The Mother-in-Law Diaries

by Carol Dawson

A woman who has had more mothersinlaw than she cares to recall is about to join the club herself, in this bittersweet novel of motherhood and marriage. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Suanne Laqueur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book, a funny poignant, irreverent and soul-searching letter from a mother to her just-married son.

[Crystal Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a little hard to keep up with because the setting changed so much without warning or clues as to where or when until at least a paragraph in. Being a mother of boys and married as well, I understood a lot where the main character/narrator was coming from (when some people may have thought she had lost her mind). Overall decent book, kinda hard to read but has good context.

[Morgen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As she becomes a mother in law herself, Lulu reflects on the influences of the mothers in law in her own life, and the sons they raised that she found love with. Strange how they seem to have had so much more influence on her than her own mother did,

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not up to the standard of Body of Knowledge, but I've encountered few authors with more than one masterpiece. Four times married, Lulu Penfield shows humor and pathos as she relates her relationships with the men in her life, but finds that their mothers had a bigger impact.

[Andy Plonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bittersweet novel whose main character recounts the disasters of her six marriages, two to the same person.

[Destini]

The Mother-in-Law Diaries by Carol Dawson is a great book about a woman who has become something she has never really thought about being. She has become a mother-in-law. She has had four of them and she tries to get her son, Tristan to understand the meaning of being a mother-in-law. She thinks back on her previous marriages and remembers her ex-mother-in-laws. This book is written in a diary form, telling the stories of her previous marriages and explaining what happens when you say "I will". Lulu had never really thought of the meaning of being a mother-in-law until now, and now she feels how it is. As she remembers each of them she has a problem accepting that she is now officially a mother-in-law and does not know whether she should really connect with her daughter-in-law because this is only her son's first marriage and Lulu (the protagonist as I might say), is aware that this marriage may not last forever but she is wishing her new daughter-in-law and her son Tristan the best. My favorite part of the book is when she tells us that woman do not just marry a man. She marries his mother also and although she may not realize it at first, she will always be living with the mother of her husband and they make a great impact on your life. According to Lulu, “we girls pick the women we'll join by picking the boys we love. The boy stands there is all his tender glory. You only have eyes for him. Meanwhile a woman whose existence you acknowledge only in principle starts seeping into your life the moment you say 'I will.'" I highly recommend this book to any girl who has a mother-in-law, is about to, or just lost one (due to relationship complications of course). Also to mother-in-laws so you can see how LuLu Penfield feels and maybe you can relate.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

What did I think of this book? Well, I read it to the end, quickly, I might add. And now that I am in my 60s, I don't waste my time reading books I don't enjoy. Is it on a par with The Shell Seekers? Oh, no, it was not. But, having had a couple of mother-in-laws myself and being one, the book struck a chord. Also, the protagonist is my age - grew up during the Hippie Years, when things were a bit different. The similarities end there, however. Character development is a little flat, but the author offers some good insights to why people behave the way they do. And Lulu is a lulu - a survivor for sure, but this is fiction. Real life would not be so kind to Lulu and her selfish behavior; her kids would not turn out so balanced given their upbringing. A few times, I think the author expected us to come to conclusions about people for which we did not have enough information. Upshot: if you are middle-aged and have experienced having mother-in-law or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 and being a mother-in-law, then you may get a kick out of this book. If you are looking for a well-written, tightly constructed novel with good character development, this is probably not be the book for you.

[Mary Lou]

I allowed the blurb’s mention of wit, funny & hilarious to mislead me. Using the frame of potential future mothers-in-law as a child, then her own thru several marriages & finally herself in that role, she writes a journal about her life. It’s addressed to her oldest son, but she decides about half way through that she can never show it to him. I thought it sad overall, with some interesting characters.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really thought this book sounded like it could be a great comedy, but instead it's more of a girl (she never seemed to grow up or get any smarter) who gets married over and over again trying to find something that is missing inside herself.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for a book group. A pleasant and sometimes funny book about a woman who, over the course of her life, has many mothers-in-law.

[Perkimom · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were enjoyable moments and characters but for the most part....ready to move on.

[Pamela Conley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny at moments but I wanted it to be more funny. I wanted to like the main character more but it was hard because she makes such magnificently bad choices. Pretty prose.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evocative prose and a deeply engaging tale, rich with surprises.

[K Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

entertaining if nothing else