Little Girl in the Mirror: Cathy's Story

Tara Mondou (Goodreads Author)

3.93 · Rating details · 15 ratings · 4 reviews

Little Cathy Barron loved living with her Grandmother on Cape Breton Island.

Every summer her Mother would step off the train from Ontario in her fancy outfit and her red lipstick and visit with her daughter for two weeks.

In the summer of 1955, her Mother demanded to take Cathy back to Ontario to live with her for good. Cathy reluctantly said good bye to the only life she ...more

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Paperback, 290 pages

Published May 23rd 2016 by Tara Mondou

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Nov 24, 2018 Telma Rocha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own

Little Cathy’s mother, picks her up from Eastern Canada, and brings her back home to Southern Ontario, despite Cathy wanting to stay with her Grandmother. Mother and Daughter must lean all about each other’s ways and learn how to live together after being apart for six years. Money is scarce, so they move in with a woman whom Cathy does not like, but for good reason.

Forced from her home in the mid 1950’s, now living in a less than ideal situation, Cathy is alone, and isolated from her family out Little Cathy’s mother, picks her up from Eastern Canada, and brings her back home to Southern Ontario, despite Cathy wanting to stay with her Grandmother. Mother and Daughter must lean all about each other’s ways and learn how to live together after being apart for six years. Money is scarce, so they move in with a woman whom Cathy does not like, but for good reason.

Forced from her home in the mid 1950’s, now living in a less than ideal situation, Cathy is alone, and isolated from her family out east. She is desperate to return, but she puts her mother’s needs before her own. Little Cathy makes sacrifices for her mother that most adults do not make. Little Cathy’s only comfort is her friend, the little girl in the mirror, and it is she that Cathy turns to for support.

I do not know where to begin with this story, and I hope my review does this book justice. I loved this from the bottom of my heart. This book is emotionally charged. It’s a story about: mothers, daughters, women, second chances, strength, and courage. But it is also so much more.

This book is close to my heart for many reasons. It is the same genre that I am writing my book, as it is based on a true story. It involves women strengths and courage, and parts of the book are based in Cities in Southern Ontario that I know well. The author describes the settings beautifully, and as a true representation of how they look.

Little Cathy won my heart at the first page, and when her story ended, I wanted more. The story is well paced, and I read it in two days. I wanted to finish in one sitting, but life made me do other important things. The author includes enough detail to allow the reader a true experience of the life of the characters, but not too much that it slows the pacing.

Cathy’s mother, Rita is interesting in so many ways. Throughout the story we see her trying to be the best single mother she can be, and we see her internal struggles at having to learn to take care of another person when she has needs of her own. I was frustrated by her many time; because of the decisions she makes, but also understood that I cannot judge her. She is after all a single mother in the 50’s trying to keep not only herself afloat but now also, a daughter.

All the dramas, emotions, and fears that little Cathy faces are well expressed and conveyed, and I cried throughout the book a few times, and long after I turned the last page.

What made this so heartfelt is knowing that this is a true story, and a well expressed one that deserves to be read by many more readers.

Congratulations Tara on your debut book! ...more

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Aug 28, 2016 Marianne Scott rated it it was amazing

Tara Mondou writes a poignant and touching autobiography of her mother, Cathy Barron. She concentrates on her early and impressionable years and uses the voice of little Cathy. The dialogue clearly articulates a strong Cape Breton accent which adds to the flavour of the characters, a large and extended family. Many of the family have relocated to Ontario, but visits ‘back home’ clearly demonstrate the love for the island and culture in which they were raised. Cathy is the child of a working ...more

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Feb 07, 2019 CJ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A beautiful story

Heartwarming, sad and beautifully written this is the true story of a little girl who was mentally abused by her landlady. It tells the story of the authors mother and how her inherent strength got her through the many years of neglect, loneliness and oftentimes, despair. A great read because of the rich description of the people and touches on history.

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Mar 07, 2019 Lambert Cook rated it it was amazing

This is a great story and was a good read.

It is tough when we do not know what has gone on with our familes in the past and secrets and why someone may act the way that they do.

Tara has done a wonderful job capturing the story of being a strong woman and facing adversity.

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