 recorded books and one-click digital present every day is Mother's Day by Hillary Mantell narrated by Sandra Duncan the author begins with the following quotation from Blaise Pascal two errors one to take everything literally two to take everything spiritually and a further quotation from do not adultery commit advantage rarely comes of it and now every day is Mother's Day chapter one when Mrs. Akson found out about her daughter's condition she was more surprised than sorry which did not mean that she was not very sorry indeed Muriel for her part seemed pleased she sat with her legs splayed and her arms around herself as if reliving the event her face wore an expression of daft beatitude it was always hard to know what would please Muriel that winter when the old man fell on the street and broke his hip Muriel had personally split her sides she was in her way a formidable character it wasn't often she had a good laugh click click click said the mock crocs they were mrs. Sidney's shoes she passed without mishap along the avenue over that flagstone with its wickedly raised edge where mr. Tillotson had tripped last winter and sustained his fracture they had petitioned the council mrs. Sidney's good legs the legs of a woman of 25 moved like scissors down the street her face was white and tired her scarlet lips spoke of an effort at gaiety she had carried the color over the line of her thin lips into a curvaceous bow she had once read in a magazine that this could be done of what lies between the good legs and the sagging face better not to speak mrs. Sidney never dwelled on her torso she had given it up she stopped by the house called the lebernums by the straggling privet hedge spattered white with bird droppings and ravaged by amateur topiary and tears misted over her eyes she wore the black coat with the mink trim Arthur had been with her when she bought the coat it was budgeted for the necessity had been weighed Arthur had been embarrassed standing among the garment rails he had clasped his hands behind his back like Prince Philip and with his eyes elsewhere he tried to look like a man deep in thought she had not trailed him around the shops she knew what she wanted a good sample complete ready to continue