What My Mother Gave Me

My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013.  I just finished book 26.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.  The expected publication date for this book is April 2, 2013.

What My Mother Gave Me by Elizabeth Benedict

Summary:
31 women contributed original pieces about a gift they received from their mother and what it meant to them.

My opinion:
First, a little backstory.  I've spent the past week packing up my childhood home (thankfully, this transition was due to downsizing and not death), giving my mom and I many opportunities to talk about the items she saved and the stories behind them.  These conversations in turn inspired me to come home and share stories and long-forgotten treasures with my kids.

Needless to say, when I saw this book on NetGalley, I felt as if it had been written for me.  It would be impossible not to read a book like this without considering the legacy your mother left you, or the legacy you are leaving your children, so I settled in to read this book and feel the feelings I anticipated would soon follow.

Then...nothing happened.  As with all books that have more than one contributor, there will be some hits and misses.  In this case, the majority of the stories were average, one or two truly shone, and none were complete misses.  Some may say my expectations were too high, but I disagree.  The state of mind I was in while reading this book could not have placed me more squarely in the target audience - I was primed to be inspired and possibly shed a tear, and I just wasn't moved.

I'm neutral about my recommendation.  I certainly wouldn't discourage someone from reading it, but I'm not going out of my way to recommend it either.

Quote from the Book:
"We give our children the best of ourselves so that they can find the best of what is in them" ~ Ann Hood (from her contribution titled "White Christmas")