shwetakudrimoti17's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
avery_rivers's review against another edition
4.0
This wasn't really what I was looking for because there wasn't much focus on mothers who neglect and fail to protect their children. This would be a good resource for women struggling with their living mothers but it doesn't do much to explain why these types of mothers were the way they were.
barbines's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
yssarkive's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
lovinghershelf's review against another edition
4.0
This book tore my heart out with its stern and frank look at unloving mothers. It’s not a fun read, but it’s definitely a necessary one for anyone who has ever suffered at the hands of the woman who brought them into this world.
anitaofplaybooktag's review against another edition
3.0
I don't often read books in the "self help" genre, but the title on this one caught my attention. Let's just say my mother and I have not had a good relationship, and it has deteriorated considerably over time. I was just curious whether this book would give me new insights that might be useful.
The book basically describes 5 archetypes of "mothers who can't love". I could relate to several of them, but they are more extreme than anything I encountered. She then provides case studies and discusses how various daughters have struggled in life as a result of these relationships. The book then ends on a prescriptive note.
I actually thought the advice in the book was dead on. I had already followed all of it pretty much from a much younger age and as a result I did not suffer the way some of these daughters have suffered. So kudos to Forward for delivering great advice in a clear and very sympathetic way. Also, there's no easy answer for daughters . . .because the mothers really don't or can't change, and the daughters have to realize that they are still lovable people. Not easy after feeling rejected by a parent.
For some, this could be a four or five star read, but I personally didn't relate strongly to any of the five "types". That made it harder for me to appreciate the book. I think the types were overemphasized a bit when the reality is that basically the mother's either couldn't love or didn't love their daughters, but oftentimes did like controlling them. I was hoping to learn more about why some mothers don't love their children or don't act in a loving way. The true tales were illustrative, but not quite fleshed out of enough to make for gripping reading.
It probably would be a higher rated book within the genre of self help, but as an overall read, I felt three stars was appropriate.
The book basically describes 5 archetypes of "mothers who can't love". I could relate to several of them, but they are more extreme than anything I encountered. She then provides case studies and discusses how various daughters have struggled in life as a result of these relationships. The book then ends on a prescriptive note.
I actually thought the advice in the book was dead on. I had already followed all of it pretty much from a much younger age and as a result I did not suffer the way some of these daughters have suffered. So kudos to Forward for delivering great advice in a clear and very sympathetic way. Also, there's no easy answer for daughters . . .because the mothers really don't or can't change, and the daughters have to realize that they are still lovable people. Not easy after feeling rejected by a parent.
For some, this could be a four or five star read, but I personally didn't relate strongly to any of the five "types". That made it harder for me to appreciate the book. I think the types were overemphasized a bit when the reality is that basically the mother's either couldn't love or didn't love their daughters, but oftentimes did like controlling them. I was hoping to learn more about why some mothers don't love their children or don't act in a loving way. The true tales were illustrative, but not quite fleshed out of enough to make for gripping reading.
It probably would be a higher rated book within the genre of self help, but as an overall read, I felt three stars was appropriate.
katherinecg's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this book. It was definitely emotionally challenging and made me reflect on my life, but much of the advice was silly and weird to me. Releasing balloons into the air will not only fail to bring me peace, but is extremely harmful to the environment and to farmers whose animals could choke and die on my selfishness.
constant_reader's review against another edition
5.0
I love all of Susan's books. They've really helped me. This book talks about controlling, abusive, dependant, narcissistic and overly enmeshed mothers. It helps set boundaries & how to go forward. There's a ton of examples to use for communicating with your mother.
sllimika's review against another edition
3.0
Not much of anything new, it is nice to know the mistakes our parents made won't determine our fates as parents.