Mother and Two Daughters [Paperback]

Gail Godwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 9, 1994

"A big, entertaining novel...Rich in character and place and humanity...Gail Godwin is a wonderful writer."
THE BOSTON GLOBE
At the death of Leonard Strickland, beloved Southern gentleman, husband and father, his family is faced with the unknown. Nell always relied on the husband of her youth for security and friendship. Fiercely independent Cate and perfect Lydia have spent their lives vying for the love and approval their father generously gave. And as each woman begins to view her life, her past, and the possibilities of the future with new eyes, each belatedly discovers that life and death are impossible to plan, and that the past that has kept them apart can bring them closer to themselves and one another....

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"A big, entertaining novel...Rich in character and place and humanity...Gail Godwin is a wonderful writer."
THE BOSTON GLOBE
At the death of Leonard Strickland, beloved Southern gentleman, husband and father, his family is faced with the unknown. Nell always relied on the husband of her youth for security and friendship. Fiercely independent Cate and perfect Lydia have spent their lives vying for the love and approval their father generously gave. And as each woman begins to view her life, her past, and the possibilities of the future with new eyes, each belatedly discovers that life and death are impossible to plan, and that the past that has kept them apart can bring them closer to themselves and one another....

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 9, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345389239
• ISBN-13: 978-0345389237
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #559,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gail Godwin is a three-time National Book Award finalist and the bestselling author of twelve critically acclaimed novels, including Unfinished Desires, A Mother and Two Daughters, Violet Clay, Father Melancholy's Daughter, Evensong, The Good Husband, and Evenings at Five. She is also the author of The Making of a Writer: Journals, 1961--1963, the first of two volumes, edited by Rob Neufeld. She has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts grants for both fiction and libretto writing, and the Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She has written libretti for ten musical works with the composer Robert Starer. She lives in Woodstock, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rich, rewarding read, November 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Mother and Two Daughters (Paperback)

While I was browsing through Amazon's Gail Godwin titles, I was shocked to see a "one star" Avg. Customer Rating for A Mother and Two Daughters....

It's probably been 15 years since I read this novel, but I remember being swept away by the story of these three strong, complex, and very interesting women. I am contributing my "five star" review in the hopes that potential readers will not bypass this compelling, richly textured book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A national bestseller in 1983, April 6, 2010

By 

microjoe - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

A truly wonderful book, with real and rich characters. A Southern widow who is a good decent woman faces the daily ritual of Southern genteel life, but is challenged by the rivalry of her two daughters Cate and Lydia. Full of the flavor of Southern life and customs, and lush detail. You will be drawn into the story and will wish the story kept on going when it ends.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It!, November 21, 2002

By 

J. Healey "j_x_healey" (RI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mother and Two Daughters (Paperback)

I don't understand the 1 star either. This is one of my favorite books of all time. You come to really care about the characters. The mother 'not true to herself'? I don't understand that at all. Self-sacrificing maybe .... in a way many mothers are. All in all, I've got nothing but good things to say.