Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
241st out of 1,003 books
—
2,195 voters
Letter to My Daughter
Dear Elizabeth,
It’s early morning and I’m sitting here wondering where you are, hoping you’re all right.
A fight, ended by a slap, sends Elizabeth out the door of her Baton Rouge home on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her mother, Laura, is left to fret and worry—and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits Liz’s return, Laura begins a letter to her daughter, hoping to...more
It’s early morning and I’m sitting here wondering where you are, hoping you’re all right.
A fight, ended by a slap, sends Elizabeth out the door of her Baton Rouge home on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her mother, Laura, is left to fret and worry—and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits Liz’s return, Laura begins a letter to her daughter, hoping to...more
Hardcover, 160 pages
Published
February 16th 2010
by Ballantine Books
(first published February 5th 2010)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,210)
* I won this book via the Goodreads Giveaway program so it is an ARC.*
When I got this book in the mail I immediately fell in love with the cover but I was a little skeptical about the content as this book was super thin! I know you can't always judge a book by a cover or its size but I tend to do that.
This slim little book is written as a letter that a mother is writing to her daughter who is 15 and has just runaway. She is reflecting on the tumultuous relationship that is, and always will be,...more
When I got this book in the mail I immediately fell in love with the cover but I was a little skeptical about the content as this book was super thin! I know you can't always judge a book by a cover or its size but I tend to do that.
This slim little book is written as a letter that a mother is writing to her daughter who is 15 and has just runaway. She is reflecting on the tumultuous relationship that is, and always will be,...more
The mother-daughter relationship is an undefinable dichotomy that is either not addressed in fictional entertainment or belittled. I had my reservations about this book (considering it’s written by a George) but it does a great job of addressing the relationship in a realistic and matter-o-fact style. It isn’t the most complicated of stories or premises but if you are female in any way, shape, or form, you’ll relate.
I was a little iffy about picking up this book. I wasn't too sure that a male author could really write a book based from a female's point of view and make me want to read it.
I was completely surprised to find that Mr. Bishop did exactly that. From the moment I picked this book up I couldn't put it down. As a mother, with a soon to be teen, I felt an instant connection with Laura. I too always said that I would be a better mother to my children than my mother was to me, and have caught myself s...more
I was completely surprised to find that Mr. Bishop did exactly that. From the moment I picked this book up I couldn't put it down. As a mother, with a soon to be teen, I felt an instant connection with Laura. I too always said that I would be a better mother to my children than my mother was to me, and have caught myself s...more
I admit that I am influenced by book titles in my choice of books to read. In that sense, Letter to My Daughter was somewhat off putting for me. I was expecting a somewhat predictable story of a mother writing a letter to her daughter. Fortunately, I overcame my reticence, and upon reading the first couple of paragraphs I found myself immersed in a riveting story.
The novel begins in present day Baton Rouge, Louisiana; a mother (Laura) has started writing a letter to her daughter Elizabeth to all...more
The novel begins in present day Baton Rouge, Louisiana; a mother (Laura) has started writing a letter to her daughter Elizabeth to all...more
For a debut novel this was very good. The one thing that stands out in my mind is that it's written by a man and not a woman. It's not often that a man can relay a story about women and their feelings but Bishop pulls it off without a hitch.
Laura and her 15-year-old teenaged daughter Elizabeth, get into an argument that ends when Laura slaps her across the face. Holding her hand up to her cheek and in total astonishment, Elizabeth picks up her mother's car keys, slams the door and drives off in...more
Laura and her 15-year-old teenaged daughter Elizabeth, get into an argument that ends when Laura slaps her across the face. Holding her hand up to her cheek and in total astonishment, Elizabeth picks up her mother's car keys, slams the door and drives off in...more
This was a wonderfully written, beautiful, and insightful story about the relationship between a mother and daughter.
The format in which the story is told is different and made it so much more personal. It was written, literally, from a mother to her daughter. It followed that long time saying from when we were teenagers..."I'll never be a mom like my mother!"
This book threw me through a whirlwind of emotions. I think it's because as a mom and once a teenager, it's impossible NOT to connect to t...more
The format in which the story is told is different and made it so much more personal. It was written, literally, from a mother to her daughter. It followed that long time saying from when we were teenagers..."I'll never be a mom like my mother!"
This book threw me through a whirlwind of emotions. I think it's because as a mom and once a teenager, it's impossible NOT to connect to t...more
Letter to My Daughter is a coming of age debut novel, about a mother (Laura) and her teenage daughter(Liz). The story is written by George Bishop, and one would think that writing about a topic like this would be a difficult task to do well for most males, but this author succeeds.
After an argument with her mother on the eve of her fifteenth birthday, Liz storms off from her Louisiana home. While her father busies himself in projects, her mother watches the clock waiting for her daughter to retu...more
After an argument with her mother on the eve of her fifteenth birthday, Liz storms off from her Louisiana home. While her father busies himself in projects, her mother watches the clock waiting for her daughter to retu...more
When her daughter Liz runs away from home on the eve of her 15th birthday, Laura decides to pass the excruciating hours waiting and hoping for her to come back by writing Liz a letter about her own troubled teen years.
Through her words, Laura reveals herself to her daughter completely: the difficult relationship she had with her own parents, how she resented her mother most of all, her relationship with a boy named Tim, and the consequences to her life because of that relationship. She talks ho...more
Through her words, Laura reveals herself to her daughter completely: the difficult relationship she had with her own parents, how she resented her mother most of all, her relationship with a boy named Tim, and the consequences to her life because of that relationship. She talks ho...more
This is just a small book, just over 120 pages, but boy does it pack a punch! I picked this up and figured I would browse the first few pages before bed and get a feel for the book. I read 3/4 of it in one sitting and would've finished it if my eyes would've let me.
As a parent this book struck such a chord with me. I related so well to the mother, I felt her worries for her child and her fears for her daughters safety and whereabouts. I could feel her wondering if she was being a good enough par...more
As a parent this book struck such a chord with me. I related so well to the mother, I felt her worries for her child and her fears for her daughters safety and whereabouts. I could feel her wondering if she was being a good enough par...more
Letter to My Daughter is the book I got at the library and read it in one day. It's not a very long story at all, but with interruptions, it took me the day. (Dang work! haha!)
This book sounded really good reading the synopsis on the flap of the book. I was just really interested on how it would play out since it was a man writing from the view point of a female, especially one that is a mom/wife.
The story is just one big letter from said mom, Laura, to her 15-year old daughter, Elizabeth. The m...more
This book sounded really good reading the synopsis on the flap of the book. I was just really interested on how it would play out since it was a man writing from the view point of a female, especially one that is a mom/wife.
The story is just one big letter from said mom, Laura, to her 15-year old daughter, Elizabeth. The m...more
My review too will be short, sweet and to the point. I enjoyed it, it was a simple, quick read, I went from start to finish in a few hours. It truly is a letter to a daughter telling all the things you ever want to tell her and share with her and save her from, but never usually do.
I related to the Mom. I felt her worries for her child and her fears for her daughter’s safety and whereabouts. I could feel her wondering if she was being a good enough parent or if she was failing her child. A worr...more
I related to the Mom. I felt her worries for her child and her fears for her daughter’s safety and whereabouts. I could feel her wondering if she was being a good enough parent or if she was failing her child. A worr...more
It's not often that one wishes a book were longer than it is, but I almost wish there was just a little bit more to this one. After her teenage daughter storms out of the house, Laura sets about writing her a letter in which she hopes to explain that she really does understand what it's like to be a teenager. Bishop manages to pack a lot of emotional depth into this story, while keeping the prose very direct and free of frills.
But I do wish the story had been extended just a bit. It's evident th...more
But I do wish the story had been extended just a bit. It's evident th...more
This is a quick read ... it's less than 180 pages ... I started it last night and just finished it.
Laura and Liz have just had a fight and Liz takes off. We don't know the details but it doesn't really matter. What matters is that Laura realizes that she is everything as a mother that she swore she would never be. So she sits down and tries to make it right by writing a letter to Liz, giving her the details of her life from when she was 15 to 18 back in the early 1970s. The Vietnam War is happen...more
Laura and Liz have just had a fight and Liz takes off. We don't know the details but it doesn't really matter. What matters is that Laura realizes that she is everything as a mother that she swore she would never be. So she sits down and tries to make it right by writing a letter to Liz, giving her the details of her life from when she was 15 to 18 back in the early 1970s. The Vietnam War is happen...more
This is a bittersweet novella that succinctly, but with great emotion, captures the mother-daughter relationship and its many complexions, a relationship often fraught with misunderstanding, confusion, frustration and fear – sometimes it’s the fear that we will become our mother, other times it’s the fear that we won’t. There is a push and pull amongst mothers and daughters, punctuated by rejection and acceptance. And love, always love, no matter how jagged the edges.
After a horrible argument t...more
After a horrible argument t...more
After a fight with her mother, a daughter steals the car and runs away. Worried about her daughter's whereabouts and about her current relationship with her daughter, the mother (Laura) sits down to write a letter to her daughter. This letter is the story of her adolescence and her own relationship with her parents.
The story itself it not unique. But, the character of Laura is fascinating. We journey with her as she matures and experiences the events of her time (Vietnam war, etc.). The narrati...more
The story itself it not unique. But, the character of Laura is fascinating. We journey with her as she matures and experiences the events of her time (Vietnam war, etc.). The narrati...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Aug 05, 2011
Kelly Konrad
added it
Bah. It was an OK beach read, but it ended up feeling very superficial and not unlike a lot of teen angst novels. Good kid. Mean parents. No one understands our love boyfriend. Bad scene. Sent to boarding school. Mean nuns, except for the one with a heart of gold. Blah, blah fishcakes, we're turning a trick for the boys' school students. Maybe at that point I was skimming, but I missed the leap in logic. My love of my life (?) is in Vietnam, so I feel the need to j*** off the school newspaper ph...more
Jul 02, 2010
Eva Leger
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
all mothers and daughters - anyone interested in the dynamics between the two
Recommended to Eva by:
library
Shelves:
b-fiction
4.5 - I finished this last after after only picking up the same morning. I'm shocked how how intense this was. I have to admit this, I kept flipping back to the author picture and wondering how in the world he got this so right. But, I have a idea how.
I think Bishop is a Tim. I think Bishop had a Liz. And I think it effected him so deeply that he thought and thought and then thought some more. Now, maybe I'm reading too much into this and maybe not, either way I'd love to know. I think some of...more
I think Bishop is a Tim. I think Bishop had a Liz. And I think it effected him so deeply that he thought and thought and then thought some more. Now, maybe I'm reading too much into this and maybe not, either way I'd love to know. I think some of...more
Mar 23, 2010
Molly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
all mothers and daughters; everyone
Recommended to Molly by:
Pump Up Your Books Promotion
Shelves:
book-review
My review of this book is going to be short, sweet and to point,much like the book itself. I really liked this book. I started this book in the morning and had it finished by the afternoon, so it's a perfect, easy and quick read. In addition to this book being a quick, easy read, the talent the author shows through this book is wonderful. It's written by a male author and I will be honest with you. My first thought after learning about this book was:"it's written about a mother and daughter by a...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book is a must if you are a daughter, a mother or just someone who has been a teenager. That pretty much says it all! George Bishop writes with such feeling, we have all been there!
We start out with a 15 year old who got in a fight with her parents, took off in the car. Now we have mom and dad upset, worried about their daughter. So mom starts writing about her own experiences when she was a teenager, telling her basically we have all been there, we were all teenagers once.
The writing was...more
We start out with a 15 year old who got in a fight with her parents, took off in the car. Now we have mom and dad upset, worried about their daughter. So mom starts writing about her own experiences when she was a teenager, telling her basically we have all been there, we were all teenagers once.
The writing was...more
George Bishop Jr.’s Letter to My Daughter is narrated by a Louisiana mother whose daughter has just run away from home after a typical fight with her parents. To cope with the anxiety, the mother writes a demonstrative history of her own teenage angst to provide them some common ground from which to begin anew.
“But believe it or not, I was your age once, and I had the same ugly fights with my parents. And I promised myself that if I ever had a daughter, I would be a better parent to her than min...more
“But believe it or not, I was your age once, and I had the same ugly fights with my parents. And I promised myself that if I ever had a daughter, I would be a better parent to her than min...more
Simple and no-frills, no big twisty ending. As a mom and a daughter, I found this book astonishingly moving and profound. I had my doubts when I saw the author was a man (and apparently has no daughter either!) I thought I would skim through and see how maudlin or mocking the book was of moms who write long letters to their daughters. Within a few pages I was immediately pulled into the simple and powerful premise - the age-old mother-daughter conflict leads to the teenager storming off, the mom...more
Apr 07, 2010
Ellenh
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who's been a teen or parent
Recommended to Ellenh by:
Early reviewer copy
'A fight ended with a slap, sends 15 year old Elizabeth out the door with Moms car. Her Mother Laura is left to worry and remember. Wracked with guilt as she awaits her return, Laura, begins a letter, hoping to convey "everything I've always meant to tell you but never have."'
This letter, the story of her own painful adolescence and hopes for her own daughter is captivating and I was able to relate to her struggles with her Mother and her daughter. That famous promise to 'Never treat my daughter...more
This letter, the story of her own painful adolescence and hopes for her own daughter is captivating and I was able to relate to her struggles with her Mother and her daughter. That famous promise to 'Never treat my daughter...more
This is an incredibly short book (126 pages in my copy; Amazon says it's 160 pages) and is a sweet, sad story told in one long letter.
Laura's teenage daughter, Elizabeth, has run off the night before her 15th birthday. When Laura was Elizabeth's age, she swore that she wouldn't be like her own mother and that she would be kind and understanding and would let her daughter live her own life. Like most people who make that promise as teenagers, it hasn't quite worked out that way.
So while waiting f...more
Laura's teenage daughter, Elizabeth, has run off the night before her 15th birthday. When Laura was Elizabeth's age, she swore that she wouldn't be like her own mother and that she would be kind and understanding and would let her daughter live her own life. Like most people who make that promise as teenagers, it hasn't quite worked out that way.
So while waiting f...more
This brief book (~120 pps) is a gem! I was lucky to be handed an advanced readers copy and proceeded to read it in one night - this was a "Go away, I'm reading!" book, and too bad if the house is burning down. The premise is that the first person narrator writes a letter to her teenage daughter, who has just run away (no give-away here - it's on the book jacket). Based on that alone, I did not have high expectations - seemed a little sappy. Well, there are some "Gasp!" parts, but the way the sto...more
I didn't find this book very moving. It should have been, given the circumstances and the subject matter, but I think I never really connected with the characters. There was something lacking in their pro-genesis, I think, that failed them from the start and I don't put it down to the epistolary style either. These were simply not fully realized people and I didn't feel for them. It's too big a barrier for an author to overcome in this sort of a story. Sure in a bang, bang, shoot em up, you can...more
Jul 24, 2010
Staci
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Staci by:
Publisher/Shelf Awareness
Shelves:
2010-reads
I actually enjoyed this book for the most part. It consists of short letters written to Laura's daughter who has just run away from home. Laura decides to share her own turbulent youth with her daughter in hopes that when she returns home they can make a connection. A lot of people have been blown away by how the author, who is a man, was able to convey the sort of emotions and reactions that a mom would have. I thought he did a pretty good job and I really did like going back into the past and...more
This was an enjoyable book, exploring a mother's desire to share her own life experiences as a teen with her fifteen year-old daughter. The memories were often poignant and experiences to which many readers will readily relate. I found the premise of the book - that these were recollections that the mother wrote as she awaited the return of her runaway daughter - to be a bit unbelievable. It would seem that such an occurrence would not likely be the catalyst for such detailed, in-depth reflectio...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Jan 08, 2010 10:14am
Jan 08, 2010 10:18am