This story was not for me. Heavy themes of mental illness, child neglect, and suicide. In my opinion I think this story romanticizes suicide and it was really off putting to me.

As far as quality I do feel that this book was technically well written and I really like the format of interviews throughout the storyline.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the production was good.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. It took me a chunk of time to finish this book. It was heavy compared to a lot of the books I’ve read lately.

Daughters is a poignant exploration of familial bonds, legacy, layers of grief and the complexities of sisterhood. The story follows Mattie and Nora, sisters picking up the pieces after the passing of their mother, a renowned painter, who asked for her artwork to be destroyed while she was in her final days. Two years after their mother’s death, the sisters embark on a road trip up the West Coast, accompanied by Mattie’s teenage daughter, Beanie, and their mother’s ashes, confronting buried secrets and unresolved tensions along the way .

Daughters captures humor and heartbreak, presenting characters that are deeply flawed yet profoundly human. The novel’s structure, interspersed with interviews from Ingrid’s biography, giving some resemblance of a deeper Daisy Jones & The Six. There are themes of mental health, loss, grief, resentment, and redemption.

The narrative was compelling but I found the pacing of the book to be extremely slow at times. There were also some areas I feel predictable. It’s definitely a great book to read when you’re in the headspace for something more serious with the feel of Daisy Jones meets Firefly Lane.

This is a multigenerational family drama with heavy themes. The narration is excellent with a cast of voices. I did not connect well to the characters, and at 12.5 hours, it was a little too long.

This is a story of a woman's reckoning with her past and family relationships. Mathilda and Nora are the daughters of renowned artist Ingrid Olssen. It was interesting to see the consequences of Ingrid's art and struggles on her children. I found Mathilda to be a wonderful narrator leading us through this story. Kirsty Capes did an excellent job of balancing the reveals of the past and Mattie's current developments. Mattie was dealing with her changing relationship with her teenage daughter as well as reconnecting with her sister, Nora, who struggles with mental health. I loved how realistic and layered the family dynamics were in this book. I look forward to reading more from Kirsty Capes. I also enjoyed the small excerpts from the biography and interview moments throughout the book. The audiobook was a great way to enjoy the story, especially as the different narrator set aside the biography excerpts.

Content warnings: suicide, child neglect/abuse, and drug use.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for providing an eALC in return for my honest thoughts.

just in time for mother's day (crazy work, by the way) we have a story of sisters mattie and nora, only children of their estranged and eccentric mother, ingrid olssen, who was in her lifetime a renowned painter. ingrid has passed, but mattie remembers her mom's deathbed request - all of her work, her art, her paintings, they should be burned.

this story details a long history of their mother's neglect and abuse, perhaps partially contributing to nora's inability to deal with the world and partially contributing to mattie's inability to make wise choices - her latest bad idea was to date her late mother's biographer who seems interested in her only to use her as a vending machine for more and more information that mattie hasn't been been willing to tell. when nora is bullied into giving up her half of the art to an exhibition that her mother never wanted by their aunt karo, the sisters and mattie's daughter beanie (and ingrid's ashes) end up on a road trip out west to stop the event from happening.

there was something here about our obsessive need to consume information to the point of dehumanizing individuals. ingrid did it with the creation of her infamous work of her two daughters, girls. richard, the biographer, is doing it by pressing mattie for more and more information about her mother. people standing in a room consuming the artwork of an artist that never wanted her worked consumed did it. this feels like a book about limitations and boundaries and how people constantly cross them and how our choices are to escape these cycles or suffer.

this was a very thoughtful, reflective book that i enjoyed reading. i don't like stories about motherhood as i've said multiple times before (no idea why i picked this one up), but it turns out an intense recollection of the ways the most trusted people in our lives can and do hurt us appeals to me. that said, mattie calling her daughter "beans" through half the book and still doing that creepy thing of talking about how good babies smell like still existed in this book and drove me insane. i hate hate hate hate hate how mothers are written in books like this. STOP IT.

I love a complicated story about women so this is right up my alley. It was much darker than the cover suggests but I do love the layers and familial trauma as well as sister bond that is so strong. Beanie is a testament to a mom protecting and changing the cycles to make her life better than hers was. The story was a bit cluttered but the writing style was so believable and raw. Loved the journey

This is a multigenerational novel that explores the complex relationships between mothers, daughters, and sisters. At its heart are sisters Mattie and Nora, the daughters of renowned painter Ingrid Olssen, and Mattie’s own daughter, Beanie. The novel delves into heavy, layered themes—trauma, abandonment, complicated motherhood, and even suicide attempts. (Content warnings are noted at the start of the book, and listeners are encouraged to take them seriously.)

Capes’ prose is undeniably lyrical and often quite beautiful, making the audiobook a rich listening experience on a sentence level. However, even by the halfway point, I found myself struggling to emotionally connect with the characters. While Mattie, Nora, and Beanie have compelling backstories, the narrative didn’t fully draw me in, and the dark humor didn’t quite land for me.

The audiobook narration is strong overall. The male narrator was particularly excellent—his pacing delivery were excellent. The female narrator did well with most accents, though her Eastern European accent occasionally felt forced or unnatural. That said, the emotional tone throughout was handled with sensitivity and respect for the material.

Daughters will likely resonate with listeners who enjoy literary fiction that explores identity, generational trauma, and family legacy. While it didn’t fully engage me, I can still appreciate its ambition and craftsmanship.

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for this ALC . This is my honest review.

This was such a unique, heartfelt read. I had no idea what I was walking into with Daughters, but I ended up really enjoying it. The writing was smart, layered, and so full of personality. There’s wit and warmth, but also a raw honesty that caught me off guard in the best way.

I loved Mattie and Nora’s dynamic. it was messy and complicated, which made it feel real. The writing was beautifully done, and the dialogue felt authentic. I loved the mix of road trip chaos, emotional reckonings, and a little bit of dark humor.

It’s a story about sisters, grief, identity, and letting go (or not). I especially loved Beanie, she added such a fresh, honest voice that balanced out the heavier moments.

This was a solid 4 star read for me. Emotional, funny, thoughtful and just quirky enough to stand out. If you love complicated family stories with heart and honesty, this one’s worth checking out.

Set against the vivid backdrop of the contemporary art world, Daughters explores complicated family dynamics, identity, and the legacy of trauma. The premise is compelling, and Capes paints the setting with a careful, creative touch. At its heart, the novel offers an intimate look at fractured relationships and the longing to belong.

Unfortunately, despite the emotional themes, I struggled to connect with the characters, which kept me at arm's length from the story. It also tackles some heavy and potentially distressing subject matter, so it’s worth checking trigger warnings before diving in. While it didn’t fully land for me, fans of literary fiction centered on family and art may still find something meaningful here.

The audiobook of Daughters features dual narrators, which helps distinguish the shifting perspectives and adds nuance to each voice. The inclusion of fictional biography interview transcripts is a smart touch—they break up the narrative in a compelling way and add depth to the storytelling, making the listening experience feel layered and dynamic.

I received an audiobook ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book reminded me a combination of Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo, but with quirkier characters and a bit heavier plot.

This is a novel that explores the bonds of sisterhood and mother/daughter relationships while also touching on issues of suicide, childhood trauma, parental neglect, and drug use.

Daughters tells the story of the two (you guessed it) daughters of famous artist (recently deceased) Ingrid Olssen. Her two adult daughters, Nora and Mattie, along with Mattie's daughter Beanie are attempting to process and heal from the layers of trauma that resulted from Ingrid's neglectful parenting, while also finding forgiveness for Ingrid (and each other) as they carry out their mother's final wishes. Mattie just so happens to be in a romantic relationship with Richard, an author who is in the process of writing Ingrid's biography.

Though Mattie, a child therapist with a teenage daughter of her own, and Nora a somewhat famous artist, are now both adults, it is made clear right way that they are both carrying a significant amount of emotional baggage from their childhood. In the second half of the novel, the ladies head to the Grand Canyon in an attempt to scatter their mother's remains while en route to an art exhibition of their mother's work, which they know she would have never authorized. Nora is freshly released from mental health rehab after one of many suicide attempts, Maddie is processing the guilt of leaving Nora with her mother when she was still very young, and Beanie is trying to find her way in the world.

This book had me laughing, crying, rooting for an against all the different characters at various times. Though it does cover heavy subject matter, I wouldn't say the novel itself had a particularly heavy feel to it, other than to say I personally didn't care for the ending. The narration of the audiobook was excellent, and I'll definitely be looking for read more from this author.

Trigger Warnings: Suicide, Abusive Parents, Neglect, Substance Abuse, Self Harm

Though I think many would like this, it wasn't keeping my attention and after finding I was only 33% through the book, and felt disappointed, I felt I should DNF it. To me it felt drawn out and, while the narrator was good, I was bothered when it came to the aunt's talking -- not the accent, but the inflections at the end of the sentences. I will say that I did like the little snippets of newspapers, articles, etc throughout.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was a tough one for me to get into. It never fully had my attention, and i think a big reason for that is because its so long for no real reason. Alot of bits werent super necessary to the story, and the writing felt like it dragged.

I did appreciate the connections between mental health and genetics. I also really enjoyed the dynamics of relationships between mother, daughter, sisters, aunt, niece, etc.

This one was just a miss for me.

“ The way you feel about your childhood then is very different the way you feel now. Like a complex piece of music, the memories seem to ebb away at times, soft and malleable, and rise to a horrendous crescendo at others.”

💔 This is a new all time favorite for me.

*Please check content warnings*

This book ripped my heart out and handed it back to me in pieces. I finished it in tears, not because of any one scene (though there were plenty that hit hard), but because I missed the characters the second it ended. Mattie, Nora, and Beanie felt so real, so messy and complicated and lovable, that saying goodbye genuinely hurt.

The audiobook is brilliant. The mix of narrative and interviews made it feel like I was listening to a beautifully done documentary. It added so much depth and emotion—like I was eavesdropping on real people trying to make sense of grief, art, motherhood, and sisterhood.

I have to say it: I liked this so much more than Daisy Jones & The Six. It felt more raw, more tender, more grounded. Less about fame, more about family.

If you’re the kind of reader who gets attached to characters like they’re your own friends or family, prepare yourself. This one stays with you.

[4.5 stars rounded down]

I love you books that are, in large part, biographies/character studies of fictional characters who haunt the narrative while also giving us a story about where their death leaves those they left behind.

Ingrid Olsen was a world renowned oil portrait painter who was able to move herself, and her younger sister Karo as her manager, into the celebrity limelight as a figure reminiscent of 2000’s Britney Spears. Her portfolio of work - primarily self portraits - are considered masterful by the art world and her tabloid-pushed public image garnered her the attention of the general public. She died two years prior to the beginning of this story and left all of her paintings to her two daughters, telling them to destroy it all. They did not do that, and now the pieces just sit in storage.

When their Aunt Karo decides to put on a showcase of Ingrid’s work, alongside the commission of an biography of her life, the two sisters, Mattie (POV character) and Nora - alongside Mattie’s daughter Beanie - know that Ingrid would have hated it and that they need to stop it somehow.

“Daughters” is excellent. The writing is masterful and the scenery is described so vividly. From the cold of everyday life in London’s wet winter, to the sunny but suffocating childhood in Ingrid’s Richmond home, beyond into the vast American Southwest, Capes can craft a beautiful scene. Nearly every scene I could picture so perfectly in my head as if it were a movie. One standout is the night at the Grand Canyon. The way that the author is able to put this scene together, weaving the tension between the three women, the recklessness, desperation, care, and confusion of it all, is extremely impressive. On top of all of this, the description of standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon at night with only blackness beyond your small outcropping of stone and the way the pinpoints of stars cut off into the plain blackness of the drop off? Incredibly well done and an Oscar-worthy scene.

The core of this novel is the relationship between the two adult sisters, Matilda (Mattie, early 30s and nine years older than Nora) and Nora (mid 2os) and how their relationship exists, and doesn’t exist, in the hole left behind by their mother, childhoods, and mistakes made by Mattie in the past. Other plot points exist as well, Mattie’s new relationship with Richard, the man writing Ingrid’s biography, the sudden distance between her and her daughter, Beanie (Beatrice) who is now, at 17, the same age Mattie was when she had her, Mattie’s relationship with Beanie’s father who still remains her best friend, and a few other smaller bits. It’s a lot at many times, and I wish some aspects were removed or given less importance in order to shorten the book in parts. I understand the thought process of the author, though. Of course we need to explore Mattie’s relationship with Beanie’s father, so Beanie needs to exist. This allows another character to have a relationship with Nora, as Beanie is closer to Nora than Mattie is with Nora at this point. But, Beanie should have some struggles and a character arc of her own, so she gets here. On and on for each of these instances. They’re not bad arcs or story points, but I felt like it bloated the book a bit, especially in the middle 50%.

Though the book description gives a big emphasis on the road trip across the American Southwest aspect of this book, I would say that it only takes up about 25% of the runtime (if even!) starting after the halfway point. For me, this was great and I only picked up this book because of a negative review that stated their issue with the lack of road trip action, haha. If you are looking into this book as a fan of road trip romps and nothing else, this is not the book for you. I am not a fan of road trip books, so I knew that I would not enjoy this portion of the story. I was still hoping to be pleasantly surprised, but I wasn't. The author avoids the most obvious or cliche jokes or scenarios about three Brits on their first American road trip, but it did absolutely nothing for me. The time the two sisters spend together in this time is very important for the story and the timescale is necessary, but I was just bored. There are very standout moments of excellence - the Grand Canyon moment mentioned earlier being the best of them - but not enough to make me enjoy this portion. Boring bits of forced-in plot points that I felt were unnecessary and drawn out much too long. Luckily, or unluckily depending on your preferences, this time spent on the trip passes quickly enough to not make me hate the book.

As brushed over earlier, there is a biography of Ingrid being written as the story goes on (though it is essentially finished by the start of it). Because of this, we get short interjections of interviews and descriptions of Ingrid and her work from the biography between story beats. Every single one of these interjections is incredible and so fun. These parts have a wide range of purposes: sometimes we get a teaser to something that has not been brought up yet by any of the characters, but we know is coming (such as the story about the shotgun), sometimes it’s interviews about Ingrid to give us more background to her, her work, and the reasons for her behavior, and sometimes they are just funny. They work very well with the tone of the novel, shifting between heavy and lighthearted scenes effortlessly. Most, regardless of purpose in the story, are funny in some way. A favorite of mine goes like (paraphrased due to listening to the audiobook):

“Interviewer: So, [the late artist who Ingrid was apprenticed to] was much older, yes?”

“That late artist's wife: Yes, well, he was in his fifties while she was a teenager staying with us… I suppose it could have looked weird to outsiders but I assure you it was nothing like that.”

“[Cutaway to a different interview with Ingrid's sister] Ingrid's sister: Yeah, that man was definitely a predator.”

These moments of humor are not overused and are utilized well in places that need it. If you are not a fan of the formatting, they are honestly pretty infrequent and do not disrupt the flow of the story (about one every few chapters in frequency) If anything, there are still long periods of just the story happening between these segments from the book. I wish there was more, even just short snippets, in a few moments. This especially goes for during the roadtrip, as there were times that it felt like forever since our last bit.

I need to talk about The Richmond house. This is Mattie and Nora’s childhood home where they lived with Ingrid. It is also the location of Ingrid’s studio. The Richmond house feels so real. It is described as so extremely lifelike, good and bad. Each moment described, each relationship building or breaking within its walls, and every little physical description is done so vividly. It is heartbreaking to read every scene taking place here. We meet the house only through flashbacks, mostly from Mattie with a few mentions in the interjecting interviews. This is done so well that most scenes from the main plot end up feeling weak in comparison, despite being very well done on their own. It just doesn't have the opportunity to get the same treatment, though there are moments that match the Richmond House’s glory of prose.

I liked most of the characters well enough, Ingrid being a strong favorite followed by Mattie, but some fell flat for me. Everyone was realistic and well written, but some fit too into character types that I just have never been a fan of. Nora and Beanie are the biggest offenders here. I did like them! But, they both are characters that I just am not huge fans of. I like how they were written, but each had a scene or two that made me really dislike them at the moment (though nothing that ruined them for the whole story) or even just were a bit annoying for too long.
Ending was handled well. I spent my time reading going back and forth of “will the author do it or not?” and had a lot of fun debating with myself between periods of reading. I think it avoided my common issues with books that have similar endings and ends up coming out as sad, but almost cathartic? That's not the right word.

When I was enjoying the book (most of the time), I loved it so much. When I was bored(<20% of the time), it was dull beyond belief. Definitely a great book to pick up if you love family stories about regret, resentment, healing relationships from actions that can never truly be taken back, sisterhood and daughterhood, the absence left behind by the death of a relative and how she’s never truly gone, how hard it is to care for someone you love who is struggling so badly, and plain funny bits about tabloid celebrity action happening in the art world. An excellent read.

I received an audiobook ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

CN. Suicide, Abusive Parents, Neglect, Substance Abuse, Self Harm (Referenced)

OK. A couple of days have passed and I've already consumed another audiobook, but I can't stop thinking about this book and how much I absolutely adored every single moment of it.

There are no ghosts in this story and a large portion of the story takes place in the blazing sunshine of the American dessert and canyon country, but this is one gothic-arse story positively haunted by a dead mother, childhood trauma, and vultures that circle the eponymous daughters to the point where I would go so far as to say it feels equally as supernatural as sublimely similar in tone Private Rites by Julia Armfield.

I would also go so far to say that Armfield is one of my absolute favourite authors of all time and that I think I enjoyed this book more than Private Rites, a book I absolutely adore.

Daughters is primarily told through the perspective of Mattie, the eldest daughter of the incredibly famous fictional author, Ingrid Olssen, as well as excerpts from interviews and a biography of Olssen being written by Mattie's boyfriend, Richard. The, often conflicting, accounts of the tumultuous and unreal life of the artist jar beautifully with the hard and incredibly authentic and moving reality of Mattie's own life and memories.

The book opens shortly after the death of Olssen with the first half introducing her daughters, Mattie, a child therapist who had her own daughter, Beanie, now a teenager, when she was very young, and Nora, the famous artist in her own right, carrying a colossal weight of childhood trauma and mental illness. We learn about the lives and circumstances of these women and their mother, punctuated with fanciful and dissonant interviews and opinions on Olssen's life and work. The second half follows the trio as they travel to America and get into all kinds of trouble, some highly amusing and whimsical, others truly heartbreaking and tragic, as they try to honour their mother's wishes to have her ashes chucked in a canyon. Leading a tragic a bittersweet finale.

This book made me feel all of the emotions! I laughed. I cried. I felt the pain and trauma and joy and love and hate these women experienced. It was a full euphoric and cathartic experience, especially with my own C-PTSD from emotional abusive and neglectful parents.

I wish I had words to describe just how much I loved this book and the fidelity and authenticity of the characters. I'm absolutely blown away and shaken by how much I adored this bloody book.

I will absolutely read anything and everything Capes writes from now on!

***

Stayed up late finishing this because I couldn't put it down.

I am the queen or recency bias, but this is absolutely one of the best things I've read this year and of all time.

I absolutely, completely adored every second of it and will now read anything Capes writes.

Proper review to come.

Not exactly what I was expecting from the description. I struggled to get into it. The voice narrators were very good. I just struggled to understand some of the things said because of the accent.

"She liked to be alone. No...that's not right...she "learned" to be alone as a mechanism for survival..."

"She loved deeply and she didn't know how to show it..."

3.5 stars...

Huge thanks to RBmedia, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. I’m so glad I got to listen to this one — it’s a beautifully melancholic story about sisterhood, identity, and the quiet pain of growing up while carrying invisible wounds. Mental health, art, and culture pulse through the core of this novel, giving it so much depth.

I connected deeply with Nora — her journey, her longing, her heartbreak. She went through so much, and just when she finally had the people she always needed… it felt too late. Still, I couldn’t help but root for her with all my heart.

The writing? Stunning. The storytelling? So engaging, I didn’t want to pause. This is a book that lingers with you — raw, thoughtful, and full of feeling. A really great read.

Ugh, I loved this book and will def be recommending it to everyone. We follow Mattie and Nora, daughters of a very famous artist. Through this family, Capes explores themes of inter generational trauma, mental illness, family, fame, and money. I would check for trigger warnings before, but if you need a book about sisterhood and that is incredibly well written, highly recommend picking this up.

thank you #netgalley for the audiobook!

4.5 stars

A heart-wrenching, layered, beautifully written story.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and really enjoyed it. The narrators did an excellent job of keeping me entertained from start to finish. The plot is heavy, but it’s interspersed with humor throughout, which keeps it from feeling too dark. Kirsty Capes created characters that are deep and relatable in their flaws, but also in their loyalty and love for one another.

This book really casts a light on the complexities of sibling relationships and shared trauma. I also appreciated the added layer of internal conflict surrounding a young mother, trying to create boundaries between herself and her daughter, whom she had as a teenager. I thought that that added theme was so real and human, a different take on the typical mother/friend dynamic often used in storytelling.

The only thing that kept me from giving this a 5-star rating was the formatting. There are interviews throughout that didn’t seem integral to the plot and distracted me from the meat of the book. I think the book would have flowed more seamlessly without the interview portions and been less confusing for audiobook listeners.

Definitely check the trigger warnings before diving into this one, as it is heavy.

My full review is posted on www.momsthatread.com.

Look for Daughters by Kirsty Capes on May 6, 2025!

Thanks to RBmedia and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.