About book What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-one Women On The Gifts That Mattered Most (2013)
Very cool idea to tap into noted female writers on what their mothers gave them. For some, it was a physical object, but for others it was an emotion or attitude or opportunity. I wish the background of these 31 writers was shared either before their entry or directly after it. Instead the information was listed at the back of the book in alphabetical order. Knowing their background up front would have made me appreciate or understand their story even more. Some of these mostly short essays feel dashed off, as if the author were finishing a dreaded assignment. Others, like Sheila Kohler, wrote prose as tight and interesting as her best fiction. Some took the topic literally, writing about a piece of furniture, jewellery or clothing. (Joyce Carol Oates wrote about knitted item she called a quilt that didn't reveal anything about her mother.) Others saw the opportunity to reflect on examples of how to behave, live or work. A mixed bag with some memorable pieces.
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I read several chapters while at the library. Good stuff here.
—kelly4
Good idea for a book but writers were very typical.
—clarabel
My first book of the year and what a pleasure!
—pdiana
