Cat Step — Alison Irvine

One mistake can unravel everything…

She only left her daughter in the car for a minute; just a quick minute whilst she ran into the shop. She barely thought twice about making the decision, but it soon began to consume her every thought. And not just her thoughts, but those of every neighbour, police officer and social security worker in a fifteen mile radius. But this is her child. Surely she knows best?

After she’d made the move to a small town in Scotland, the rolling hills and blustery beaches seemed to be the perfect backdrop for her and her four year-old daughter, Emily, to start again. It wasn’t always easy just the two of them, but Liz was sure that she could manage this time. And now this?

Sometimes, one mistake is all it takes to unravel everything.

Cat Step is a lyrically sparse novel about judgement, intergenerational relationships, community, class, and the expectations that we place on mothers. With sharp prose, Alison Irvine has crafted a compassionate narrative that compels you to read on.

Alison Irvine was born in London. She studied at Lancaster University before moving to Glasgow some years later where she gained a distinction in her masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University. Her first novel, This Road is Red (Luath) was shortlisted for the 2011 Saltire First Book of the Year Award. Alison lives in Glasgow with her husband and three daughters.