Heroes of Their Own Stories: Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned page turner to wrap up in a blanket on the couch with when you are trying to fend off a cold and ignore the world at the same time.

I first spied Susan Rieger’s “Like Mother, Like Mother” while holiday shopping and quickly added it to my wish list. There’s only so many books I can buy for myself instead of others during the holidays without getting noticed. Instead, thanks to excellent curators at the local library, I was able to snag this pretty quickly and moved it to the top of the TBR pile.

What a great story to kick off a dreary January.

Rieger’s family drama focuses primarily on a mother and daughter, Lila and Grace. Having endured a violent childhood at the hands of her father, Lila escapes to college and never looks back. She accepts her emotional limitations as an adult yet still finds love with an incredibly patient partner, Joe.

It’s Joe that does most of the parenting of Grace and her two older sisters as Lila’s career soars, as a reporter-turned-editor at one of Washington D.C’s most prominent newspapers. And as the youngest child, Grace takes issue with her mother’s absentee role, which in turn impacts her adult relationships.

And then there’s the issue of Lila’s mother Zelda — is she dead? Is she alive? And how many lives will be upended if that knowledge comes to fruition?

I used the phrase “page turner” earlier — and I meant it. I read this in about two days, too comfortable on my couch and dreading anything that would force me outside into the sub-zero temps. Rieger’s prose and pacing are such that readers are drawn in nearly immediately and engaged with storytelling that isn’t overwrought or sappy. Grace’s pain and frustration is palpable. Her best friend Ruth is the best kind of person. Joe’s mother Frances, with her own gentle backstory, adds color and context to myriad relationships over the years.

And Lila just kicks ass and takes names and really doesn’t have time for your complaints. As a stoic-in-training, I kind of love her.

Great book club suggestion, definitely a perfect pick for a long weekend under a big blanket. It’s been optioned for TV or film, and I cannot wait to see who they cast. Don’t pass on this one.