: From Tamworth to Berlin with love"
Historical Novel Society
"Motherland combines a teenager’s cold-eyed view of adult absurdities and a wistfulness for lost certainties; a compelling blend."
© Jo McMillan 2025