Rating: Summary: A STRONG AND MOVING COLLECTION Review: This is certainly a strong collection of nonfiction about daughters and their parents. "Taking Care of Charlie," by Cathleen Calbert, is gripping, with some humor too. And "Chocolate," by Mary Anne Maier is the most moving piece of all. I admire it for its content and impeccable form, and I reread it periodically. Maier takes us with her on a quest to come to terms with her mother's death, but along the way we are given insight into the author as a daughter and as a human being.
Rating: Summary: A very much appreciated publication for many circumstances. Review: We have read this book and find it suitable for future, present and past experiences. An excellent reading for those still healing from the care of elderly relatives.
Rating: Summary: AUTHOR REMARKS ON INSPIRATION FOR BOOK Review: When I found my mother in an "assisted living" facility complete with cockroaches and gray soup I was desperate to discover how other daughters managed the helplessness that quite overwhelmed me as I began to care for my eighty-nine-year-old parent. She had purple bruises on her face where she had fallen and was on seven different medicines. My sister who had taken responsibility for her care claimed our mother had "severe dementia" and was taking steps to control her finances. A year later, when I sent out a call for manuscripts by women caring for aging parents, I received more than 300 responses. All of us, it seemed, were struggling to do the "right" thing. But we were often separated by geography or expectations or struggles for power and independence. We were thrown into reexamining parental relationships, sometimes painfully. On the other hand, the opportunities for new understanding and acceptance also existed. The details of each writer's experience often made me weep, occasionally made me laugh, and always had me nodding with recognition. More than anything, I was struck by the combination of eloquence and vulnerability explored by each woman. The writing required courage as well as skill. Did I find easy solutions? Is there some special information daughters need to know? How do we take care of ourselves while serving others so intensely? Who are those who will help us know our own hearts? WE are the experts on these matters, and by sharing our experiences with others we ennoble this "invisible" work and all those who are engaged in it. My work on DUTIFUL DAUGHTERS taught me once again a humbleness and respect for the many varieties of the human spirit.
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