For My Daughters

Rating:
Summary: a typical Delinsky
Review: The plot is predictable as usual, but after all, that's why we read these things! Delinsky does an excellent job of providing a story that movingly fills in the different characters' points of view, sympathizing with them and criticizing them all where appropriate, and uplifts the audience. Not a profound literary treasure, but good reading for a pick me up on a down day.

Rating:
Summary: Nosy, petty daughters wreck an otherwise poignant tale!
Review: These three daughters spend much of this novel complaining about their Mother. This story is very similar to "Bridges of Madison County" but with 3 spoiled and whining daughters who have no business interrogating their 70-year-old mother about her life before they were even born.

What business is it of theirs what "Ginny" the mother did before the daughters were around? Delinsky is very repetitive here, constantly reminding the reader that mother "Ginny" was emotionally unavailable, (cry me a river) yet the St. Clair sisters never wanted for material goods and grew up quite wealthy. We are supposed to feel sorry for these spoiled kids?

There are some very poignant chapters, here, though, as Delinsky writes about Ginny's (the 70-year-old mothers) death. There's very little about the daughters mourning their mother's death, though. How typical of these 3 Ingrates. Delinsky does add variety to her writing by switching from 1st and 3rd person in some of the chapters.

There's also a couple of "inter-chapters" about some of the old townsfolk sitting on their porch reminiscing about the way the small town in Maine, where the three daughters reunite.....used to be. These are interspersed with the story chapters. These "interchapters" don't seem to have any connection to the story at hand, though. I was confused about who these old townspeople were and how they were related to the daughters and their dying mother.

I'm taking one star off for this confusion, and one star off for the insufferable grown children who have a major chip on their shoulders.

Many readers who are familiar with Delinsky know that her characters have "mother" problems and the charcters always call their mothers by the mother's first name. But, usually there is some major reason or gripe for the mother-daughter conflict in a Barbara Delinsky novel.

I just don't see it, here, in this novel.

I just don't see what the conflict was, here, though. The daughters all grew up to be very accomplished and well-off. So what was all the complaining and squabbling about?

Rating:
Summary: Nosy, petty daughters wreck an otherwise poignant tale!
Review: These three daughters spend much of this novel complaining about their Mother. This story is very similar to "Bridges of Madison County" but with 3 spoiled and whining daughters who have no business interrogating their 70-year-old mother about her life before they were even born.

What business is it of theirs what "Ginny" the mother did before the daughters were around? Delinsky is very repetitive here, constantly reminding the reader that mother "Ginny" was emotionally unavailable, (cry me a river) yet the St. Clair sisters never wanted for material goods and grew up quite wealthy. We are supposed to feel sorry for these spoiled kids?

There are some very poignant chapters, here, though, as Delinsky writes about Ginny's (the 70-year-old mothers) death. There's very little about the daughters mourning their mother's death, though. How typical of these 3 Ingrates. Delinsky does add variety to her writing by switching from 1st and 3rd person in some of the chapters.

There's also a couple of "inter-chapters" about some of the old townsfolk sitting on their porch reminiscing about the way the small town in Maine, where the three daughters reunite.....used to be. These are interspersed with the story chapters. These "interchapters" don't seem to have any connection to the story at hand, though. I was confused about who these old townspeople were and how they were related to the daughters and their dying mother.

I'm taking one star off for this confusion, and one star off for the insufferable grown children who have a major chip on their shoulders.

Many readers who are familiar with Delinsky know that her characters have "mother" problems and the charcters always call their mothers by the mother's first name. But, usually there is some major reason or gripe for the mother-daughter conflict in a Barbara Delinsky novel.

I just don't see it, here, in this novel.

I just don't see what the conflict was, here, though. The daughters all grew up to be very accomplished and well-off. So what was all the complaining and squabbling about?

Rating:
Summary: Nosy, petty daughters wreck an otherwise poignant tale!
Review: These three daughters spend much of this novel complaining about their Mother. This story is very similar to "Bridges of Madison County" but with 3 spoiled and whining daughters who have no business interrogating their 70-year-old mother about her life before they were even born.

What business is it of theirs what "Ginny" the mother did before the daughters were around? Delinsky is very repetitive here, constantly reminding the reader that mother "Ginny" was emotionally unavailable, (cry me a river) yet the St. Clair sisters never wanted for material goods and grew up quite wealthy. We are supposed to feel sorry for these spoiled kids?

There are some very poignant chapters, here, though, as Delinsky writes about Ginny's (the 70-year-old mothers) death. There's very little about the daughters mourning their mother's death, though. How typical of these 3 Ingrates. Delinsky does add variety to her writing by switching from 1st and 3rd person in some of the chapters.

There's also a couple of "inter-chapters" about some of the old townsfolk sitting on their porch reminiscing about the way the small town in Maine, where the three daughters reunite.....used to be. These are interspersed with the story chapters. These "interchapters" don't seem to have any connection to the story at hand, though. I was confused about who these old townspeople were and how they were related to the daughters and their dying mother.

I'm taking one star off for this confusion, and one star off for the insufferable grown children who have a major chip on their shoulders.

Many readers who are familiar with Delinsky know that her characters have "mother" problems and the charcters always call their mothers by the mother's first name. But, usually there is some major reason or gripe for the mother-daughter conflict in a Barbara Delinsky novel.

I just don't see it, here, in this novel.

I just don't see what the conflict was, here, though. The daughters all grew up to be very accomplished and well-off. So what was all the complaining and squabbling about?

Rating:
Summary: A touching and truthful look at family relationships
Review: When I read "For My Daughters" I couldn't help but compare the life experiences of the sisters with that of my four sisters. How precious little we truly know of our siblings inner feelings until we are thrown together and united for a common purpose. We all remember what our sisters were like when we were little. It is a remarkable experience to renew those relationships as grown women and come to love and appreciate each other. Barbara Delinsky captures all the emotions of the sisters learning about each other all over again, while learning more about themselves. An excellent book!