This Lullaby

Amazon.com

"I had no illusions about love... It came, it went, it left casualties or it didn't. People weren't meant to be together forever, regardless of what the songs say." Remy doesn't believe in love. And why should she? Her romance novelist mother is working on her fifth marriage, and her father, a '70s hippie singer, left her with only a one-hit wonder song to remember him by. Every time Remy hears "This Lullaby," it feels like "a bruise that never quite healed right." "Wherever you may go / I will let you down / But this lullaby plays on..." Never without a boyfriend, Remy is a compulsive dater, but before a guy can go all "Ken" on her (as in "ultra boyfriend behavior") she cuts him off, without ever getting close or getting hurt. That's why she's stunned when klutzy, quirky, alterna-band boy Dexter inserts himself into her life and refuses to leave. Remy's been accepted to Stanford, and she plans on having her usual summer fling before tying up the loose ends of her pre-college life and heading for the coast. Except Dexter's not following Remy's tried-and-true rules of break-up protocol. And for the first time, Remy's questioning whether or not she wants him to.

Author Sarah Dessen's ability to write novels that are both crowd pleasers and literary masterpieces of YA fiction is showcased beautifully in This Lullaby. Subtle yet completely absorbing, Lullaby is peopled with breathtakingly believable, three-dimensional characters, the very best of which is the bitter, broken Remy herself. An original love story about learning to love yourself first. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

When it comes to relationships, Remy doesnÂ't mess around. After all, sheÂ's learned all there is to know from her mother, whoÂ's currently working on husband number five. But thereÂ's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of RemyÂ's rules. He certainly doesnÂ't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just canÂ't seem to shake him. Could it be that RemyÂ's starting to understand what those love songs are all about? From acclaimed author Sarah Dessen, this is a captivating novel about a tough-as-nails girl and the unexpectedly charming boy whoÂ's determined to soften her up.

Customer Reviews:

Whooh Red Alert.......2007-10-07

Well I would just say I got through to chapter 6 and then I had to call it quits. This book has a ton of foul language. Not to mention illegal activities like sneaking into clubs with fake ID's, having major drinking problems, smoking (thats not illegal but I think it's wrong). Not to mention a lot of sleeping around with people and at times I thought this book was going to have a breakthrough but then here we go again and the plot is boring. If you want a good appropriate book I strongly suggest not buying.

Stalked by the village idiot.......2007-09-22

I threw this book in the trash once, when I was about 1/3 way through. Then later fished it out.

Apparently lots of readers loved Dexter. I hated him until about the end of the book. I found it scary and infuriating that this village idiot was stalking Remy and she didn't seem to be able to stop him.

Eventually, I realized that she was quite capable of getting a restraining order and then having him arrested when, inevitably, the moron violated it. In fact, she was quite capable of giving him "the speech" in a way that even he would understand.

So, obviously some part of her realized that she needed him, just as he desperately needed her.

"Hate Spinnerbate!".......2007-08-15

But I LOVE Dexter. This is my favorite Dessen book to date. Is it possible NOT to fall in love with Dexter? I laughed so many times out loud at the things he did or said. People on the metrolink train were giving me weird looks like I was off my meds. But back to Dexter: He was my highlight, along with the fact that I could really relate to Remy. People who don't get this book missed out on something spectacular. OKay, so maybe not EVERYTHING in Sarah Dessen's books are 100% believable, but isn't that the point? To escape into a fantasy world where a character like Dexter really exists, with his bold, honorable, humble and graceless persona? Where a wild heart like Remy's could be tempted to fall in love? It's the twists and turns in life and in this book that (believable or not) can and do happen, and make this sometimes dull and monotonous life I myself lead all that much more to look forward to. A MUST READ for sure for true Sarah Dessen fans! Rock on, Truth Squad!

Dexter was the best part.......2007-07-08

Dexter is a fantastic character. He leapt off the page and made me laugh out loud more than once. I absolutely loved him, and he's the reason for the second star.

Unfortunately, this was the only good part of the book. The storyline was predictable, and the language was confusing. I had to re-read several paragraphs to figure out what the author was trying to say, and a few times I never did figure it out.

Aside from Dexter and Remy, the characters seemed flat and lifeless. The mom had some character development, but it was predictable and not very well done. This story could have been great, but fizzled instead. Very disappointing.

Awesome!.......2007-07-06

Oooh some of these reviews are kinda harsh. Personally, I've never read a better romance novel in my entire life. I normally avoid romances like the plague but after reading this book (something my friend convinced me to do) I ended up falling in love with not only the story but the characters as well. I absolutely love Dexter and I think Remy has so many different layers, she can't help but be interesting. This is one of those books I'm going to continue reading over and over for a very long time. IT'S AWESOME!!!

Average customer rating:

Not As Good As Jonny Lydon's Book
Morbid Story of Ignorance in Dealing with A Special Needs Child
And I don't want to live this Life...
Blame game
Sad reading

And I Don't Want to Live This Life
Deborah Spungen
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0449205436
Release Date: 1984-06-12

Book Description

For most of us, it was just another horrible headline. But for Deborah Spungen, the mother of Nancy, who was stabbed to death at the Chelsea Hotel, it was both a relief and a tragedy. Here is the incredible story of an infant who never stopped screaming, a toddler who attacked people, a teenager addicted to drugs, violence, and easy sex, a daughter completely out of control--who almost destroyed her parents' marriage and the happiness of the rest of her family.

"Honest and moving...Her painful tale is engrossing."

WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD

Customer Reviews:

Not As Good As Jonny Lydon's Book.......2007-10-12

I loved the book by johnny Lydon [Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs]
I bought this book after reading Johnny Lydon's book but this one was a let down.
Sid Vicious was a hot looking punk star and lots of girls (me to) still love him.
I read a little of this book but it's mostly lady who gets pregnant and she complains and my kid drives me nuts and i wish i had a abortion, blah blah my kid's going to the funny farm,lol,if it wasn't so full of "I this" and "I that"and 'I wanted to go to college, but she was in my way" it could've maybe been a little interesting.
Whining and complaining just turned me off and I doubt I'll ever finish it. It's like "Diary of a whiny housewife".
If anybody knows where I can geta copy of Ann Beverly's Family Album please help.

Morbid Story of Ignorance in Dealing with A Special Needs Child.......2007-10-05

This book is very dark and full of contradiction, written by a haunted, troubled author about her daughter who had deep emotional problems, a constant hunger for love , terrible insecurity.The child suffers from feelings of inferiority. A daughter who strove toward academic achievement to win approval of her parents.
The book unnecessarily documents the affair of the author with a married man.The author includes her lengthy and boring suspicions of her husband's infidelity as well as lots of filler on her troubled marriage.

Although the author writes deep feelings and thoughts, the book fails to fill in the entire picture. It leaves the reader frustrated that so many very pertinent issues are not addressed substantially. She provides psychiatric assessments of the child by a few psychiatrists, but all fails and it needn't have. And here's why...

The child is put on Thorazine by a qualified psychiatrist. The author takes the child off of it. Not giving psyche drugs a fair trial. The possibility of benefiting from this one medication is taken away from the child. I wondered how and why would a parent unjustifiably halt a very possible cure for her own child! She says it's because she found her daughter sleepy and groggy. "This wasn't my Nancy".

Initially all medications of this type have a very, very sedating effect, and the child wasn't on it long enough for the prescribing doctor to titrate the medication to the ideal dosage. This was a chance to live more normal life for the child and it was taken away from her by her own mother.
Enter Dr. Spungeon. Exit hope for the sick child.

I found this book irritating.

There's hope for us all. For Nancy too, had she been allowed medical treatment. I don't believe Ms. Spungeon had studied medicine or psychiatry, she discontinued Thorazine at the expense of the child's life.The psychiatric and medical providers did not fail the child.Her mother did !

This is a very morbid book, weakly written and very contradicting.

What could have been a story with a happy ending is a story which concludes in the murder of her ill child.

And I don't want to live this Life..........2007-10-04

I love this book. I had a copy several years ago but lost it in a move. I was in college during the time period of Nancy Spungeon's death & remember wondering what happened to her. Mrs. Spungeon was honest with what life had been like with & for Nancy. I applaud her courage to write about her family's life & their pain.

Blame game.......2007-09-16

Although Nancy had a rough first few days of life and was schizophrenic, it seems to me that her mother blames everyone except herself for her daughter's unmanageable behavior. From birth, the child had no discipline, because the Spungens couldn't stand to hear her have a tantrum. Well, boo hoo people that's part of being a parent - having to hear tantrums sometimes. Giving in only creates a monster; you have to have a stronger will than your child. They gave into her and would discipline their other two children but not Nancy. Her mother blamed everything on her, including her own infidelity and then wonders why all Nancy's anger was directed towards her. We had a schizophrenic in the family and as a child she never acted like Nancy, probably because unlike Nancy, she had discipline and structure in her life. This is what happens to your child, sick or not, when you don't discipline them at all. I think Nancy still would've been sick, but perhaps not the monster her mother describes in this book. I feel she also helped dig her daughter's grave by giving her money when she knew she was shooting up. She rails against the press exploiting her daughter and giving her a bad image, yet her own mother descibes what a monster she was in this book and profits from it. What makes her any different than any of the tabloids? Even though I didn't pity Mrs. Spungen and felt like she brought a lot of her child's behavior on herself by not disciplining her, I did enjoy the book. I like how it talks about the birth of punk rock and the beginnings of the sham band the Sex Pistols, a group of non-musically inclined kids who sold an image rather than great music, or even good music for that matter. Don't get me wrong, I love punk, but at least the Ramones looked the part AND could carry a tune.

Sad reading.......2007-08-25

This book is very sad.The way the girl really had no one who understood her exept Sid Vicious is sad.He could not help her.
I have a friend in school like this and she is doing well.She has a good foster home with parents who take an interest in her and keep her on her medicine.
This book can't help anyone with a family member whose disturbed.I cant recomend it for anybody as a help book because they never figured out whats wrong with Nancy and it's just real painful to read.

Average customer rating:

A Book for New Mothers
Very Good Book
ok
WILL STRIKE CHORDS WITH EVERY WOMAN
The Nubian Chronicles Highly Recommends

This Mother's Daughter
Nelvia M. Brady , and Nelvia, M. Brady
Manufacturer: This Mother's Daughter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Motherhood | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 096737510X

Book Description

From the mouths of daughters, This Mother's Daughter shares the simple truths, "pearls" and the complex wisdom we glean from the needs, hopes and wishes of our Mothers and the unique relationship we share with them.These are daughter from all walks of life whose stories express intense devotion as well as unveil their psychic scars. They move from early childhood, to adulthood where they face the mortality of the women they call Mother, Mama, Mom, Momma, Big Mama or Ma'Dear.Their powerful stories reveal the durability of the bonds they share with the women who impacted them most and the power that flows between each of theses women as they learn, heal, and find self-love above all.AUTHORBIO: Nelvia Brady was raised in public housing on Chicago's Westside.She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois, her Master's degree at the University of Wisconsin and her Doctorate degree at Michigan State University. Nelvia was the first female to serve as Chancellor of the City Colleges of Chicago. Nelvia currently serves as Vice President of a prominent executive search firm where she specializes in the recruitment and placement of African-American and Hispanic executives.Her life long commitment has been the plight of people of color in our society.

Customer Reviews:

A Book for New Mothers.......2007-05-08

This is an good book that explores the relationships between mothers and daughters. New mothers should read it to understand how they can shape there daughters lives. This might make them think before the say negative comments to their children. It might give them ideas on activities to introduce to their children.

I loved the book.

Very Good Book.......2002-12-30

When I picked up this book, I expected it to be about mothers and daughters who had really good relationships and were sharing information about such. Some of the tales were heart-wrenching and really make you appreciate who you have as a mother.

ok.......2001-03-26

This mother's daughter is essays from daughter about their experience with their mother. The only thing is I wanted to read more from the mother's point of view.

WILL STRIKE CHORDS WITH EVERY WOMAN.......2001-01-30

BELLE Magazine January 2001

A remarkable woman of spirit and accomplishment, Nelvia M. Brady went from the Chicago projects to the highest levels of education in that city, being both the first African American and the first woman to serve as Chancellor of the City Colleges. Now she has pulled together a rich collection of anecdotes, advice, and just plain sass in a book called This Mother's Daughter. Her stories and recollections of the wisdom passed on from mothers to daughters in the African American tradition will strike chords with every woman who reads it. Sometimes the epitome of devotion, sometimes the scars of classic conflicts delineate these pages, and taken all together they comprise a wonderful evocation of the mother-daughter relationship. The striking cover is the work of Ophelia M. Chambliss, a fine artist whose work we would like to see more of. Brady self published this book and features it on her website www.thismothersdaughter.com adding entrepreneurship to all of her other achievements.

The Nubian Chronicles Highly Recommends.......2001-01-30

One of the strongest relationships that can shape and mold a young woman's life is the one between her and her mother. Nelvia M. Brady's "This Mother's Daughter" is a collection of real-life stories taken from the daughters of African American mothers. These stories reflect the good and the bad, the joyful and the painful, and the wisdom and messages that these daughters received from their mothers...and thus USED in order to try and make their own lives as women and mothers better. I was profoundly touched by these stories and found myself moved to smiles and tears as I read the words from these women, women taken from all walks of life, from the attorney to the administrative assistant, from the middle-class/upper-life to the poverty level, from the happy childhood to one of abuse and adoption. Each story will resonate a strong powerful message to mothers and daughters everywhere. The book ends with a section titled RECLAIM YOUR STORY that contains questions for readers to answer in order to reflect upon their own relationships with the women in their lives. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to every woman...It conjured up thoughts of my own loving, beautiful connection I have with my mother...and had with my grandmother, and made me truly appreciate the beauty of the ties that bind. Shonnell Bacon

Average customer rating:

The text is a bit hard to follow...

This Is the Bird
George Shannon
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0395720370

Book Description

A small wooden bird carved by a Plains pioneer woman is passed down from mother to daughter, from generation to generation, together with the stories of each owner -- a quiet gift of identity and strength. "Soman's sensitive illustrations reflect the intimacy created by the memory of ancestral struggles and accomplishments; this is a moving tribute to familial bonds." -- Kirkus Reviews, pointer

Customer Reviews:

The text is a bit hard to follow..........1999-02-18

I have tremendous respect for family tradition, heirlooms, and history, and I really wanted to like this book, but I just found it too confusing. I'm not convinced that the cumulative text approach was the best way to go here, and with the unexplained pictorial flash-forwards in between the descriptions of each generation's connection to the wooden bird, well... I just began to get a headache. I can only imagine how a child would react to this book...

This Country of Mothers (Crab Orchard Series in Poetry)

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This Country of Mothers (Crab Orchard Series in Poetry)
Julianna Baggott
Manufacturer: Southern Illinois University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0809323818

Book Description

A mosaic of memories, the poems of This Country of Mothers recollect Julianna Baggott’s experiences as both mother and daughter. With wit, compassion, aggression, and anxiety, Baggott examines her maternal history. She recalls moments of creation and destruction in her life, times of elation and of desperation that mold her as both a woman and a poet. This affecting study of motherhood is framed in issues of Catholicism and of poetry itself, challenging and espousing the roles of both. Throughout her poems, Baggott’s personal experiences embrace universal themes to birth poems in a language and style that is both powerfully feminine and accessibly human.

"Only This Morning, You're All Grown Up: A Letter from a Mother to Her Daughter"

Average customer rating:

A great gift

"Only This Morning, You're All Grown Up: A Letter from a Mother to Her Daughter"
Lyn St. James
Manufacturer: Sourcebooks, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1402207220

Book Description

Legendary race car driver Lyn St. James shares this inspiring message from her mother, to whom she attributes her vision and spirit. This heartfelt message is full of loving insights about life and the mother/daughter relationship.

Customer Reviews:

A great gift.......2006-04-21

What a perfect idea to share this book with one's mother, from a birthday celebration to Mother's day. And a must have to any mother to give to her children. I loved it.

cathy griffin

Average customer rating:

Great book!

Once on This River
Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0679983503
Release Date: 1997-12-29

Book Description

It is 1760. Monday de Groot and her mother, Lesley, a midwife, sail from their home in Madagascar to New York, to testify on behalf of Lesley's brother Frederick, who has been falsely imprisoned and taken as a slave. Because Lesley has the only papers to prove that Frederick is in fact a free black man, she risks the journey despite its danger for Monday--the potential discovery of the secret of her own birth. While in New York, Monday meets a brother she never knew she had and learns the truth of her heritage. She is not a free African child, as she's always believed, but a child of slaves. The effects of this revelation are astonishing, as Monday comes to grips with her identity and meets her birth mother. Based on historical documents from the 1800s, this compelling story and its remarkable characters will live on in the readers' memory long after the book has been closed.

Customer Reviews:

Great book!.......1998-02-16

This book is about a girl named Monday. She thinks her mother is a free midwife. But when she and her mother go to America from Madagascar to prove Monday's uncle isn't a slave, Monday learns she is really Easter, the daughter of a slave woman, and that she was given to her "mother" so she would grow up free. This is a great book!

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Loving This Man
Althea Prince
Manufacturer: Insomniac Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Women Writers & Feminist Theory | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Mothers & Children | Women's Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Women Writers | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1894663063

Book Description

Althea Prince's new novel beautifully traces a woman's struggle to negotiate the difficult passage from life in the Caribbean to life in the concrete utopia of urban North America.

Average customer rating:

Refreshingly honest story
Disappointed
Great Book!!
You must read this book!
worth every one of the 5 stars

This Heavy Silence
Nicole Mazzarella
Manufacturer: Paraclete Press (MA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1557254257

Book Description

Strong, resilient, and deeply loyal, Dottie Connell farms her family's three hundred acres in rural Ohio alone, having sacrificed love and family for land she does not own. A sudden, inexplicable event leaves the daughter of her childhood friend in her care. Pressured by her community to allow her former fiancée to raise the child, Dottie must face the past she has worked fifteen years to forget.

Spanning a decade, This Heavy Silence explores the power of the vows we make to others, and, more binding, those we make to ourselves. Evoking the hardship, spring-fed beauty, and the complexities of community in the rural Midwest, this beautifully observed, debut novel leads us to question our ideas about motherhood, faith, and the debts we owe.

Customer Reviews:

Refreshingly honest story.......2006-06-19

I bought this book after I met the author at a book fair and heard that it was set in and around my hometown. I was pleasantly surprised to find a captivating story sensitively written. Even though the main character is a cold woman, she is imbued with a humanity that impels you to care about her. With measured and accurate detail, the author breathes life into the farm, the towns, and the people that shape our heroine's existence. The writing style has a clarity and loveliness that is refreshing. Most importantly, the characters in this novel actually have souls, which I find lacking in most contemporary fiction. I highly recommend it, and I look forward to reading more from this new author!

Disappointed.......2006-06-04

I bought this book after Christianity Today chose it as one of the best Christian books of the year. I was very disappointed. The main character, Dottie, is unsympathetic. She is a cold, hard woman who loves a farm more than any person in her life. She makes a series of selfish decisions and then reaps the consequences. She makes a few pathetic attempts at redemption toward the end of the book, but it almost seems like an afterthought by the author. The book left me annoyed for wasting the time reading it. Really, by the middle of the book, I could care less what happened to Dottie and felt badly for the people she had hurt along the way.

Great Book!!.......2005-12-01

I loved the book! Mazzarella does a great job creating this characters and making them believable. The stories ending was perfect.

You must read this book!.......2005-11-28

I couldn't put it down! An honest examination of the choices we make and the consequences of those choices. Mazzarella examines a universal truth, that we often make decisions out of fear rather than love. She investigates the reality that we are often held captive by our own trepidations, rather than breaking free from fear and living out of love. Mazzarella's exploration of love and the corrosion of love when saturated with pride is one of the most convicting fiction novels I have ever read. This is a must read!

worth every one of the 5 stars.......2005-10-04

Mazzarella knows how to write without insulting the intelligence of the reader. She's a brilliant author. It was a challenge to keep believing that this story was fiction. Her characters are like me - and like my friends and my neighbors - and nothing is pat or trite - people making dumb decisions bringing about painful consequences but moving by the grace of God to slow reconciliation. This is one author who has abley told the truth via fiction. It inspired me to tears - a first. One of Mazzarella's sentences "Clean was more convincing without a smell."clearly shows her ability to be simple and profound ----Fiction is more convincing without fluff.

Dear Mom: Women's Letters of Love, Loss, and Longing

Average customer rating:

Well worth your time
For all daughters
Share this book with your siblings
Missing Mom
Great read on a fascinating subject

Dear Mom: Women's Letters of Love, Loss, and Longing

Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Motherhood | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 155212956X
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Product Description

In Dear Mom, everyday women express their most private truths about their relationship with their mothers.

Customer Reviews:

Well worth your time.......2002-09-15

This book is one I will recommend to my friends and put on my "read again" shelf. I felt the love, loss and longing of each of these women--so much so, that a few of the letters could have been written by me. So many of us are at the stage in our life where we want to know and understand our parents, if for no other reason than to know and understand ourselves.
In reading Deborah Berger's book, questions are answered and more questions are raised. DEAR MOM --Women's Letters of Love, Loss and Longing is thought-provoking, well-written, and very much worth the time it takes to read it.

For all daughters.......2002-09-14

These letters speak to the beauty, misunderstandings, longings and love that dwell within most mother-daughter relationships. Not only will it inspire women to pick up a pen, it will help women find the words and courage to say what often remains unsaid. An inspiring and poignant collection of essays.

Share this book with your siblings.......2002-09-07

Reading this wonderful collection of letters was like being in a room with a group of wise, thoughtful women, all sharing their stories about their mothers. Whether the letters described love, loss, or longing, they revealed the rich complication at the heart of most mother-daughter relationships. I enjoyed lingering over the letters and insightful profiles--one or two at a time--and ended up feeling less alone in my feelings about my mother. I'm going to send a copy to my sister.

Missing Mom.......2002-04-30

I was in Finland , doing research when my mother died unexpectedly. I still have the letter I wrote before learning of her death but never posted. I did not re-open the letter until I returned to Washington DC and re-settled myself. I was her only child, I had to take care of her , even after her death. I took care of her ashes, watched them disappear into the Atlantic foam. I inherited her incredible art collection. I was told I was lucky, I was weaIthy. I had so much. I felt empty and didn't know what to do with myself. My mother was a successful career woman, and I often wished she could have bent a little, that willowy woman, to nurture me. I read my last letter to her and wept. I thank God every day that we did write each other often and with great affection , however that affection was on paper, and not fully formed. I know she loves me still, but so much is changed. Everyone should write their own Dear Mom letter, I found two of the letters in the book to be inspirational. It's all about you when a parent dies, no matter how much it seems otherwise.

Great read on a fascinating subject.......2002-04-21

As a man, I've always had a hard time "getting" the relationship between women and their mothers. My wife read this book and recommended it to me. It really opened up a "terra incognita". First of all, instead of the usual boring academic analysis on this kind of topic you get first hand accounts from women from all kinds of angles. Some express gratitude, some are filled with regret over missed opportunities to repair a broken relationship, and some mourn the loss and celebrate the memories of a dead parent. Considering that the contributors are not professional writers, it is somewhat amazing that this book is so well written-- by any standard,professional or otherwise. The stories dig deep and are quite personal compared to the usual chatter you hear when people talk about their parents. If you have an interest in this subject, DEAR MOM will definitely enlighten you.

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