Mother of My Mother: The Intricate Bond Between Generations

by Hope Edelman

In her bestselling Motherless Daughters , Hope Edelman articulated the effects of early mother loss with stunning courage and honesty. In doing so, she helped hundreds of thousands of women heal. Now, in her new book--part memoir, part reportage--she brilliantly explores the three-generational triangle from which women develop their female the grandmother-mother-granddaughter relationship. Edelman writes that her grandmother and her mother together "defined the terms 'mother,' daughter,' and 'woman' for me. The three of us, in my memory, are separate yet linked, like sequential pearls on a strand."

Drawing from her own experience and the recollections of more than seventy other granddaughters, Edelman constructs an eloquent, insightful narrative filled with stories of women who were each other's nurturers, confidantes, nemeses, and day-to-day supporters, among other roles. At the center of all these stories stands the maternal grandmother. In the pages of Mother of My Mother , readers will meet the "Gentle Giant," the matriarch who exercises behind-the-scenes power in her family; the "Autocrat," who rules her extended clan like a despot; and the "Kinkeeper," the grandmother who acts as the family's social, cultural, or religious center. Then, of course, there is Edelman's own maternal grandmother, the "Benevolent Manipulator," whose love for her family is rivaled only by her desire for control. Edelman's complicated, challenging, and dynamic relationship with her "colorful, opinionated, ubiquitous, stubborn, loving, patient . . ." grandmother is the consistent thread that runs throughout the book.

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 13, 1999

About the author

Hope Edelman is the internationally acclaimed author of eight nonfiction books, including the bestsellers Motherless Daughters and Motherless Mothers, as well as the upcoming book, The Aftergrief. She has lectured extensively on the subjects of early loss and also on nonfiction writing in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Her articles and reviews have appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Glamour, Child, Seventeen, Real Simple, Parents, Writer’s Digest, and Self, and her original essays have appeared in many anthologies. Her work has received a New York Times notable book of the year designation and a Pushcart Prize for creative nonfiction. She lives in Los Angeles and Iowa City, where she can be found every July teaching at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival.

Reviews

[Sunnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, especially insights into what other women have experienced. I was hoping that this would be a continuous story about one group of women and was surprised that it incorporated the stories of other groups as well. Insights/commentaries were good. Read quickly. Just became overly long after a while. So, while I specifically chose this title, it just didn't suit after a while. This does not mean that it might suit others much better.

[Terry Waslow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interested assessment of the grandmother/ granddaughter relationship and the triangle between the 3 generations.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at Goodwill because it looked really interesting. I have always been fascinated with the grandmother/mother/daughter bond. Although I don't feel that bond with my own mother..it is something that I want my daughter to feel. Starting to read today!!


I read it..it was interesting, but not exactly what I was expecting. I would recommend it though!

[Joy Kidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the family kin-keeper, I especially enjoyed this intimate delving into the importance of our grandmothers. I was blessed that my own Grandma Leora lived until I was in my mid-40s. Now, decades later, I am writing and sharing her stories.