More Than Just A Good Read

Book Review

By James Myers

The Secret Lives of Mothers and Daughters

By Maria Falconer

Published by Lulu.com

ISBN# 978-1-4116-9638-9

Paperback

276 Pages

www.mariafalconer.com

Rating:  (3 Stars)

            “One thing was certain.  As with all mother and daughters, the speech Alma gave had an effect on Sheryl-one exactly the opposite of what was intended.  For now Sheryl wondered about Belle.  Not just how or why she came to be there.  But if she was really trying to be friendly out by the trashcans.

            And for the first time in her life, Sheryl could image a time when she would sit down beside a white woman, beside Belle.

            And have a cup of coffee.

            And perhaps even talk about the ways in which they were different.  And maybe even the ways they were the same.”

            The Secret Lives of Mothers and Daughters is an internal, psychological study of the inner thoughts of women juxtaposed against the actual things that are said, and the actions taken.  This book is a brilliant, internal character study that bounces between characters, in and out of a time sequence in a stream of consciousness technique.  The basic storyline is simple.  A black woman Sheryl lives on Linden Avenue with her mother Alma and her daughter Dena.  A white woman, Belle moves into the neighborhood with her daughter Lexis.  The women and their daughters become good friends.  What is striking about this book is the internal struggle that goes on with the internal, below the surface, characters that is attributed to the mother-daughter relationship that exists in all of the female characters in this book. 

            Belle, mother to Lex, was categorized by her mother as “the pretty one” in her family.  Her sister is “the smart one”.  Outgoing, and bubbly, Bell was supposed to fall into the good life by her looks alone.  Nearly 40 yrs later she is still waiting for the good part of her life to happen.  She did indeed marry a rich man, who from day one was a wife beater.  She divorced him.  Her second husband Joe is a mechanic.  He is too crude and rough for her, but he truly loves her.  He becomes an alcoholic.  She divorces him because her father was an alcoholic and she knows where that leads.  Her skirts are too short and her clothes are too tight.  She becomes very familiar with men, and “performs” anytime she is in a room with one.  This leads to instability and conflict in her life that spills over onto her daughter.  This is a constant source of irritation with her daughter, Lexis.

            Lex is a BBW, just the opposite of her mother.  She is told over and over again that she is fat, ugly and cries too much.  Her mother’s relationships with men are an embarrassment to her, particularly when Belle flirts with her new high school principle.  Belle has been bounced from school to school because of her mother’s difficulties in life, and she is sure no one likes her.  Lex is sure her mother doesn’t understand her problems, so she internalized them, and will not speak about them.  Lex’s story is particularly striking in this book.  Her story of overcoming her challenges is the best storyline in this work.

            Sheryl is a woman who just can’t seem to get ahead.  She works two jobs, but has to sell her ex-husband’s car to buy her daughter a suitable prom dress.  She feels that she is held back in her job at the bank by her boss, who seems to promote young, white, males that she is forced to train over her.  All of this while the boss’ secretary carries on with him and seems to get favorable treatment.  She feels that she does not get support for home where she lives in her mother’s old house.

            Her mother, Alma, is an older, senior citizen.  She used to work as a domestic in the homes of white people.  Inevitably, they would accuse her of stealing something and fire her on the spot.  She and her dead husband were very involved in the civil rights movement.  As far as she is concerned, strides have been made and these generations of black women have had it easier than hers did.  And they don’t appreciate the difference.  And you cannot trust any white people.  Her own daughters do not understand this.  Her daughter Sheryl does not get along with her sister, Jackie.  Alma knows her time is short, and she wants her children to reconcile before she leaves this earth to be with her husband in heaven.

Dena is Sheryl’s daughter.  She seems to be the graced child.  In her high school, she has the right best friend, the right circle of friends and the right boyfriend.  She is a very popular, well-adjusted girl.  Life seems easy for Dena.  But the struggle to maintain this lifestyle is not easy.  When she finally looses it, she truly finds herself and true friendship at the same time.

            It is this constant tension between mother and daughter that makes this book so interesting.  The internal and external struggle of these woman to overcome their backgrounds and the differences between the characters make for very interesting reading.  What we learn in this work is that the challenges each of us face may be individually different, but the over all challenges of the human existence can be overcome only when we unite together.  This is a truth that crosses race, age, sex, and time.  This book is a study about women who are decidedly different, overcoming common issues that control the forces in their lives, by love and friendship.  Only in an enhanced, joint setting can they beat the odds.  This is a very interesting case study of issue that confronts many women.  I recommend this book.

Hi!  Jim here.  I've been diagnosed with vertigo and I saw my family dr this am.  He wants to admit to the hospital for a couple of days for some tests.  Sorry about the delay in the shipments, but as soon as I'm back, I'll complete that process.  Thanks for your patience.  Jim