Tears of My Mother
When star of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Potomac Dr. Wendy Osefo was growing up, her mother was her everything. But when she became a mother herself, everything changed. In this “exquisitely-drawn portrait of the intense bond that only a mother can have with a daughter” (Katie Haufner, author of Mother Daughter Me), Wendy explores how her Nigerian upbringing has affected her life, her success, and her role as a parent. Wendy Osefo’s mother, Iyom Susan Okuzu, arrived in the United States from Nigeria with two things: a single suitcase and the fierce determination to make a better life for herself and her future family. And she succeeded: starting out working in a fast-food restaurant and ultimately becoming the director of nursing at a major metropolitan hospital. While Susan may have taken pride in triumphing over every financial and emotional challenge, in Nigerian culture, a parent is only as successful as his or her children. And so her daughter, with gratitude and appreciation for her mother’s sacrifices, worked hard to meet every demand Susan made of her. With four advanced degrees and a position at Johns Hopkins University as a professor—as well as being a highly sought-after political commentator, a cherished wife, and a loving mother of three—Dr. Wendy has given her mother bragging rights for life. But at what cost to herself? In Tears of My Mother, the star of The Real Housewives of Potomac describes growing up as a first-generation American, balancing two distinct cultures. And she takes a critical look at the paradox of her mother’s parenting: approval conditioned by achievement. As a teenager, Wendy struggled to carve out her own identity while still walking the narrow path of her mother’s expectations. Unwavering family loyalty and obedience gave Wendy the road map to making it in America, but it also drove a wedge between mother and daughter, never more so than when she began to build her own family. “A love letter to Dr. Osefo’s mother and first-generation immigrants all across America” (Library Journal), this book is for anyone who has faced conflict in the mother-daughter relationship or wondered how much of their own upbringing they want to pass on to the next generation.
Tears of a Mother
Abeny Kucha Tiir lived in Sudan during the civil war and genocide in her homeland of South Sudan before fleeing the country and immigrating to the United States.
Weeding Out the Tears
Thirteen-year-old Ryan White contracted AIDS through tainted Factor VIII, administered for his hemophilia, and became nationally known through his family's fight against the bigotry and ignorance his illness revealed in their community. Now, Ryan's mother, Jeanne White, who helped her son discover the strength to overcome prejudice and the courage to face death, tells her inspiring story. of photos.
Mother of My Mother
In her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Motherless Daughters, Hope Edelman explored the profound and lasting effects of mother loss, as well as her own search for healing. Now, in her compelling new work, Edelman explores another complex, life-changing relationship, the intricate bond between generations. Drawing from her own experience and the recollections of over seventy other granddaughters, Edelman explores the three-generation triangle from which women develop their female identities: the grandmother-mother-daughter relationship. With eloquent personal testimony, she demonstrates the vital roles grandmothers have played in their granddaughters' lives, as a source of unconditional love, family values and traditions, and backup parent, the ultimate safety net. Here are grandmothers in all their glory: The "Benevolent Manipulator", whose love for her family is matched only by her desire for control; The "Gentle Giant", awesome, respected, who possesses a quiet, behind-the-scenes power; The "Autocrat", who rules her extended family like a despot; The "Kinkeeper", the family hub, who offers a sense of cohesion to the extended clan. With insight and compassion, Edelman probes this unique and emotionally-charged relationship in a book that is a true celebration of an extraordinary bond--and a must read for every woman.
A Mother’s Tears for a Missing Son
A Mother's Tears for a Missing Son is a first hand account of my personal journey when my son mysteriously disappears in remote Alaska wilderness. It describes the adventures of a free spirited young man who lived on the edge of life and whose choices brought him and his family to an unforeseen outcome of bizarre twists and turns. The expansiveness of the environment offers a setting where the unexpected can happen at a moment's notice. A Mother's Tears for a Missing Son is a story of hope, faith, and trust, with a determination to never give up. I struggled to maintain endurance and courage, through an intense time of grief. As the story unravels, I realized the many opportunities for growth as I navigated my way through a devastating experience with resilience and came to understand the need to fully embrace and process the grief – while enduring personal tragedy. Ultimately, a sense of peace predominates.
