Review: Because I Love Her & Giveaway

Summary: This profound and poignant collection highlights some of the best literary writers of our time in an era when the roles of mothers and daughters are constantly being questioned and redefined. Because I Love Her explores the deepest bonds and truths of motherhood by sharing stories and secrets of becoming a mother and grandmother. Ranging from established and bestselling authors to exciting new voices, these women reveal what their mothers taught them, what they in turn hope to impart to their daughters and, finally, what they've learned as a bridge between the two. -- Harlequin

As many of you already know, I'm a sucker for books that delve into mother/daughter relationships. I am both a mother and a daughter, and I always seem to relate just a little to the stories. BECAUSE I LOVE HER: 34 WOMEN WRITERS REFLECT ON THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOND edited by Andrea N. Richesin is a book that brings a whole new dimension to the mother/daughter bond. This book is a collection of 34 essays by famous women writers about their personal experiences with their mothers and/or daughters.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It goes without saying that many of these women who wrote essays for this book are extremely gifted writers so the prose is beautiful. In addition, these women know how to tell a story and it seems like they each have a very special one to share. Their essays will make you laugh, cry, and even shake your head; but they all tell a story worth reading.

Not all the mother/daughter relationship stories were happy -- quite a few caused me to tear up and thank God that I do have good relationships with my grandmothers, mother, and daughter. The stories in this book seemed very real and honest to me. I was amazed by how many of the women in this book had less than optimal mothers and managed to overcome it and find success and happiness in their lives. While the stories weren't always happy, the ultimate messages were generally upbeat and very life affirming. You can't help but be touched by the love that is shared between mothers and daughters.

I enjoyed all of the stories in one way or another, but there were a few that affected me quite a bit. Sometimes it was because I adore the author (like Katherine Center) but other times it was because I could really relate to the story. I am fortunate enough to still have both of my grandmothers alive (as I approach 40!) I absolutely love reminiscing how they played with me when I was younger. But I treasure even more that my daughter has had the chance to know and love them. I get choked up when I think about the traditions that we carry down from one woman to another in my family. Whether it's something big like our holiday celebrations or something small like a little prayer, it means so much to me that we have those things in common. For example, there is a ten word prayer that my grandmother taught my mother when she was a toddler. My mother taught it to me and I have since taught it to my daughter. Everytime I think of that little prayer, I think of how incredibly special it is that we all have prayed it together through the years.

I think BECAUSE I LOVE HER would make the perfect Mother's Day gift either for a special woman in your life. Check out the book trailer and I think you'll see why.



Are you interested in winning a copy of BECAUSE I LOVE HERE for your mother or daughter (or even for yourself?) I have two to giveaway! For one entry, please leave a comment with your e-mail address telling me something special about your mother. For an additional comment or two, you can blog about this contest and/or tweet about it with a link back to this post. The contest is open until Thursday, April 30th at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will announce the lucky winners the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. or Canada mailing addresses only. Good luck!

Thanks to Ms. Richesin for sending me an ARC of this wonderful book.