Because I Love Her (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This intimate collection of writing explores the complex relationship of mothers and daughters. In The Mother Load, Jacquelyn Mitchard, even as a grown woman and mother herself, feels nothing truly bad can ever happen if my mother is around. Joyce Maynard recalls My Mother at Fifty and talks about how her mother's decision to stay in an unhappy marriage because of her and her sister helped her through her own painful divorce. Tara Bray Smith, whose mother battled drug addiction, discusses grief, pain and acceptance in her essay In the Offing—the wonderful thing about adulthood is realizing that we are all deficient, and after a certain point no one is accountable for that but ourselves. The beauty of this collection, edited by Richesin (editor of The May Queen) is the realization that, despite mothers good and bad, suicidal, depressed, divorced, neglectful, all the women here remain hopeful—for themselves, their mothers and their own children, who they understand are undeniably shaped by all that has happened and can use this knowledge to face what lies ahead. (Apr.)
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Review

In our daughters' faces, we see different versions of ourselves: early hopes and dreams, years of self-discovery and hard work to chase after our goals, and the rich reality of the compromises, challenges and joys of being a woman and mother. This candid exploration of 'our daughters, ourselves' captures the unique frustrations and delights facing mothers and daughters today. --Leslie Morgan Steiner, Mommy Wars editor and author of Crazy Love

This collection about one of the most complex relationships we have is so rich and varied that you ll want to read the whole thing from start to finish and then dip into it again and again. The essays are, by turns, wry, funny, angry, forgiving, sad, joyous, and a great many of them are all of these things at once. The book is suffused with hope and punctuated by a fierce, fierce love. --Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Love Walked In and Belong To Me

This intimate collection of writing explores the complex relationship of mothers and daughters. In The Mother Load, Jacquelyn Mitchard, even as a grown woman and mother herself, feels nothing truly bad can ever happen if my mother is around. Joyce Maynard recalls My Mother at Fifty and talks about how her mother's decision to stay in an unhappy marriage because of her and her sister helped her through her own painful divorce. Tara Bray Smith, whose mother battled drug addiction, discusses grief, pain and acceptance in her essay In the Offing the wonderful thing about adulthood is realizing that we are all deficient, and after a certain point no one is accountable for that but ourselves. The beauty of this collection, edited by Richesin (editor of The May Queen) is the realization that, despite mothers good and bad, suicidal, depressed, divorced, neglectful, all the women here remain hopeful for themselves, their mothers and their own children, who they understand are undeniably shaped by all that has happened and can use this knowledge to face what lies ahead. (Apr.) --Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373892020
• ISBN-13: 978-0373892020
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #359,703 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book about Mothers and Daughters, April 15, 2009

By	Julie Peterson "Booking Mama" (Central PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a sucker for books that delve into mother/daughter relationships. I am both a mother and a daughter, and I always seem to relate just a little to the stories. BECAUSE I LOVE HER: 34 WOMEN WRITERS REFLECT ON THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOND edited by Andrea N. Richesin is a book that brings a whole new dimension to the mother/daughter bond. This book is a collection of 34 essays by famous women writers about their personal experiences with their mothers and/or daughters.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It goes without saying that many of these women who wrote essays for this book are extremely gifted writers so the prose is beautiful. In addition, these women know how to tell a story and it seems like they each have a very special one to share. Their essays will make you laugh, cry, and even shake your head; but they all tell a story worth reading.

Not all the mother/daughter relationship stories were happy -- quite a few caused me to tear up and thank God that I do have good relationships with my grandmothers, mother, and daughter. The stories in this book seemed very real and honest to me. I was amazed by how many of the women in this book had less than optimal mothers and managed to overcome it and find success and happiness in their lives. While the stories weren't always happy, the ultimate messages were generally upbeat and very life affirming. You can't help but be touched by the love that is shared between mothers and daughters.

I enjoyed all of the stories in one way or another, but there were a few that affected me quite a bit. Sometimes it was because I adore the author (like Katherine Center) but other times it was because I could really relate to the story. I am fortunate enough to still have both of my grandmothers alive (as I approach 40!) I absolutely love reminiscing how they played with me when I was younger. But I treasure even more that my daughter has had the chance to know and love them. I get choked up when I think about the traditions that we carry down from one woman to another in my family. Whether it's something big like our holiday celebrations or something small like a little prayer, it means so much to me that we have those things in common. For example, there is a ten word prayer that my grandmother taught my mother when she was a toddler. My mother taught it to me and I have since taught it to my daughter. Everytime I think of that little prayer, I think of how incredibly special it is that we all have prayed it together through the years.

I think BECAUSE I LOVE HER would make the perfect Mother's Day gift either for a special woman in your life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect book for every woman who is both daughter and mother, May 24, 2009

By	Lyssa Novitsky "MamaRN" (San Rafael, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I rarely read collections of essays (David Sedaris being the main exception), but yet I absolutely loved this wonderfully and intensely touching and emotionally charged book. It was "assigned" for my mom's group book club and I only picked it up the day before the meeting, thinking I would skim through some of the essays. I ended up spending the entire day reading and was even excited to get up for my 4:00 a.m. feeding so that I could continue it. While reading, I sat holding my 6 week old daughter, often crying, sometimes laughing, and feeling compelled to share with her the legacy she has inherited from my amazing mother and the hopes and dreams I have for her as she grows up. I have since purchased a copy for my mother and best friend and would recommend it to anyone who has a mother and a daughter.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Look at Mother-Daughter Relationships from 34 Women Writers, April 23, 2009

By	Elizabeth F. Smith (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I loved this anthology. The subject of mothers and daughters is a complex one, and the women writers who contributed to this book explore their own relationships in a touching, yet unsentimental way. I laughed, cried, winced, smiled, and at the end found myself feeling a kinship towards many of them. Most of the contributors are both daughters and mothers themselves, so they are at that unique time in their life of coming to terms with the past as well as looking at the future. There is a lot of raw truth here, and in most cases, forgiveness for imperfection in their both their mothers and themselves. I just purchased a copy for my mother, and would recommend it for any woman in your life. Perfect Mother's Day gift!