Book Review: Things I Wish I Told My Mother

This title resonated. Oh, the many Things I Wish I Told My Mother. Even more, the shattering things I wish I could tell her now. It's probably just as well, as they might break her heart. I was fortunate to have a wonderful relationship with my mother. We had similar interests, tastes, and temperaments. Dementia stole her away and defied sharing events from the last dozen years. This tale is a bit different. The friction between this mother-daughter pair is biting!

What a conflicted relationship between Dr. Liz and Laurie. Dr. Liz is a well-dressed, independent, powerful doctor. She rarely hesitates to let her daughter know her disappointment. Laurie is content in comfortable clothes and quite proud of her artistic flair for advertising, something her mother cannot appreciate. When Dr. Liz faces a heart scare, Laurie decides to treat her mother to a trip back to her mother country, Norway. Dr. Liz insists on adding Paris, the city where Laurie honeymooned with her ex-husband. Laurie doesn't relish reminders, but is willing to pacify her mother in hopes of forging a better relationship.

Some of the dialogue, as these two women spar, is laugh-out-loud funny. We slowly unravel past events that formed Dr. Liz's personality. We watch as Laurie embarks on a romance in the City of Love. Can they mend fences? Will closeness develop between them before it is too late? Can Laurie learn to communicate with her distant and cold mother? I've been on the receiving end of biting criticism. I know how it can shut you down. Laurie takes it in stride, for the most part. This book provides an interesting exploration of the mother-daughter bond.