Mothers and Daughters

Warning -- Domenica Ruta's With Or Without You does not have a nice, neat, happy ending . . . but it doesn't have a bad ending either.  In fact, it really doesn't have an ending at all, just the honest depiction of a life in progress.  In this memoir, Ruta explores her relationship with her narcissistic, drug-addicted mother and how that relationship ultimately led her to both destroy and attempt to redeem herself.  At the same time darkly humorous and heart-wrenching, With Or Without You brings home the point that in at least some ways, we are all just like our mothers.  HM

Mother Daughter Bonds

In Winter Garden Kristan Hannah, the author of Firefly Lane and Night Road, tells the story of two sisters and the shocking story that their mother shares with them.  This story spans their mothers past from war-torn Leningrad to modern times and changes the girl’s belief in what they thought they knew about their mother and about each other.  Hannah’s writing is always a pleasure to read, with believable characters and a ‘can’t put it down’ story line.  This book starts out slowly but picks up speed and is a very enjoyable read. SG