A Working Mother

Agnes Owen’s sharp wit, humour and lean prose is beautifully displayed in this tragi-comedy. Betty’s husband Adam broods and seeks solace at the bottom of a glass, while she flirts with their best friend Brendan, and tries to cope with her two smart-mouthed children and the roving hands of her sinister employer.

A Working Mother is a perfectly crafted novel that will enthral, entertain and surprise in equal measure.

Our unreliable narrator, Betty – arch, witty, clever – is married with children and feels trapped. While her husband, Adam, drinks and bemoans his lot in life, Betty flirts with their best friend Brendan and tries to avoid the roving hands of her new employer. Soon, Betty plots her escape.

Agnes Owens' sharp wit, dark humour and lean prose are expertly displayed in one of her finest achievements.

'Agnes Owens was an absolutely brilliant novelist' – Kirstin Innes

'A terrific writer' – Liz Lochhead

'Her black humour and piercing observation bear comparison with the work of Muriel Spark' – Guardian

Published to celebrate Agnes Owens' centenary year in 2026.

Contributor: Kirstin Innes (Introduction by)

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