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Like Mother, Like Daughter?: 14 Stories about Girls and Their Mums
'Like Mother, Like Daughter?' features 14 stories that explore the mother-daughter relationship in a variety of different ways. Heartwarming, funny, challenging and tragic, the stories in this collection reflect the complexity of the mother-daughter relationship. Some will make you laugh, others will make you cry.
- GenresYoung Adult
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2006
3 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Bel Mooney
97 books20 followers(From official website)
As someone who has worked right across the media, I ‘meet’ the widest range of people through my books for adults and children, journalism and broadcasting. And I love it – especially my latest metamorphosis into an advice columnist, first for The Times and now for the Daily Mail on Saturdays. Believe me, there’s no complacency when I say I am blessed with a terrific life. It hasn’t all been easy. But I guess nobody’s life is…and why should it be?
I was born in Liverpool in 1946, where home was a flat in a low-rise estate called The Green, on Queen’s Drive, near Broadgreen Hospital, where I was born. I went to Northway Primary School and then passed the 11+ to go to Aigburth Vale Girls’ High School. This was old-fashioned state education and it served me very well indeed.
Then when I was 14 my world was turned upside down by a move to the South-West of England, to Trowbridge in Wiltshire. That’s when my beloved, hardworking parents obtained their first mortgage, on a three bed-roomed semi. It was such a step up in the world! I went to the local girls’ grammar school and tried to learn a new accent, in order to fit in. It wasn’t easy. But maybe writers should never really fit in…
When I left school I went to University College London, and in 1969 gained a first class honours degree in English Language and Literature. In 1968 I married my first husband, the broadcaster and writer Jonathan Dimbleby. We met in our second year (he was a philosophy student) and married in a whirlwind after knowing each other just four months. Our marriage was a real meeting of minds and was to last for 35 years, until 2003. Jonathan is one of the best, most wonderful people I have ever met. Still.
When I graduated I expected to go back to Uni and do a PhD as invited by my department, but I was seduced down the primrose path of journalism, and have never regretted not writing that thesis on Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf. Anyway, I am now a Fellow of UCL and hold honorary degrees from Bath University and Liverpool John Moores – so, if I wanted, could dip my toe into university life once more.
My first job was on the now-legendary magazine NOVA, which was very exciting, as it used some of the best writers, photographers and designers around. I was Assistant to the Editor, then a feature writer, then contributing editor. After that I had a contract with the Telegraph Magazine, contributed to the Sunday Times, Guardian etc, and was a regular with the New Statesman, under the inspiring editorship of Anthony Howard. Later still I wrote columns variously in the Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan, the Listener and the Daily Mirror.
In 1974 Jonathan and I had Daniel, then in 1975 our second son Tom was stillborn, and in 1980 we had Kitty. At that time we moved to Bath and I began another career as a broadcaster, making programmes for radio and television. I also began to write fiction, starting with ‘The Windsurf Boy’ (1983) and then the first ‘Kitty’ book, ‘I Don’t Want To’ (1985). In 2005 I began a new strand of my career, writing a weekly advice column for The Times, and in 2007 I took that column to The Daily Mail.
In September 2007 I married the photographer Robin Allison-Smith. We live in Bath with our small white dog, a Maltese called Bonnie (of course!) We like doing travel pieces together and riding around on Robin’s Harley-Davidson ‘Fat Boy’ and dancing to the 1972 Wurlitzer and eating and drinking and going to the theatre and hanging out with friends and with Dan and Kitty. Robin and I have set up a company ‘Moon Media’ which offers photography and words, sometimes together. Contact www.robinallisonsmith.co.uk to discuss possibilities. We are also co-owners of a boutique ski chalet in the French Alps, so if you are interested in a wonderful holiday (beautiful in summer too) www.broski.co.uk.
As someone who has worked right across the media, I ‘meet’ the widest range of people through my books for adults and children, journalism and broadcasting. And I love it – especially my latest metamorphosis into an advice columnist, first for The Times and now for the Daily Mail on Saturdays. Believe me, there’s no complacency when I say I am blessed with a terrific life. It hasn’t all been easy. But I guess nobody’s life is…and why should it be?
I was born in Liverpool in 1946, where home was a flat in a low-rise estate called The Green, on Queen’s Drive, near Broadgreen Hospital, where I was born. I went to Northway Primary School and then passed the 11+ to go to Aigburth Vale Girls’ High School. This was old-fashioned state education and it served me very well indeed.
Then when I was 14 my world was turned upside down by a move to the South-West of England, to Trowbridge in Wiltshire. That’s when my beloved, hardworking parents obtained their first mortgage, on a three bed-roomed semi. It was such a step up in the world! I went to the local girls’ grammar school and tried to learn a new accent, in order to fit in. It wasn’t easy. But maybe writers should never really fit in…
When I left school I went to University College London, and in 1969 gained a first class honours degree in English Language and Literature. In 1968 I married my first husband, the broadcaster and writer Jonathan Dimbleby. We met in our second year (he was a philosophy student) and married in a whirlwind after knowing each other just four months. Our marriage was a real meeting of minds and was to last for 35 years, until 2003. Jonathan is one of the best, most wonderful people I have ever met. Still.
When I graduated I expected to go back to Uni and do a PhD as invited by my department, but I was seduced down the primrose path of journalism, and have never regretted not writing that thesis on Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf. Anyway, I am now a Fellow of UCL and hold honorary degrees from Bath University and Liverpool John Moores – so, if I wanted, could dip my toe into university life once more.
My first job was on the now-legendary magazine NOVA, which was very exciting, as it used some of the best writers, photographers and designers around. I was Assistant to the Editor, then a feature writer, then contributing editor. After that I had a contract with the Telegraph Magazine, contributed to the Sunday Times, Guardian etc, and was a regular with the New Statesman, under the inspiring editorship of Anthony Howard. Later still I wrote columns variously in the Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan, the Listener and the Daily Mirror.
In 1974 Jonathan and I had Daniel, then in 1975 our second son Tom was stillborn, and in 1980 we had Kitty. At that time we moved to Bath and I began another career as a broadcaster, making programmes for radio and television. I also began to write fiction, starting with ‘The Windsurf Boy’ (1983) and then the first ‘Kitty’ book, ‘I Don’t Want To’ (1985). In 2005 I began a new strand of my career, writing a weekly advice column for The Times, and in 2007 I took that column to The Daily Mail.
In September 2007 I married the photographer Robin Allison-Smith. We live in Bath with our small white dog, a Maltese called Bonnie (of course!) We like doing travel pieces together and riding around on Robin’s Harley-Davidson ‘Fat Boy’ and dancing to the 1972 Wurlitzer and eating and drinking and going to the theatre and hanging out with friends and with Dan and Kitty. Robin and I have set up a company ‘Moon Media’ which offers photography and words, sometimes together. Contact www.robinallisonsmith.co.uk to discuss possibilities. We are also co-owners of a boutique ski chalet in the French Alps, so if you are interested in a wonderful holiday (beautiful in summer too) www.broski.co.uk.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 7, 2010
Like Mother, Like Daughter is a collection of short stories written by various female authors--some great, some not so great--and selected by Bel Mooney. Of 'Kitty' fame. Which confused me, but anyways. It is a book of stories about the special relationship between mother and daughter.
There are some jewels in this book. The Dolphin Bracelet, Snow-Globe Moment, Broken Flower-Heads, Sing and Mum Never Did Learn To Knock are all very different and very wonderful. They are the stories that make me think, that make me thankful, and are just so well-written!
However, some stories were, in my opinion, not worth reading. Just two, but a terrible two.
The rest of the stories, the other eight that just lie in between the two extremes, were good. They didn't have anything that made them like Marmite, but maybe that's a good thing.
Because of the wide range of stories, I think there is something in here for everyone and I do recommend it. A quick flick, with some great lines.
There are some jewels in this book. The Dolphin Bracelet, Snow-Globe Moment, Broken Flower-Heads, Sing and Mum Never Did Learn To Knock are all very different and very wonderful. They are the stories that make me think, that make me thankful, and are just so well-written!
However, some stories were, in my opinion, not worth reading. Just two, but a terrible two.
The rest of the stories, the other eight that just lie in between the two extremes, were good. They didn't have anything that made them like Marmite, but maybe that's a good thing.
Because of the wide range of stories, I think there is something in here for everyone and I do recommend it. A quick flick, with some great lines.
March 25, 2014
This book contains 14 short stories about mother and daughter. In my opinion, the most touching short story is 'The Dolphin Bracelet'. It is about a family who went on a holiday and the father just have received the notification that his wives disease is getting worse than ever, but he decided not to tell the children and the mother. The daughter, Jodie, went shopping with mum. In a little shop, they both took a fancy to a dolphin bracelet but unfortunately there is only one of it. Jodie decided to let mum have it even though she wanted it so badly. After they came back from the holidays, the father confessed to the family mum's disease and Jodie understood why her dad would took out all his deposit for a holiday. Mum dies not long after the holiday. She wear her bracelet until it is the time to took it off and pass it to Jodie. Jodie wears it now and she really loves it.
This short story is touching in many different aspects. The husband's attempt to make his wives last few days in the world as wonderful as possible, the daughter's generosity towards her mum before even knowing the truth. Th story taught the readers the preciousness of life and being alive, and love our family while we can.
This short story is touching in many different aspects. The husband's attempt to make his wives last few days in the world as wonderful as possible, the daughter's generosity towards her mum before even knowing the truth. Th story taught the readers the preciousness of life and being alive, and love our family while we can.
August 3, 2011
This book contains lots of short stories about mothers and daughters. The 14 stories are a mixture of funny, moving, tragic and challenging and it talks about unique relationships between mothers and daughters. Normally I don't like reading collections of short stories as I like to know more about their lives and I prefered some stories to others but overall a good collection.
December 2, 2009
I only read part of this, one or two stories, because it seemed boring.
December 28, 2011
my mum got me this book i read one or two stories first because i thought it seemed boring but it did start to get better as i read more and there were some stories that i could really relate to.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews