I've long enjoyed Reichl's work -- this one is hard, because she tackles the toxic life of the brilliant woman who became a housewife in a restrictive time. There are many hard truths in here, but it's a loving portrait. ( )

A breezy, but sometimes unsettling read. So much angst among grandparents, parents, mother ... But the moral is, be true to yourself. ( )

Torina's review

Feb 12, 2019 · edit


really liked it

bookshelves: 2019-read, audiobook


This was devastating and honest if you really think about it. I listened to the audio version read by the author which I think added a good angle because it was so personal. Ruth areichl basically goes through her mother's old letters after she dies and gets to know a different person than she thought she knew. I can imagine doing that with a family member and it must have been tremendously difficult.



READING PROGRESS

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Interesting on the plight of educated women caught in the prevailing expectations of women in the 50's and 60's. Quick read. ( )

Description
Food writer and restaurant critic Ruth Reichl embarks on a clear-eyed, openhearted investigation of her mother's life, piecing together the journey of a woman she comes to realize she never really knew. Looking to her mother's letters and diaries, Reichl confronts the painful transition her mother made from hopeful young woman to unhappy older one.

This was a short memoir where Ruth learns that the most important thing her mother taught her was to not become like her mother. Her mother was unhappy most of her life trying to fulfill family expectations and not her own. This was interesting and easy to read but I did question some of the conclusions Ruth came to about her mother. ( )