In honor of Mother’s Day
approaching this Sunday, here is a list of five books about
mothers, children and the relationships between them.
* "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan is a contemporary
book that gets at the crux of the relationship between mothers
and daughters. Four women and their daughters are at the center
of the story. The women are Chinese immigrants, and their
daughters attempt to learn more about their mothers’ lives
while assimilating into American culture. First published in
1989, "The Joy Luck Club" was a finalist for the
National Book Award.
* Marilyn French is best known for feminist favorite
"The Women’s Room," but my favorite book of hers is
"Her Mother’s Daughter," published in 1987. While it’s
not what I would call great literature, the book is one of the
best explanations I’ve ever read of the relationship between
mothers and daughters and the repercussions of parenting
decisions through three generations. The book is out of print
but may be found at second-hand book stores or online.
* Isabelle Allende’s "Paula" is a true story told
in letters to Allende’s daughter, Paula. Paula became ill and
fell into a coma in 1991, and Allende wrote the book, which was
published in 1995, while sitting at her bedside. The book is a
sad, intimate and illuminating look at the relationship of
Allende with her daughter. Allende’s latest book, "The
Sum of Our Days: A Memoir," was published last month and is
also addressed to Paula as Allende updates her on their family’s
lives.
* You may have seen the movie starring Meryl Streep and Renee
Zellweger, but if you haven’t read the book, it goes even
further in exploring the complicated relationships between
mothers and their children. Anna Quindlen’s "One True
Thing," originally published in 1995, is a story about the
sacrifices both mothers and daughters make for one another.
* "Operating Instructions: a Journal of My Son’s First
Year" by Anne Lamott was published in 1993. Lamott, who
writes both fiction and nonfiction, is brutally honest about the
struggles and small triumphs of her initiation into parenting.
The death of her best friend combined with her transition from
single woman to single mom make this book a must-read for
mothers of all ages.
