Good Mother's Day Reads

Contributed by Bettina Miller, Hive Overland Park

---

Don't miss a thing with The Hive Women and Buzz from The Hive!

CATCH THE BUZZ

---

Please be sure to click on the ORANGE  book link to order. A portion of any commissions earned by The Hive on your orders will be donated to charity. Social, with a purpose! Thank you.

With the month of May upon us – as well as Mother’s Day – I thought I’d share a few books I’ve read with a mother in the title…

Like Mother: Like Mother by Susan Rieger

Throughout the novel we learn about the lives of Lila, her daughter Grace, as well as some exploration into Lila’s mother, Zelda, whom she never saw after her father had her committed to an asylum when Lila was just two years old.  Lila is a career driven woman who has a successful career at a prominent newspaper. She marries a good man and eventually has children, but left the child rearing responsibilities to her husband.  Her daughter, Grace, ends up writing a novel called The Lost Mother and while it’s supposed to be a fictional novel, it is modeled closely after her own life and her relationship (or lack thereof) with her mother. It was published a few months before Lila dies. The exploration into the mothers and daughters and the impact the various choices they made had on each other’s lives makes for an interesting read.

The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin

This is a fascinating memoir written by the author and based on her life experiences.  An avid reader, Lara grew up in California and was the first in her family to go to college where she studied creative writing.  Her life takes a turn for the worse due to a man she married who was a serious drug addict, and Lara fell into addiction as well.  They initially lived in a nice neighborhood and had a child together; to the outside world they seemed like the typical all-American family.  However, Lara turned to stealing from her friends and neighbors to help support their drug habits.  Both were eventually arrested and Lara’s ex-husband (whom she also shared children with) assumes custody of their son. The book explores how she got through her time in prison and eventually turned her life around. A definite page turner.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

This novel goes back and forth between present day and flashbacks to the past. We get the most insight into the relationship between Lucy Goodwin, and her mother-in-law Diana Goodwin, who winds up murdered (although both breast cancer and suicide had also been thought to have caused her death). Lucy was hopeful to have a meaningful relationship with Diana as she had lost her own mother at a young age. Lucy’s husband has financial troubles with his business, her sister-in-law has issues with infertility and Diana had her own difficult situations as a mother and also with her charity work.  There are many twists and turns as you weave your way through the novel and try to figure out who wanted Diana dead and why.

Let us know your favorite read in the comments.