Rating: 5 out of 5.

I laughed, I cried, I screamed – both in delight and horror. If you’re looking for a book to make you feel pretty much the entire spectrum of human emotions, “Things I Wish I Told My Mother,” will probably fit the bill.

Buy Your Copy Here:
UK Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3mE3EUv
US Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/aXaD9Er
Bookshop Link: https://bookshop.org/a/25511/9780316406208

About the Book

A mother and daughter embark on a European trip that will change them forever in this emotional, heartwarming story

Liz and Laurie are mother and daughter, but they couldn’t be more different.

Laurie is a free spirit whose creative career is about to reach new heights. Her mother Liz is a world-renowned doctor, and everything in her life has always been just so.

But when Laurie gets an unexpected call, she decides to take her mother away on a trip to Paris and Norway.

As they explore Europe together, Laurie finally starts opening up to her mother. Will unburdening themselves of the secrets that have kept them apart bring them closer together?

Things I Wish I Told My Mother is the emotional, irresistible and uplifting story of a mother and daughter separated by secrets and brought together by love.

My Thoughts

Last month was the fifth anniversary of my mother’s death. Much like Laurie and Liz, we had a complicated relationship, which as I understand is true of the majority of mothers and daughters. Therein lies the brilliance of this book. It is relatable to most women, and probably a fair amount of men who also have complicated relationships with their parental units. At times, I felt like the authors had reached into my soul and plucked memories and experiences right out of it. But they hadn’t, because they weren’t quite right. But they were so similar, so adjacent, that it was eerie.

For the first few years after my mother’s death, I stayed away from almost anything that had even a whiff of mother’s dying on it. Then a grief counselor told me that wasn’t the healthy way of dealing with death and grief. I admire these two Susan’s for facing their grief head on and tackling a book like this. It was beautiful, poignant, and real, even if it was a work of fiction. It didn’t sugarcoat the difficult relationship that so many of us have with our mothers, but it also captured the beauty that can lie in those moments in between. It highlighted just how complicated it gets. A compliment dipped in an insult. A beautiful moment sandwiched between such vile experiences that you simply don’t know how to feel about this woman without whom you literally would not exist.

I never really traveled with my mother, so the experience was interesting to imagine. Small vacations, no farther than a few hours by car were the extent of our travels. My mother was nothing like Dr. Liz, not really. But the amazing universality of mothers is mind-boggling. And it only makes my resolve to be a better kind of mother that much stronger.

There is a very big twist at the end, that I think I sort of expected, though not in the way it came. I kept waiting, because of the title and the introduction of the book, for “the other shoe” to drop. But when it did, wow. The ladies wrote an amazing novel that is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I will absolutely check out anything else they decide to write. And as a mystery and thriller reader, I’ve somehow never read a James Patterson book, but I think he’s finally made it onto my TBR list.

Who’s It For?

If you enjoy books that take you through the emotional wringer, this is absolutely a book for you. It’s extremely heart-wrenching, but it also has light, enjoyable moments, too. And it is absolutely worth it. If you’re looking for a quick read and a good, ugly cry, here’s your book.

Content Warning: Adult situations, adult language

About the Authors

Susan Solie Patterson

Susan Solie Patterson has a Bachelor of Science/Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was an All-American swimmer. She is the author of Big Words for Little Geniuses, A New York Times bestseller.

Susan DiLallo is a lyricist, librettist and humour columnist. A former advertising creative director, she lives in New York City.

James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author. The creator of Alex Cross, he has produced more enduring fictional heroes than any other novelist alive. He lives in Florida with his family.

Authors Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo were inspired to write their moving novel by the shared experience of their beloved mothers, who lives into their nineties then died in the same year. Their co-author, James Patterson, was usually around to fetch coffee, tea and sandwiches while the two Susans wrote.

Clicking on a Bookshop.org link does not change the price of your book, but because I am an affiliate I may receive a portion of any purchases you make.

Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram

amicarlton

Latest Posts

Latest Posts