Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond [Paperback]

various (Author), Andrea N. Richesin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2009

This profound and poignant collection highlights some of the best literary writers of our time in an era when the roles of mothers and daughters are constantly being questioned and redefined. Because I Love Her explores the deepest bonds and truths of motherhood by sharing stories and secrets of becoming a mother and grandmother. Ranging from established and bestselling authors to exciting new voices, these women reveal what their mothers taught them, what they in turn hope to impart to their daughters and, finally, what they've learned as a bridge between the two.

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

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

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

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

Product Details

• Paperback: 307 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373892020
• ISBN-13: 978-0373892020
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #853,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andrea N. Richesin is the editor of four anthologies, Crush: 26 Real-life Tales of First Love; What I Would Tell Her: 28 Devoted Dads on Bringing Up, Holding On To, and Letting Go of Their Daughters; Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond and The May Queen: Women on Life, Love, Work and Pulling It All Together In Your 30s. Her anthologies have been excerpted and praised in The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, Redbook, Parenting, Cosmopolitan, Bust, Good Housekeeping, and Babble. Visit her online at www.NickiRichesin.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

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

By Julie Peterson

Format:Paperback

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.

3 of 3 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

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One the best feel good books ever! March 7, 2010

By K. McCall

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is one of those books that you can't stop reading, but at the same time never want to finish it. It's a honest, heartwarming, memory awakening, wonderfully written book.