One summer, Melissa Cistaro's mother drove off without explanation Devastated, Melissa and her brothers were left to pick up the pieces, always tormented by the thought: Why did their mother abandon them?
Thirty-five years later, with children of her own, Melissa finds herself in Olympia, Washington, as her mother is dying. After decades of hiding her painful memories, she has just days to find out what happened that summer and confront the fear she could do the same to her kids. But Melissa never expects to stumble across a cache of letters her mother wrote to her but never sent, which could hold the answers she seeks.
Haunting yet ultimately uplifting, Pieces of My Mother chronicles one woman's quest to discover what drives a mother to walk away from the children she loves. Alternating between Melissa's tumultuous coming-of-age and her mother's final days, this captivating memoir reveals how our parents' choices impact our own and how we can survive those to forge our own paths.
Heartfelt. Sad. Wonderful writing. The story of Melissa coming to understand the woman who was her mother in painful memories and present day moments as Melissa comes to be with her mother as she lay dying at home. Finding unsent letters in a folder reveals to Melissa a woman who is more than just the mother who left her. The chapters alternate between "Then" and "Now", which in another writers hands may be confusing, but Melissa Cistaro navigates this territory wonderfully, and it seems to flow so naturally. If you enjoy memoirs, if you are a mother, if you have a mother, if you see a baby crying in her stroller and you just want to pick her up and hug her, you will enjoy this book. Reminds me a bit of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I was deeply moved at times and felt such empathy towards Melissa. Definitely a good read and a worth your time.
This book was released on May 5th by Sourcebooks, and is available from your favorite book seller! I received an eGalley of this book for my honest review.
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