Hot milk

[a novel]

by Deborah Levy

No cover — Deborah Levy: Hot milk (2016)

217 pages

English language

Published Sept. 10, 2016

ISBN:: 978-1-62040-669-4
OCLC Number:: 925498035

View on OpenLibrary

(6 reviews)

"I have been sleuthing my mother's symptoms for as long as I can remember. If I see myself as an unwilling detective with a desire for justice, is her illness an unsolved crime? If so, who is the villain and who is the victim? Sofia, a young anthropologist, has spent much of her life trying to solve the mystery of her mother's unexplainable illness. She is frustrated with Rose and her constant complaints, but utterly relieved to be called to abandon her own disappointing fledgling adult life. She and her mother travel to the searing, arid coast of southern Spain to see a famous consultant-- their very last chance-- in the hope that he might cure her unpredictable limb paralysis. But Dr. Gomez has strange methods that seem to have little to do with physical medicine, and as the treatment progresses, Sofia's mother's illness becomes increasingly baffling. Sophia's role as detective-- tracking her mother's symptoms in an attempt to find the secret motivation for her pain-- deepens as she discovers her own desires in this transient desert community. Hot Milk is a profound exploration of the sting of sexuality, of unspoken female rage, of myth and modernity, the lure of hypochondria and big pharma, and, above all, the value of experimenting with life; of being curious, bewildered, and vitally alive to the world"--

1 edition

lokroma reviewed Hot milk by Deborah Levy

Review of 'Hot milk' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Most mother-daughter relationships are complicated. Control, love, hate, duty, admiration, guilt, etc., etc. all compete for space. Sofia and her hypochondriacal mother Rose are in a battle for Sofia's life, and Levy does a pretty brilliant job of hitting every facet of their relationship with a hot white light, much like that of the blazing sun in Almeria, Spain where the story takes place. They travel there from England because Rose claims she can't walk and is seeking treatment at Dr. Gomez's clinic, a breast shaped marble building where his high heeled daughter serves as Nurse Sunshine, and his fat white cat Jodo is about to give birth. Gomez's methods are unconventional to say the least, and include taking Rose off of all her medications. Sofia and Rose stay for weeks while Rose is treated, and Sofia tries desperately to stop enabling her mother and start living her own life.

Although not exactly magical realism, Levy's quirky writing, peopled with bizarre and interesting characters definitely give the book a dreamy feel. Sofia's lovers, Ingrid and Juan; Pablo and his chained dog; the woman who sells watermelon from a truck; Ingrid's life coach boyfriend Matthew; the Medusa jellyfish; and numerous others are well drawn and fascinating. Levy also has a unique way of restating familiar truths that makes us rethink our perceptions. This book is about lots of things: love, gender roles, family history; but mostly it is about getting away from "the kinship structures that are supposed to hold me together. To mess up the story I have been told about myself."

ethne reviewed Hot milk by Deborah Levy

Review of 'Hot milk' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

took me a short while to get into the narration but really fell for this book. there was a level of surrealism that i really enjoyed, and i found myself disappearing into this beach town as i read. gave me a lot to think about in mother child relationships, and a lot of gratitude for my own. reccomend!