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Almost Perfect

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What I liked best were the exercises she had at the end of each chapter. A well written and solid book.-Marvin B. Smith

Mom loved me the most

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Commins has written an insightful book that will cause you to reflect on what your mother has done for you and how it continues to affect you.
The exercises provide guidance on why you don't "fall far from the apple tree."
I recommend this easy to read book for all daughters.

It Takes Guts to Remember; thank you for the Journey!

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"Draw nearer and listen. Sit inside the circle, close by the fire of warmth and friendship. Tell me your story, and I'll tell you mine," Patricia Commins writes in concluding chapter five. Commins is not a psychologist, nor does she pretend to be. She is a grown woman who has summoned the guts to examine her relationship with her mother, and gives her readers the benefit of that experience. I for one, related to her story, her remembrances, her sense of loss, but most importantly to her joy at discovering her mother and herself. Immersing myself in Ms. Commins' book, I began to recall many forgotten memories of my own mother, a woman who embraced many roles. Mom was typical of the 40's and 50's Midwestern mom who baked cupcakes, scrubbed floors, hung the wash on the clothesline and nurtured her kids. But prior to embracing those roles, she was "Rosie the Riveter" - serving as a draftsman in Ford's River Rouge plant - responsible for the successful completion of the B-24 bomb bay doors. Through Ms. Commins deft ability of prying loose memories through her stories, I remembered mine. I related to her "spiritual e-mail" and found myself probing the memory banks surrounding my father. It matters not the gender of the parent with whom the reader had issues, or whether that parent is still among the living, Ms. Commins, through her gentle remembrances, humor, and down-to-earth approach, has given all readers a true gift. Thank you, Patricia.

Not worth the time

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This book tries to be a personal memoir, a self-help guide, and perhaps an academic treatise on the psychology of mother-loss (though the author does not appear to be qualified, relying instead on others). It fails on all fronts. If you want to read personal accounts of women's experiences of mother-loss, Hope Edelman's books are better-edited.

Truly a blessing

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What a blessing this book has been for me! My mother passed away recently after a long illness. Our relationship was often turbulent and my childhood and teen years were sometimes difficult. I spent a lot of my time being angry with her but this book really opened my eyes as to the struggle my mother had just with trying to survive on a day to day basis. I saw my mother in this book and discovered the answers to many questions that baffled me about the kind of person she was. Loving and laughing one minute then crying and accusing the next minute. Now I know why. Thank you, Patricia, for writing this book. My mom and I had many good times too. She had a great sense of humour and I cherish that part of my mother. Your book is a precious gift.